Medieval: king

Henry IV (15 April 1367 – 20 March 1413), also known as Henry of Bolingbroke, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1399 to 1413, and asserted the claim of his grandfather, Edward III, to the Kingdom of France.

Lords Appellant ..

Henry was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire. His father, John of Gaunt, was the fourth son of Edward III and the third son to survive to adulthood, and enjoyed a position of considerable influence during much of the reign of Henry's cousin Richard II, whom Henry eventually deposed.

Henry's mother was Blanche, heiress to the considerable Lancaster estates, and thus he became the first King of England from the Lancaster branch of the Plantagenets and the first King of England since the Norman Conquest whose mother tongue was English rather than French.

Henry experienced a rather more inconsistent relationship with King Richard II than his father had. First cousins and childhood playmates, they were admitted together to the Order of the Garter in 1377, but Henry participated in the Lords Appellants' rebellion against the king in 1387. After regaining power, Richard did not punish Henry, although he did execute or exile many of the other rebellious barons. In fact, Richard elevated Henry from Earl of Derby to Duke of Hereford.

The relationship between Henry Bolingbroke and the king met with a second crisis. In 1398, a remark by Thomas de Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk regarding Richard II's rule was interpreted as treason by Henry and Henry reported it to the king. The two dukes agreed to undergo a duel of honour (called by Richard II) at Gosford Green near Caludon Castle, Mowbray's home in Coventry. Yet before the duel could take place, Richard II decided to banish Henry from the kingdom (with the approval of Henry's father, John of Gaunt) to avoid further bloodshed. Mowbray himself was exiled for life.

John of Gaunt died in February 1399. Without explanation, Richard cancelled the legal documents that would have allowed Henry to inherit Gaunt's land automatically. Instead, Henry would be required to ask for the lands from Richard. After some hesitation, Henry met with the exiled Thomas Arundel, former Archbishop of Canterbury, who had lost his position because of his involvement with the Lords Appellant. Henry and Arundel returned to England while Richard was on a military campaign in Ireland. With Arundel as his advisor, Henry began a military campaign, confiscating land from those who opposed him and ordering his soldiers to destroy much of Cheshire. Henry quickly gained enough power and support to have himself declared King Henry IV, imprison King Richard (who died in prison under mysterious circumstances) and bypass Richard's 7-year-old heir-presumptive, Edmund de Mortimer. Henry's coronation, on 13 October 1399, may have marked the first time since the Norman Conquest when the monarch made an address in English.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_IV_of_England

Lancaster Castle, Duchy of Lancaster, Plantagenets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TlxI7tKOsM

https://mittelzeit.blogspot.com/2019/03/john-of-gaunt-1st-duke-of-lancaster.html

Henry IV of England - Wikipedia

Edward III

Edward III: English King Who Started The 100 Years' War - Chronicle > .

Biography of life of Edward III, England's Greatest King > .

Richard III

Battle of Towton 1461 > .

22nd August 1485: Richard III defeated at the Battle of Bosworth > .

Richard III - 500 Year Old Cold Case - with Turi King > .

Richard III - Q&A: 500 Year Old Cold Case - with Turi King > .

16th-Century Dynasties of Europe

Monarchs and Kings: Establishing 16th-Century Dynasties of Europe

https://www.thegreatcoursesdaily.com/dynasties-of-europe/

Houses & Titles

Kings, Nobles, Gentry - 14th century

House of Plantagenet
https://mittelzeit.blogspot.com/2018/12/richard-ii-and-plantagenets.html .
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Plantagenet .

House of Lancaster
https://mittelzeit.blogspot.com/2019/03/house-of-lancaster.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Lancaster

House of York
https://mittelzeit.blogspot.com/2019/03/house-of-york.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_York

House of Tudor
https://mittelzeit.blogspot.com/2019/03/house-of-tudor.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Tudor

House of Clare
https://mittelzeit.blogspot.com/2019/03/house-of-clare.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Clare

House of Neville
https://mittelzeit.blogspot.com/2018/11/neville.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Neville

Duke of Gloucester
https://mittelzeit.blogspot.com/2019/03/thomas-of-woodstock.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_of_Gloucester

Duke of Norfolk ..
When Richard II made Thomas Mowbray the Duke of Norfolk in 1397, he conferred upon him the estates and titles (including Earl Marshal) that had belonged to the Earls of Norfolk. His elderly grandmother Margaret was still alive, and so at the same time she was created Duchess of Norfolk for life. Mowbray died in exile in 1399, some months after his grandmother, and his dukedom was repealed. His widow took the title of Countess of Norfolk.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_of_Norfolk

Earl of Warwick
https://mittelzeit.blogspot.com/2019/03/earl-of-warwick.html

Baron le Despenser
https://mittelzeit.blogspot.com/2019/03/baron-le-despencer-is-title-that-has.html

Edward le Despencer, 1st Baron le Despencer (1336–1375)
Thomas le Despencer, 2nd Baron le Despencer (1373–1400) (created Earl of Gloucester, 1397)(beneficiary of the reversal of the attainder of first and second creations in 1398; attainted 1400)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baron_le_Despencer .

Barons Zouche
https://mittelzeit.blogspot.com/2019/03/barons-zouche.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baron_Zouche .

Henry II, Thomas Becket

.Why Henry II Wanted Rid of Archbishop Thomas Becket | Timeline > .

1170-12-29: Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, killed in Cathedral - HiPo > .

Rise of Thomas Becket | Murder and Martyrdom of Becket | 1 - Hi Hub > .

Murder of Thomas Becket | Murder and Martyrdom of Becket | 2 - HiHub > .

Britain’s Bloodiest Dynasty - Timeline >> .

The Plantagenets - History Hub >> .

On 29 December 1170 Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, was murdered in front of the altar of Canterbury Cathedral.

Thomas Becket was appointed Chancellor by Henry II in 1155. In this job he proved himself to be a faithful member of the king’s court. When Theobald, the existing Archbishop of Canterbury died, Henry seized the chance to dominate the church by appointing the trustworthy Becket to succeed him.

Having a loyal friend in the most senior religious position in England made sense to Henry. However, as Archbishop of Canterbury, Becket’s allegiance quickly switched to siding with the church. This frustrated Henry who asked Becket to sign the Constitutions of Clarendon in 1164 to extend the king’s authority over the clergy. Becket refused and, shortly after being summoned to the king to explain his actions, fled to France.

Becket returned to England in 1170, but not before excommunicating two senior members of the clergy for supporting Henry. This act led to him being the target of an angry outburst by the king. It is highly unlikely, however, that Henry screamed out the words ‘Who will rid me of this troublesome priest?’

Whatever Henry said was enough to encourage four knights to travel to Canterbury and kill the Archbishop inside the Cathedral. The event was recorded in a later history by the monk Edward Grim. He claimed that the fatal blow split Becket’s skull as he knelt in front of the altar.

Becket was canonised by Pope Alexander III barely two years after the murder, and in 1174 the king himself walked barefoot to Becket’s tomb in Canterbury in penance.

Henry II

Henry II (5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189), also known as Henry Curtmantle (Court-manteau), Henry FitzEmpress, or Henry Plantagenet, was King of England from 1154 until his death in 1189. He was the first king of the House of Plantagenet. King Louis VII of France made him Duke of Normandy in 1150. Henry became Count of Anjou and Maine upon the death of his father, Count Geoffrey V, in 1151. His marriage in 1152 to Eleanor of Aquitaine, whose marriage to Louis VII had recently been annulled, made him Duke of Aquitaine. He became Count of Nantes by treaty in 1158. Before he was 40 he controlled England, large parts of Wales, the eastern half of Ireland and the western half of France; an area that was later called the Angevin Empire. At various times, Henry also partially controlled Scotland and the Duchy of Brittany.

Henry was the son of Geoffrey of Anjou and Matilda, daughter of Henry I of England. He became actively involved by the age of 14 in his mother's efforts to claim the throne of England, then occupied by Stephen of Blois, and was made Duke of Normandy at 17. He inherited Anjou in 1151 and shortly afterwards married Eleanor of Aquitaine, whose marriage to Louis VII of France had recently been annulled. Stephen agreed to a peace treaty after Henry's military expedition to England in 1153, and Henry inherited the kingdom on Stephen's death a year later.

Henry was an energetic and sometimes ruthless ruler, driven by a desire to restore the lands and privileges of his grandfather Henry I. During the early years of his reign the younger Henry restored the royal administration in England, re-established hegemony over Wales and gained full control over his lands in Anjou, Maine and Touraine. Henry's desire to reform the relationship with the Church led to conflict with his former friend Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury. This controversy lasted for much of the 1160s and resulted in Becket's murder in 1170. Henry soon came into conflict with Louis VII and the two rulers fought what has been termed a "cold war" over several decades. Henry expanded his empire, often at Louis' expense, taking Brittany and pushing east into central France and south into Toulouse; despite numerous peace conferences and treaties, no lasting agreement was reached. By 1172, he controlled England, large parts of Wales, the eastern half of Ireland and the western half of France, an area that would later come to be called the Angevin Empire.

Henry and Eleanor had eight children. As they grew up, tensions over the future inheritance of the empire began to emerge, encouraged by Louis and his son King Philip II. In 1173 Henry's heir apparent, "Young Henry", rebelled in protest; he was joined by his brothers Richard and Geoffrey and by their mother, Eleanor. France, Scotland, Brittany, Flanders, and Boulogne allied themselves with the rebels. The Great Revolt was only defeated by Henry's vigorous military action and talented local commanders, many of them "new men" appointed for their loyalty and administrative skills. Young Henry and Geoffrey revolted again in 1183, resulting in Young Henry's death. The Norman invasion of Ireland provided lands for his youngest son John, but Henry struggled to find ways to satisfy all his sons' desires for land and immediate power. Philip successfully played on Richard's fears that Henry would make John king, and a final rebellion broke out in 1189. Decisively defeated by Philip and Richard and suffering from a bleeding ulcer, Henry retreated to Chinon castle in Anjou, where he died.

Henry's empire quickly collapsed during the reign of his youngest son John. Many of the changes Henry introduced during his long rule, however, had long-term consequences. Henry's legal changes are generally considered to have laid the basis for the English Common Law, while his intervention in Brittany, Wales and Scotland shaped the development of their societies and governmental systems. Historical interpretations of Henry's reign have changed considerably over time. In the 18th century, scholars argued that Henry was a driving force in the creation of a genuinely English monarchy and, ultimately, a unified Britain. During the Victorian expansion of the British Empire, historians were keenly interested in the formation of Henry's own empire, but they also expressed concern over his private life and treatment of Becket. Late-20th-century historians have combined British and French historical accounts of Henry, challenging earlier Anglo-centric interpretations of his reign.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_II_of_England
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_I_of_England
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John,_King_of_England

John Lackland

.King John: England's Horrible Monarch; Granting Human Rights - Bio > .

2:00 - 1 - The spoiled little prince

4:15 - 2 - Crusader king

8:45 - skip ad to 3 - Conquering failure

10:55 - 4 - Taxman cometh

14:20 - 5 - The godforsaken king

17:40 - 6 - The great charter

19:35 - 7 - The final disaster

21:20 - 8 - Aftermath

John (24 December 1166 – 19 October 1216) was King of England from 1199 until his death in 1216. He lost the Duchy of Normandy and most of his other French lands to King Philip II of France, resulting in the collapse of the Angevin Empire and contributing to the subsequent growth in power of the French Capetian dynasty during the 13th century. The baronial revolt at the end of John's reign led to the sealing of Magna Carta, a document sometimes considered an early step in the evolution of the constitution of the United Kingdom.

John was the youngest of the four surviving sons of King Henry II of England and Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine. He was nicknamed John Lackland because he was not expected to inherit significant lands. He became Henry's favourite child following the failed revolt of 1173–74 by his brothers Henry the Young King, Richard, and Geoffrey against the King. John was appointed the Lord of Ireland in 1177 and given lands in England and on the continent. The war between Henry II and his elder sons ended with the deaths of Henry the Young King and Geoffrey. John unsuccessfully attempted a rebellion against the royal administrators of his brother, King Richard, whilst Richard was participating in the Third Crusade, but he was proclaimed king after Richard died in 1199. He came to an agreement with Philip II of France to recognise John's possession of the continental Angevin lands at the peace treaty of Le Goulet in 1200.

When war with France broke out again in 1202, John achieved early victories, but shortages of military resources and his treatment of Norman, Breton, and Anjou nobles resulted in the collapse of his empire in northern France in 1204. He spent much of the next decade attempting to regain these lands, raising huge revenues, reforming his armed forces and rebuilding continental alliances. His judicial reforms had a lasting effect on the English common law system, as well as providing an additional source of revenue. An argument with Pope Innocent III led to John's excommunication in 1209, a dispute he finally settled in 1213. John's attempt to defeat Philip in 1214 failed because of the French victory over John's allies at the battle of Bouvines. When he returned to England, John faced a rebellion by many of his barons, who were unhappy with his fiscal policies and his treatment of many of England's most powerful nobles. Although both John and the barons agreed to the Magna Carta peace treaty in 1215, neither side complied with its conditions. Civil war broke out shortly afterwards, with the barons aided by Louis VIII of France. It soon descended into a stalemate. John died of dysentery contracted whilst on campaign in eastern England during late 1216; supporters of his son Henry III went on to achieve victory over Louis and the rebel barons the following year.

Contemporary chroniclers were mostly critical of John's performance as king, and his reign has since been the subject of significant debate and periodic revision by historians from the 16th century onwards. Historian Jim Bradbury has summarised the current historical opinion of John's positive qualities, observing that John is today usually considered a "hard-working administrator, an able man, an able general". Nonetheless, modern historians agree that he also had many faults as king, including what historian Ralph Turner describes as "distasteful, even dangerous personality traits", such as pettiness, spitefulness, and cruelty. These negative qualities provided extensive material for fiction writers in the Victorian era, and John remains a recurring character within Western popular culture, primarily as a villain in films and stories depicting the Robin Hood legends.

Jousting Tourneys

Medieval Jousting Tournaments - K&G > .

Monarchy and Communication of Power

Henry III and the Communication of Power > .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0aicoJQIxo .

"Against the backdrop of King Johns ignominy and the political challenge posed by Magna Carta, which encouraged demands for greater representation in parliament, King Henry III used art, architecture and apparel to exalt his authority and to communicate his divinely-ordained status on a scale never previously seen in England.

This lecture considers how Henry used art to justify monarchy at the dawn of what is commonly termed the parliamentary state."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0aicoJQIxo
The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website: "
https://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/king-henry-iii-and-the-communication-of-power

Henry III (1 October 1207 – 16 November 1272), also known as Henry of Winchester, was King of England, Lord of Ireland, and Duke of Aquitaine from 1216 until his death. The son of King John and Isabella of Angoulême, Henry assumed the throne when he was only nine in the middle of the First Barons' War. Cardinal Guala declared the war against the rebel barons to be a religious crusade and Henry's forces, led by William Marshal, defeated the rebels at the battles of Lincoln and Sandwich in 1217. Henry promised to abide by the Great Charter of 1225, which limited royal power and protected the rights of the major barons. His early rule was dominated first by Hubert de Burgh and then Peter des Roches, who re-established royal authority after the war. In 1230, the King attempted to reconquer the provinces of France that had once belonged to his father, but the invasion was a debacle. A revolt led by William Marshal's son, Richard, broke out in 1232, ending in a peace settlement negotiated by the Church. Following the revolt, Henry ruled England personally, rather than governing through senior ministers."

Following the revolt, Henry ruled England personally, rather than governing through senior ministers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_III_of_England
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_de_Montfort,_6th_Earl_of_Leicester
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Marshal,_1st_Earl_of_Pembroke
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_de_Clare,_6th_Earl_of_Gloucester
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Bigod,_4th_Earl_of_Norfolk
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humphrey_de_Bohun,_2nd_Earl_of_Hereford
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Bigod_(Justiciar)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_X_of_Lusignan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament_of_England#Parliament_in_the_reign_of_Henry_III
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/middle_ages/birth_of_parliament_01.shtml
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranulf_de_Blondeville,_6th_Earl_of_Chester
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubert_de_Burgh,_1st_Earl_of_Kent

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_I,_Duke_of_Brittany
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_of_Savoy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_of_La_Marche

1224

1224 - Why 1224 was the most politically unstable year in Europe - K&G > .

1300s - Century of Crisis - Why the 1300s Were the Worst - Medieval - K&G > .

1066 Harald Hardrada

Harald Hardrada: King of Norway > .

Harald Hardrada: Warrior King of Norway (Vikings Doc) > .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harald_Hardrada .

? https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=harald+hardrada ?

Battles - Lewes 1264, Evesham 1265 CE

Henry III, Simon de Montfort (6th Earl of Leicester) - Second Barons' War

Battle of Lewes 1264 CE > .

Battle of Evesham 1265 CE > .

Lewes: Provision of Oxford, Edward Longshanks, Henry III captured, Mise of Lewes
Evesham: De Montfort's Parliament, Earl Gilbert de Clare, Simon the Younger, Llewelyn ap Gruffudd, de Montfort killed, Dictum of Kenilworth

The Battle of Lewes was one of two main battles of the conflict known as the Second Barons' War. It took place at Lewes in Sussex, on 14 May 1264. It marked the high point of the career of Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, and made him the "uncrowned King of England". Henry III left the safety of Lewes Castle and St. Pancras Priory to engage the Barons in battle and was initially successful, his son Prince Edward routing part of the baronial army with a cavalry charge. However Edward pursued his quarry off the battlefield and left Henry's men exposed. Henry was forced to launch an infantry attack up Offham Hill where he was defeated by the barons' men defending the hilltop. The royalists fled back to the castle and priory and the King was forced to sign the Mise of Lewes, ceding many of his powers to Montfort.

The Battle of Evesham (4 August 1265) was one of the two main battles of 13th century England's Second Barons' War. With the Battle of Lewes, de Montfort had won control of royal government, but after the defection of several close allies and the escape from captivity of Prince Edward, he found himself on the defensive. Forced to engage the royalists at Evesham, he faced an army twice the size of his own. The battle took place on 4 August 1265, near the town of Evesham, Worcestershire.

The battle soon turned into a massacre; Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, was killed and his body mutilated. This marked the defeat of and the rebellious barons by the future King Edward I, who led the forces of his father, King Henry III. Though the battle effectively restored royal authority, scattered resistance remained until the Dictum of Kenilworth was signed in 1267.

Brunanburh 937 CE

Battle of Brunanburh 937 CE - BazB > .

Medieval Battles - BazB >> .

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Legacy of Anglo-Saxons

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Monarchs

Henry IV - Henry of Bolingbroke