Rise of a Dynasty: Unveiling the Plantagenets (Part 3) - The Angevin Empire

The 35 year reign of Henry II, was a period teeming with controversy, conflict and betrayal. Yet, amidst the tumult, this vibrant and dynamic monarch carved out an extraordinary empire that stretched from the Scottish borders to the foothills of the Pyrenees. Henry’s rule was remarkable - a time of transformative government and groundbreaking legal reforms that would echo through the corridors of history for centuries to come.

In Part 3 of my blog series, we will explore the spectacular journey of the first Plantagenet king and the extraordinary tale of the kingdom he built, a story brimming with his indomitable spirit, together with his rise and sadly, his fall.

In the beginning

As a very young man, Henry successfully navigated the treacherous water of politics and warfare with a finesse that belied his age. Championing his mother, the formidable Empress Matilda through the later years of the Anarchy, he emerged as a political and military prodigy. At a mere 17, the crown jewel of Normandy was placed on his head by his father, Geoffrey, and the following year, on his father’s passing, the inheritance of Anjou, Maine and Touraine fell into his capable hands. To anybody with foresight, Henry’s audacious and energetic personality was an unmistakable sign that he was destined to be a force to be reckoned with.

The story however does not end there. In a move that could be straight out of a romance novel, our young Duke pulled off the ultimate power move by marrying the enchanting and highly sought after Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine, and to really spice it up - it was a hasty ceremony, only eight weeks after her annulment from Louis VII, King of France. Oh boy, did that ruffle some feathers! The King of France traditionally would have the divine right to decide on a husband for Eleanor, given the immense riches that came with her. But Henry, with his bold and daring spirit, threw tradition out the window and took matters into his own hands. It is also quite possible that Eleanor as well, decided to take control of her own destiny and play a part in the subterfuge. We can only imagine the drama when Louis discovered that he was not the puppet master in this matrimonial spectacle. Henry’s audacity in snatching this marital prize without a royal consultation sent shockwaves through the corridors of power. This did not bode well for future relations between England and France, which we will see come to light later in this blog.On the 19th December, 1154, following the sudden death of King Stephen, England found itself with a new King and Queen, and what a duo they were. After years of civil war, the English folks were hoping for a brighter era as this vibrant power couple, King Henry II and Queen Eleanor, stepped onto the scene. And let me tell you, in those early years, it looked like the dawn of a new age.

Henry dove headfirst into repairing the chaos left behind by the Anarchy. He began to build a reputation as a king willing to restore the system of royal justice that had been present in his grandfather’s reign two decades earlier. The long civil war had caused considerable disruption to a system of royal finances that Henry I had put in place, records show that royal income fell by an incredible 46% between 1129-1130 and 1155-1156. Henry really had his work cut out for him. There were unauthorised castles scattered across the English landscape like oversized chess pieces, and Henry, the strategic player, swiftly set about knocking them down. By gradually expanding the role of royal justice in England, he was able to produce a much  more coherent legal system. Unlike his autocratic mother, he made it clear from the beginning that he was willing to listen to counsel from more experienced advisers. But that was not all, by 1158, he had reclaimed lost territories in Scotland and Wales, the spoils of rulers only too happy to take advantage during the unrest of the Anarchy. Meanwhile, on the home front, he wasn’t slacking off either, ensuring that one of the most vital demands of kingship, that of securing the succession with legitimate heirs, was taken care of. In the first 12 years of their marriage Eleanor bore five sons and three daughters, with only one of them, the firstborn William, not surviving childhood. Talk about a royal baby boom! Henry’s reign was off to a fantastic start!

Unfortunately, the drama with France was a totally different story, it was like a medieval soap opera, with Henry and Louis at its centre, first clashing over Henry’s succession to Normandy, and then of course, Henry’s controversial marriage to Eleanor. It did not help matters that Henry controlled more of France than any ruler since the Carolingians in the 9th century, and if you add in England, Scotland, Wales and parts of Ireland, the colossal Angevin Empire stretched from the Scottish borders to the foothills of the Pyrenees. A lot of Louis’s animosity really came down to plain old jealousy, because the reality was that Henry’s huge empire meant he had access to considerably more resources than the French king. Nobles began flocking to Henry, and it was becoming obvious to all that peace was desperately needed. At one point the two monarchs met and agreed to a truce, sealing it with the betrothal of Henry’s eldest living son Young Henry to Louis’s daughter Marguerite, and for a short time that worked. Unfortunately though, over the first decade of Henry’s reign, despite many attempts like this to secure peace between the two rulers, the continuing rivalry never really abated. 

Henry began to set his sights on Brittany, it would help him to secure his other French territories and also provide an inheritance for one of his sons. He began with the county of Nantes, which had been seized by his brother Geoffrey in 1156 after the deposition of its ruler. Following Geoffrey’s sudden death in 1158 Henry annexed it for himself. The French king however, seemed to be content to let Henry steadily amass power in Brittany, rather strange I feel, considering how much he objected to the English king’s power on the continent. 

Conflict between Church and State

Most people associate Henry II with the saintly martyr Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. Their complex relationship, a rollercoaster of camaraderie and conflict fascinates historians to this very day. From humble beginnings, Thomas caught the eye of Henry when he was recommended by Theobald of Bec, Archbishop of Canterbury, for the prestigious post of Lord Chancellor in 1155. The two quickly became close friends, engaging in the royal court’s pursuits, from hunting to gaming, despite their apparent personality differences. While Thomas revelled in the opulence of courtly life, Henry, a no-nonsense king, had no love of pomp and ceremony and often teased his friend for his extravagant tastes.

There is one story that tells how, as Thomas and the king rode through London one day, they came across an old man in a ragged coat. Henry suggested it would be an act of charity to give him a cloak, to which Thomas replied “Yes, you, as king, should see to it.” In response, after a short tussle, Henry pulled off Thomas’s cloak and gave it to the old man. 

The plot thickened when Henry, in a surprising move, proposes Thomas as Archbishop of Canterbury following the death of Theobald of Bec in 1161. This decision bewilders many, including Queen Eleanor and other senior advisers, as Thomas seems to be perfect in his role as secular magnate. But Henry had other plans, in his mind, having Thomas take on the mantle of both Archbishop and Lord Chancellor, would give himself, the king, more control over both church and state. However, this seemingly brilliant plan backfires when Thomas resigns as Chancellor within weeks, refusing to serve both King and God simultaneously.

This would be the beginning of the end for the friendship, sparking a legendary feud between the two men, both as stubborn as one another. Disputes escalate, with one particularly notable clash over the  “benefit of the clergy’, the right of anyone in holy orders to be tried by an ecclesiastical court, revealing Henry’s desire for secular trials against criminous clerks. Despite attempted mediation by church authorities to try to resolve the growing animosity between the two men, their relationship continued to deteriorate, and in fear of his life Becket fled to Flanders. 

In a deliberately provocative move, Henry has his son, Henry the Young King, crowned by Becket’s enemy, the Archbishop of York, together with the bishops of London and Salisbury. The coronation of kings has traditionally been the role of the Archbishop of Canterbury, even to this current day, so unsurprisingly this act infuriated Thomas. In an equally vindictive move, prior to his return to England on the advice of the Pope, Thomas excommunicated all three men for their part in the coronation. 

This is when the story takes a dark turn, when Henry heard of this, in a wild rage he uttered those famous words "What miserable drones and traitors have I nourished and brought up in my household, who let their lord be treated with such shameful contempt by a low-born cleric?" Regardless of whether it was just said in an absolute fit of rage, or meant to be a royal command, four knights, spurred by Henry’s enraged words, confronted the Archbishop at Canterbury Cathedral on the 29th of December, 1170. Upon his refusal to go with them to Winchester to account for his actions, Becket was brutally murdered in his own cathedral, sending shockwaves reverberating throughout Christendom. 

The Great Revolt of 1173-1174

Sadly for Henry, the drama in his reign did not stop with the demise of Becket. Despite his triumphs as a ruler, it seemed as his offspring grew, the more volatile family relationships became. I guess there is a reason they were nicknamed ‘the Devil’s brood.’ 

With strategic marriages made for his daughters - Matilda to Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony, Eleanor to Alfonso VIII of Castille, and Joan (Joanna) to William II of Sicily - Henry had secured some very powerful alliances. But, as the boys grew to manhood, the scene was like a medieval family sitcom with plots and twists at every turn.

Sure, having sons to inherit a vast kingdom was fantastic, but it also meant finding ways to satisfy their appetites for power and land. William’s early death had left Henry as the heir apparent, and no surprise he wanted his own kingdom to rule, particularly following his controversial coronation in 1170. Richard was acknowledged as Duke of Aquitaine when he was quite young, but there was constant tension between him and his father as he began to flex his control over the duchy. By this time, Eleanor was also becoming disgruntled by Henry’s influence over her beloved Aquitaine. In early 1173, Henry really added fuel to the fire when he accepted homage from Raymond of Toulouse, an act that should have been meant for Richard, as Duke of Aquitaine, unsurprisingly, both Eleanor and Richard were furious. Meanwhile, Geoffrey too was not happy, betrothed to Constance, the daughter of Conan, Duke of Brittany, even two years after the Duke’s death, the marriage had still not taken place, leaving him in limbo with no lands of his own.

Henry, it seemed, wasn’t eager to share the power pie, even with his own flesh and blood.The tipping point came when Henry made the decision to give John, the youngest son, three castles that rightfully belonged to Young Henry. His plan was to give the castles of Chinon, Loudon, and Mirebeau, as part of negotiations for the marriage of his son to Alais, daughter of Humbert, Count of Maurienne. Enter Louis of France, ever the troublemaker, who saw a golden opportunity to spark chaos between the Angevins. Convincing Young Henry to rebel was easy enough, especially since Louis was his father-in-law. Soon, Richard and Geoffrey joined the rebellion, but the real shock came, especially to Henry, when Eleanor jumped ship and sided with her boys.

The rebellion did have support from the French nobles and even some English barons, but Henry’s reputation as a ruler and warrior wasn’t just for show. By late 1174, he had quashed the uprising. Unfortunately in the process Eleanor had been captured and was imprisoned (in relative comfort) for the remainder of Henry’s reign. While he forgave his sons, he would never forgive his wife for her part in the revolt. 

Henry, the clever strategist, showed his knack for turning lemons into lemonade in the aftermath of the family revolt. In 1174, he staged a grand spectacle of penance at the shrine of Thomas Becket, boldly declaring that the rebellion was divine punishment for his part in the Archbishop’s murder. And the drama did not end there. Shortly after this public display, William of Scotland, a rebel in the mix, was defeated and captured at Alnwick Castle in Northumberland. It was game over for the rebel cause in Scotland, and Henry wasted no time in flaunting his triumph, skillfully riding the wave of the growing Becket cult to boost his own prestige. He claimed the saint’s hand was behind his victory over his rebellious family and barons. Once again, Henry, the master manipulator had turned the tables in his favour, oh, the power of a well-timed penance and a sprinkle of Becket magic!

The Final Turbulent Years

The following 14 years of Henry’s reign, rather than being peaceful as I am sure he would have imagined after his decisive victory over the rebellion of 1173-74, continued to be a time of trouble and strife for the Angevin monarch. Trying to mend the family breach, Henry recognised Richard as Duke of Aquitaine in 1179, and celebrated Geoffrey’s marriage to Constance in 1181, officially making him Duke of Brittany. Young Henry however, continued to press for more lands, and Henry refused, though he did increase his allowance. Meanwhile, John, like a shadow, remained close to his father, leading to much comment about him being the favourite son. Despite this, the family drama was far from over.

During this time, just to add to the chaos, Louis, ever the mischief-maker, was in the background causing dissent and constantly warring with Henry over continental lands. In 1180, Louis died and his son Phillip Augustus became King. Like his father before him, Phillip was happy to exploit the tension between the Angevin brood, and it was becoming evident that he too could be assertive, calculating and manipulative.

Now, keeping track of who was fighting whom was like trying to herd cats, as the trio, Henry, Richard and Geoffrey alternated between fighting each other and fighting their father. Trouble was definitely on the horizon. Henry tried to calm Young Henry by insisting that Richard and Geoffrey pay homage to him for their lands. Richard, in his rebellious glory refused, claiming Young Henry had no claim over Aquitaine. Then, Geoffrey, armed with a group of disgruntled barons, raised an army in Brittany, all set on threatening Poitou. Open war broke out, and suddenly Richard found himself allied with his father on a joint campaign into Aquitaine.

Tragedy struck in June, 1183 with the untimely death of Young Henry, reigniting tensions as Henry made plans for the succession. Richard as King of England, Geoffrey keeping Brittany, and the big shock - John as Duke of Aquitaine. Richard, fiercely devoted to his mother, and therefore Aquitaine, was furious, and adamantly refused to hand over Aquitaine. John and Geoffrey were despatched south to take the duchy by force. Peace was eventually brokered, but not without the forced intervention of Eleanor (who was still incarcerated). Richard was subtly tricked into handing over the Ducal castles of Aquitaine.With Geoffrey’s death in 1186, the ongoing feud between Henry and Phillip reached breaking point. Phillip demanded both Brittany and the custody of Geoffrey’s children. To make matters worse, the betrothal of Richard to Phillip’s half-sister Alys, agreed to 17 years previously, had still not been formalised in a marriage ceremony. Henry was given an ultimatum - marry them immediately or hand over the ‘Vexin’ region, which was a dowry for Marguerite, Young Henry’s widow. At the same time, Phillip was whispering ideas of rebellion into Richard’s ear, stirring up more family trouble. Adding fuel to the fire, Henry kept hinting that he might recognise John as his heir instead of Richard. 

In 1188, Phillip hosted a peace conference, offering Henry a generous long-term peace agreement if only he would marry Richard to Alys, and declare him as the heir apparent. By this time Henry was quite ill, suffering from a bleeding ulcer that would ultimately prove to be fatal. I cannot help wondering what led Phillip to make this offer, did he realise Henry was close to death, or did he know him too well, and gamble on what his reaction would be? Either way, Henry refused, and Richard himself spoke up, when Henry remained silent following his son’s demand to be recognised as Henry’s successor, Richard publicly switched sides, pledging allegiance to Phillip. Once again, war was declared!

By mid-1189, Henry, perilously close to death, was forced into a humiliating surrender, where he caved in to every demand. Back at his favourite castle, Chinon, Henry breathed his last on July 6, 1189. It was a heartbreaking end for the once vibrant king. In a final gut-wrenching act of betrayal, he asked for the list of barons who had deserted him, and at the top of the list was his beloved son John. This was a betrayal that cut deeper than any medieval dagger, Henry last words were “Shame, shame, on a conquered king,” before he lapsed into a fever coma.

Who was Henry II?

Let’s take a detour from the dry facts and dive into the intriguing realm of character analysis, inspired by a lively Messenger chat with a dear friend from the USA. A big shoutout to this Plantagenet enthusiast who willingly allowed me to make use of our conversation as a feature on my blog. Thank you my friend, you know who you are!

We’ve all seen the descriptions of Henry II - energetic, vibrant, stubborn, fiery, and a bit of a control freak. When the topic of his bull-headedness and reluctance to loosen the reins on his sons came up, my friend (and she made sure it was in capitals I might add😀) hit back with an absolute gem - “SERIOUSLY, LOOK AT WHO HIS PARENTS WERE!” Now, that really got the wheels of my imagination turning. 

My friend painted a portrait of a young man who inherited a virtual powerhouse of genes. Was anyone really expecting a different outcome? Here is where it got really intriguing: my friend proposes that Henry II embodied what Henry I was hoping for in an heir, a vision only fulfilled in the next generation. We have no way of knowing what sort of king was lost when the White Ship went down, but did that disaster linger in Henry’s mind when he wed Matilda to Geoffrey of Anjou. At just 14, Henry II was already a fiery fusion of his formidable parents’ personalities, a fact often overlooked in historical accounts.

My friend loves Henry II, he is one of her favourite historical figures and she expressed much sympathy for him. Among his sons, she insists, none were born to be half the king he was. She believes this dynamic king was a romantic at heart. His fury at Eleanor’s betrayal wasn’t just political - it was heartbreak. According to her, Henry deeply felt Eleanors devotion to Richard, who stole his mothers heart and loyalty from his father. 

These conversations, where we weave our own interpretations around historical titbits, are pure gold! While I don’t necessarily agree with everything my friend has said, it’s a feast for thought. Henry II, as my friend sees him, emerges as a complex figure, a romantic king with a heart tangled in familial strife. It’s the beauty of history - where interpretation paints a canvas when facts are scant. As you read this blog, I invite you to ponder these perspectives and craft your own image of who Henry II truly was. Happy pondering.

If you found this account intriguing, stay tuned for Part 4 of my ‘Rise of a Dynasty - Unveiling the Plantagenets’ series, where we explore the 10-year reign of the great warrior king Richard the Lionheart. Subscribe on our Contact Us page to receive notifications of future blog posts.

Max

Cathedral of St Julian, Le Mans, Poitiers Cathedral, Statue within Canterbury Cathedral, and Effigies of Henry and Eleanor - © Plantagenet Discoveries, Illumination of Richard the Lionheart and Phillip Augustus Creative Commons/Public Domain