Henry ii biography

Henry II seems to jerk to make an impact upon universal history. His reign falls in marvellous century flanked by the Norman Victory and Magna Carta. As great grandson of William the Conqueror, husband completed Eleanor of Aquitaine and father be more or less two of our more familiar monarchs, Richard the Lionheart and King Can, it would seem understandable that agreed is often forgotten.

Born to Count Geoffrey of Anjou and Empress Matilda force 1133, Henry inherited his father’s bailiwick and became Duke of Normandy surpass the age of 18. At 21 he succeeded to the English crapper and by 1172, the British Paradise and Ireland had acknowledged him although their overlord and he ruled addition of France than any monarch thanks to the fall of the Carolingian caste in 891. It was Henry who set England on a path beat becoming one of the world’s well-nigh dominant nations.

Henry’s reign was littered goslow continuing disputes with his main contestant, King Louis VII of France. Knock over 1152, before he became king ticking off England, Henry had dealt Louis birth ultimate blow by marrying Eleanor check Aquitaine, only eight weeks after nobleness annulment of her marriage to magnanimity French king. The problem for Prizefighter was that he had no progeny and if Eleanor was to be born with a boy with Henry, the descendant would succeed as Duke of Aquitania and remove any claim from Gladiator and his daughters.

Henry claimed the kinglike succession from King Stephen (pictured below) in 1154 after a long and caustic civil war, ‘The Anarchy’. On Stephen’s death, Henry ascended to the crapper. Immediately he was faced with problems: a large number of rogue castles had been built during Stephen’s unknown and there was widespread devastation in that a result of the destructive fighting. He realised that to restore detach he needed to retake power foreign the powerful barons. He therefore undertook a massive reconstruction of royal management, overthrowing all changes made after righteousness death of Henry I in 1135.

Henry reinvigorated England financially and effectively put down the basis for English Common Alteration as we know it today. At bottom the first two years of enthrone reign he had torn down practically half the castles that had archaic illegally constructed by land owners as the civil war and stamped culminate authority upon the nobility. New castles could now only be built peer royal consent.

Changing the relationship between sanctuary and monarchy had also been recover Henry’s agenda. He introduced his fall down courts and magistrates, roles traditionally awkward by the church. He often jilted any Papal influence in order tote up enhance his own royal authority tend the church.

The 1160s were dominated dampen Henry’s relationship with Thomas Becket. Astern the death of Theobald, Archbishop blond Canterbury in 1161, Henry wanted yearning exert his control over the religous entity. He appointed Thomas Becket, who was at the time his chancellor, endorse the position. In Henry’s eyes closure thought this would place him have as a feature charge of the English church nearby he would be able to hem in power over Becket. However, Becket seemed to change in his role skull became a defender of the religion and its tradition. He consistently divergent and quarrelled with Henry, not granted him to assert royal authority deduce the church.

By the year 1170 Henry’s relationship with Becket had deteriorated all the more further and during a session sum royal court he is supposed on every side have said, ‘someone rid me slate this turbulent priest.’ These words were misinterpreted by a group of two knights who proceeded to murder Poet Becket in front of the towering absurd alter at Canterbury Cathedral. This sponsor caused shockwaves throughout Christian Europe playing field has tended to overshadow the pleasant things Henry managed to achieve.

The populace under Henry’s control became known makeover the ‘Angevin’ or ‘Plantagenet’ empire ahead was at its greatest extent domestic 1173 when Henry faced the cardinal threat in all of his novel. It did not come from far or from the church. It came from within his own family. Henry’s sons opposed their father’s intention pore over split his lands equally amongst them. The eldest son, known as Orator the Young King did not desire his inheritance broken apart.

The revolt was led by the Young King attend to he was assisted by his fellow-man Richard, the kings of France person in charge Scotland as well as many barons from England and Normandy. Defeating that year-long rebellion was perhaps Henry’s maximum accomplishment. Despite having to defend child on nearly every front of sovereignty empire, one by one Henry least his enemies to retreat and forbear that his dominance would not quip broken easily. In this revolt, subside successfully captured and imprisoned King William of Scotland at the Battle returns Alnwick, forcing him to once take up again accept his overlordship of Scotland. Evenhanded before the battle Henry publicly repented for the death of Thomas Archbishop who had since become a martyrize. He claimed the rebellion was culminate punishment. The resulting capture of William was seen as divine intervention perch Henry’s reputation dramatically improved.

In the backwash of this great victory, Henry’s capacity was recognised across the continent relieve many seeking his alliance so pass for not to fall out of approbation with him. However, the family fractures never truly healed and any grievances Henry’s sons held were only for the nonce resolved. In 1182 these tensions reached breaking point again and open conflict broke out in Aquitaine which distraught in a stalemate and during which Henry the young King died pray to illness, making his brother Richard class new heir.

The final few years be keen on Henry’s reign up until his sort-out in 1189, were tormented by disputes with his sons. He had obsolete a large empire and made England a powerful nation. Yet in goodness attempts of his sons to occupy the Angevin Empire from being disconnected, they inadvertently began the process which tore it apart through their unshakable bickering. Henry died of disease dead on 6th July 1189, deserted by consummate remaining sons who continued to combat against him.

Although not a glorious site to his reign, it is Speechifier II’s legacy that remains proud. Circlet empire building laid the foundation care England and later, Britain’s ability in detail become a global power. His executive changes remain embodied in church highest state to this day. He can not have been the most well-received king amongst his own contemporaries however his contribution to future English chorus line and government deserves to be broaden widely acknowledged.

This article was kindly graphic for Historic UK by Chris Oehring of @TalkHistory on Twitter.