Henri II of England

Its life

It is born with the Mans, in the county of Maine, field of his father, Geoffroy V Beautiful the known as Plantagenêt . His/her mother, Mathilde known as the “Emperesse”, is the girl of king Henri Ier of England and her designated heiress, but his/her cousin, Etienne of Blois, Count de Boulogne seizes the throne of England with died of king Henri Ier of England in 1135.

In 1150, it receives the Duché of Normandy of his/her father, and when this one dies in 1151, he becomes count d' Anjou and of Maine.

The May 18th 1152, it becomes duke of Aquitaine by marriage by marrying Aliénor of Aquitaine to Poitiers after the report of nullity of the marriage of this one with the King de France Louis VII the Young person with the Concile of Beaugency. It has several children of its marriage with Aliénor of Aquitaine.

The November 6th 1153, by the Treated of Wallingford, it is recognized like successor of king Etienne of England. When this last dies on October 25th 1154, it reaches the throne of England under the name of Henri II. The next on Sunday, December 19, it is crowned with the Abbaye of Westminster.
It introduces some religious and legal reforms. In 1155, it names Thomas Becket chancellor.

In 1156, it seizes the Viscount of Thouars thus controlling the communications between the North-West and the south-west of France.

In 1159, continuing an expansionist policy, it besieges Toulouse with the assistance of Raimond Berenger IV count de Barcelone and prince d' Aragon. Louis VII assists from Raymond V from Toulouse his brother-in-law. Henri II withdraws himself by annexing part of the Quercy and Cahors.

In 1172, with the Synod of Cashel, Henri II forces Ireland to subject to the authority Roman Catholic church and puts an end to the practices of a Celtic Christianisme.

Two businesses considerably will tarnish its reign:

the conflict with its former chancellor Thomas Becket. This last is opposed to abolition privileges ecclesiastical, in particular legal, and with the more important influence of the king on the Church of England. The assassination of the archbishop, in his Cathedral of Canterbury, in 1170, by knights thus thinking of giving pleasure with the king, starts the royal authority largely.
the division of its considerable territory between its sons. Impatient to inherit, its sons revolt against him with the assistance of their mother, of king de France, the king d' Écosse Guillaume '' the Lion '' and of the counts of Blois, Boulogne and Flanders. He imprisons Guillaume the Lion after his defeat in 1174 with the battle of Alnwick. His wife is also subjected to a long captivity.

Its prestige becomes considerable in Europe. New king de France, Philippe Auguste on the other hand is well decided to fight Henri II of which the immense territory threatens the kingdom capétien. The king of France obtains in his combat the support of two wire of Henri II, Richard Lion-hearted and Jean without Ground. By the treaty of Azay-the-Curtain of the July 4th 1189, Henri II must recognize his Richard son like only heir. He only dies a few days later in his Château of Chinon. He is buried with the Abbaye of Fontevrault.

Personality

The childhood of Henri II proceeds in an atmosphere of civil war because of the fight of his/her parents to recover their heritage usurped by Etienne of Blois. Of a considerable and very large physical force, its angers are frightening, and he adores the Chasse. Very impulsive, it is not subjected to any timetable. It gets dressed simply, often in hunter with a Faucon with the wrist. Surprisingly, Henri II is a very cultivated man. He speaks several languages, likes to withdraw himself for reading, takes pleasure with intellectual discussions. There does not remain about it less very accessible.

Heritage

Henri II improves the administration of his kingdom. He is surrounded advisers (Flemish, Norman, poitevins, English). Its capacity is reinforced by the oiling of the Église. At the top of the State, are distinguished the Court ( Curia Regis ), composed of the large vassal laymen and ecclesiastics, and the large offices with the precise functions ( Chancellerie , Échiquier and Trésorerie). The Chancellery with the responsibility for the drafting of all the royal diplomas ( Act ). The Chess-board, in front of which the Shérif S come to deposit their accounts, is divided under Henri II into a Low-Chess-board, or Treasury, charged with the current administration, and a High-Chess-board, acting as room of the Accounts. Lastly, the Round of applause of the King , soon assisted Court of the Common Plaids , returns justice in the name of the sovereign. At its head, the Large Dispenser of justice replaces the king during his absences. An English, single and centralized right, continues on the local habits ( common law ).

Family and descent

The May 18th 1152 with Poitiers, it marries Aliénor of Aquitaine which gives him eight children :

Guillaume Plantagenêt (August 17th, 1153 - 1156) ;
Henri known as Henri the young king (1155 - 1183), wife Marguerite de France, girl of king de France, Louis VII ;
Mathilde (1156 - 1189), wife Henri the Lion († 1195), duke of Saxony and of Bavaria in 1168 ;
Richard (1157 - 1199), which succeeds his/her father under the name of Richard Ier, and called Lion-hearted . In 1191, he marries Bérengère (1163 - 1230), girl of the king de Navarre Sanche VI ;
Geoffroy (1158 - 1186), Duke of Brittany. In 1181, he marries Constance of Richemont († 1201) ;
Aliénor (1161 - 1214). In 1177, she marries Alphonse VIII of Castille (1155 - 1214) ;
Jeanne (1165 - 1199), wife Guillaume II king de Sicile, then Raymond VI count de Toulouse. Widow one second time, it becomes abbess with Fontevraud ;
Jean says Jean without Ground (1166 - 1216), king d' Angleterre (1199-1216). In 1189, he marries Isabelle († 1217), girl of the Duc of Gloucester, divorce in 1200, then wife Isabelle (1188 - 1246), girl of the count d' Angoulême, in 1200.

Henri had also illegitimate children. He had a notorious connection with Rosemonde Clifford, the beautiful Rosemonde , which probably began about 1165, during one of his Welsh campaigns, and continued until the death of this one in 1176. Henri did not recognize it like mistress before 1174, i.e. at the moment when he imprisoned his wife. It is at that time that it negotiated to make cancel its marriage in order to marry Adèle, girl of Louis VII, who was already promised with his Richard son. Contrary to Rosemonde, Adèle would have given rise to an illegitimate son of Henri.

He had also some illegitimate children of various mistresses, and his wife raised several of these children in the royal nursery, in company of her own children. Some remained in the proximity of the royal family at the adulthood. Among them :

Geoffrey (1151 - 1212), bishop of Lincoln (1173-1181), chancellor of England (1181-1189), then Archbishop of York (1189-1212), wire of Ikenai ;
Guillaume de Longespee (1176 - 1226), 3rd Count de Salisbury in right of its wife ;
Morgan (after 1180 - after 1213), elected bishop of Durham in 1213, but the pope Innocent III refused to devote it because of his illegitimacy. Wire of Nesta.

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