Despite the formidable alliance arrayed against him, King Henry II would prevail. A lesser man might have sued for peace but not the great-grandson of the Conqueror. Henry conducted an extremely successful campaign, deploying an effective defensive strategy, decisively beating the Bretons and his nemesis, Louis, the King of France in the French theatre. He …
‘Bringing it all back home! ‘Tis back to Chinon, we, as a family will always roam, Therein lies the threat to my hard won throne! For here in Chinon, from my seat of power, I might well be thrown!’ Thus spake King Henry, with a most heartfelt groan!’ Henry ruled an empire which stretched …
Strongbow! You are now on your way west! Ensure that your actions are characterised by the utmost zest! Henry had been happy for Strongbow to go to Ireland and had wished him every success. The problem was, Strongbow had been too successful. Would Strongbow now establish a kingdom which could rival and threaten his …
Illustration of an ancient Irish brooch. The year of 1171 did not bring Henry a huge amount of fun! Although the new year of 1171 was one that did not start at all well for Henry, it proved to be a time that was one of the most important of his reign. Beckett’s …
Twelve merry fun-filled Christmas nights? No! Four very well-armed, murderous knights! Some items of the knights hand luggage on their journey from Calais to Dover. The four knights who took it upon themselves to travel to Canterbury that fateful Christmas were:Richard Brito, William de Traci, Reginald fitzeUrse and Hugh of Morville. They were devoted to …
The King and his court come together to celebrate Christmas and New Year! But for Henry, later events would cause him to shed many a tear! It was Christmas 1170 and Henry was taking stock of the year. The twelve days of this feast would have been a truly sumptuous affair. He celebrated with …
In order to rebuild the fabric of the English nation! Henry needed to restructure the country’s administration! Henry was the sovereign of a sprawling empire which stretched from the Pyrenees in the south, to Cumbria in the north and later to the Shannon in the west. Nevertheless, his initial priorities lay in England. The king …
The Plantagenets. ‘From the devil they came and unto the devil they shall return!’ (A cleric commenting on the Plantagenets.) When Matilda married Geoffrey of Anjou in 1128, neither of them could have foreseen that their stormy union would produce a dynasty that would rule England for 331 years. The dominance of this family which …
The reign of King Stephen (1135-1154). The barons had made a solemn oath to Henry that they would recognise his daughter, Matilda as their sovereign monarch after his death. However once Henry was dead, they made it clear what they really thought about putting a woman on the throne. Matilda depicted in a stain glass window. …
Triumph. The Battle of Tinchbrai! Henry wins the day! Henry had bribed neighbouring princes to take his side and the tactic certainly paid off. It appears that the forces from Maine made a substantial contribution to his victory at Tinchbrai. Robert, the hero of Ascalon and who had been present at the capture of Jerusalem …