Henry trusted her political savvy and respected her opinion so much so that he entrusted her with the duty of writing his official letters.
[46][nb 7], Fighting immediately broke out again along the Normandy borders, where Henry of Champagne and Robert captured the town of Neufmarché-sur-Epte. Not Henry. Henry became actively involved by the age of 14 in the efforts of his mother Matilda, daughter of Henry I of England, to claim the throne of England, then occupied by Stephen of Blois. Late-20th-century historians have combined British and French historical accounts of Henry, challenging earlier Anglocentric interpretations of his reign. By 1189, Young Henry and Geoffrey were dead, and Philip successfully played on Richard's fears that Henry II would make John king, leading to a final rebellion. [364] The King's role in the death of Becket attracted particular criticism. [289] Henry secretly travelled back to England to order an offensive on the rebels, and on his return counter-attacked Louis's army, massacring many of them and pushing them back across the border. [151] Henry's familiares were particularly important to the operation of his household and government, driving government initiatives and filling the gaps between the official structures and the King. Most of all, the remarkable Château de Chenonceau, one of the most famous and luxurious Châteaux in the world. Francis was happy with what he saw and reported to the party that “each had shown valor the joust.” Henry stayed in bed with Catherine through the morning. 124–125. He was married to Mary, Queen of Scots, who was only sixteen at the time. As per practice, his heart was enclosed in an urn. [279] Richard was encouraged to join the revolt as well by Eleanor, whose relationship with Henry had disintegrated. History is littered with tragic kings, but Henry II, King of France stakes his claim as one of the most calamitous. [21][nb 2], Henry was said by chroniclers to be good-looking, red-haired, freckled, with a large head; he had a short, stocky body and was bow-legged from riding. [161] Ultimately, their relationship disintegrated and chroniclers and historians have speculated on what ultimately caused Eleanor to abandon Henry to support her older sons in the Great Revolt of 1173–74. His body was buried in a cadaver tomb in Saint Denis Basilica. [11] For about a year, Henry lived alongside Roger of Worcester, one of Robert's sons, and was instructed by a magister, Master Matthew; Robert's household was known for its education and learning. It called up on the courts to detect and punish all heretics and place severe restrictions on them. Henry II’s declaration of war on the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V started the Eighth Italian War, also known as the Hapsburg-Valois War, which took place from 1551 to 1559. Did this make people angry? His wife Constance died and he married Adèle, the sister of the Counts of Blois and Champagne. 280–283; Bradbury pp. [209] Kings could also raise funds by borrowing; Henry did this far more than earlier English rulers, initially through moneylenders in Rouen, turning later in his reign to Jewish and Flemish lenders. Diarmait turned to Henry for assistance in 1167, and the English King agreed to allow Diarmait to recruit mercenaries within his empire. On 30th June 1559, he took part in a match at the Place des Vosges at the Hotel des Tournelles, which was held to celebrate the Peace of Cateau-Cambresis as well as the marriage of his daughter. We’re always looking for your input! [285] In Normandy some of the border barons rose up and, although the majority of the duchy remained openly loyal, there appears to have been a wider undercurrent of discontent. Both kings waged chaos across the continent and were bankrupt. The Edict of Chateaubriant, issued in 1551, worsened the condition of the Huguenots.
[234] Further south Henry continued to apply pressure on Raymond of Toulouse: the King campaigned there personally in 1161, sent the Archbishop of Bordeaux against Raymond in 1164 and encouraged Alfonso II of Aragon in his attacks.
[324] Open war broke out in 1183 and Henry and Richard led a joint campaign into Aquitaine: before they could conclude it, Young Henry caught a fever and died, bringing a sudden end to the rebellion. Vincent (2007a), p. 10; White (2000), p. 3; Stubbs (1874). [175] Indeed, in most cases he was probably not personally responsible for creating the new processes, but he was greatly interested in the law, seeing the delivery of justice as one of the key tasks for a king and carefully appointing good administrators to conduct the reforms. [4], Henry's mother was the eldest daughter of Henry I, King of England and Duke of Normandy.
As a young man, Henry wasn’t happy to be married to a woman he didn’t love, and who was to be his queen. After the death of Henry’s elder brother Francis, the Dauphin and Duke of Brittany, in 1536, Henry became the heir apparent to the throne. [312] To put additional pressure on Louis, Henry mobilised his armies for war. Young Henry was unhappy that, despite the title of king, in practice he made no real decisions and his father kept him chronically short of money. Day three of jousting was going great for Henry. [82] Various measures were immediately carried out although, since Henry spent six and a half years out of the first eight years of his reign in France, much work had to be done at a distance. [363] In the Victorian period there was a fresh interest in the personal morality of historical figures and scholars began to express greater concern over aspects of Henry's behaviour, including his role as a parent and husband. From petty paybacks to insane acts of karma, these bitter people somehow found the most ingenious ways…. [49] Stephen responded by placing Wallingford Castle, a key fortress loyal to Henry along the Thames Valley, under siege, possibly in an attempt to force a successful end to the English conflict while Henry was still fighting for his territories in France.
35–36, 38; Carpenter, p. 197. Even years later, Catherine made her real opinion heard on de Poitiers in a letter to one of her children: “Never has a woman who loved her husband liked his whore.”. Henry did, however, have his favourite locations in his empire; Le Mans, for example, was his favourite town. 38–39; Chibnall, p. 144. A broken emblem and a patent: that is how Henry II, King of France, is remembered to this day. Philip refused to consider Henry's proposals. [182] Meanwhile, in neighbouring Normandy, Henry delivered justice through the courts run by his officials across the duchy and occasionally these cases made their way to the King himself. Henry's son William died while still very young. As he lay dying, Queen Catherine limited access to his bedside, and even though he repeatedly asked to see Diane de Poitiers, she was denied the permission to visit him. As Henry lay dying from his jousting accident, her true feelings revealed themselves.
Warren (2000), p. 79; Vincent (2007a), p. 2; Vincent (2007b), p. 312. He was born in the royal Chateau de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris. [293] As part of this plan, William of Scotland attacked the south of England, supported by the northern English rebels; additional Scottish forces were sent into the Midlands, where the rebel barons were making good progress. Therefore, as a child, Henry and his brother had to spend over four years in captivity in Spain, as hostages for their father. [174] Despite these reforms it is uncertain if Henry had a grand vision for his new legal system and the reforms seem to have proceeded in a steady, pragmatic fashion. Warren (2000), p. 49; Gillingham (1984), p. 18. With his new lands, Henry now possessed a much larger proportion of France than Louis. [262] Henry was focused on dealing with Ireland and took no action to arrest Becket's killers, arguing that he was unable to do so. [120], Military tensions between the two leaders immediately increased. Henry never formally became Duke of Brittany as he was only holding the duchy on behalf of Geoffrey and Constance. In 1538, Henry got his mistress Filippa Duci pregnant. 50, 53. White (2000), p. 7; Huscroft, p. 140; Carpenter, p. 214. Also at this time, Richard was betrothed to Louis's young daughter Alys. [349], Henry was caught by surprise at Le Mans but made a forced march north to Alençon, from where he could escape into the safety of Normandy. The King had great affection for his youngest son John, but showed little warmth towards Richard and indeed seems to have borne him a grudge after their argument in 1184. [347] The conference broke up with war appearing likely, but Philip and Richard launched a surprise attack immediately afterwards during what was conventionally a period of truce. Catherine de’ Medici, the Queen Mother, was a wreck after Henry passed away. [256] The pope supported Becket's case in principle but needed Henry's support in dealing with Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor, so he repeatedly sought a negotiated solution; the Norman church also intervened to try to assist Henry in finding a solution. Hallam and Everard, pp. [72], On landing in England on 8 December 1154, Henry quickly took oaths of loyalty from some of the barons and was then crowned alongside Eleanor at Westminster Abbey on 19 December. [367] Influenced by the contemporary growth of the British Empire, historians such as Kate Norgate undertook detailed research into Henry's continental possessions, creating the term "the Angevin Empire" in the 1880s. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life. [224] A new penny, called the Short Cross, was introduced, and the number of mints reduced substantially to ten across the country. Henry II, on the other hand, broke this unwritten rule by showing up to one of the stake burning execution spectacles he ordered in front of Notre-Dame. Henry was a big fan of sports, and he particularly loved hunting and jousting. [286][nb 29] Only Anjou proved relatively secure. 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. What were you expecting? Little hard evidence beyond a single chronicler account exists to support this, and current scholarship discounts the alleged episode. Warren (2000), pp. Please reach out to us to let us know what you’re interested in reading. [332] Taxes began to be raised and plans made for supplies and transport. Recent research has shown that Stephen had begun the programme of castle destruction before his death and that Henry's contribution was less substantial than once thought, although Henry did take much of the credit for this work. Young Henry and Geoffrey revolted again in 1183, resulting in Young Henry's death. It seemed too good to be true—and it was. Dunbabin, p. 56; Gillingham (1984), p. 27. Duggan (1965), p. 67, cited Alexander, p. 3. [356] Writing in the 1190s, William of Newburgh commented that "in his own time he was hated by almost everyone"; Henry was widely criticised by his own contemporaries, even within his own court. During their second joust, Gabriel’s lance splintered on collision. For the first time, writers expressively used the French language in literature and poetry. [218][nb 25] These measures were successful in improving his income, but on his return to England in the 1160s Henry took further steps. [159] His mother, Matilda, played an important role in his early life and exercised influence for many years later. Everard (2000), p. 35; Gillingham (1984), p. 23. Just as quickly as things improved, they again worsened, and only ten days after the incident, he suddenly passed away. Henry's empire quickly collapsed during the reign of his son John (who succeeded Richard), but many of the changes Henry introduced during his long rule had long-term consequences. This required the acquiescence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, traditionally the churchman with the right to conduct the ceremony. Though illegitimate, Henry recognized his daughter, and she grew up with Diane de Poitiers’ other two children.