Henri VI of the Holy roman Empire

See also: Henri, Henri VI

Henri VI , known as the Severe one or the Cruel one, was born with Nimègue in 1165 and died in Messine the September 28th 1197. Oldest son of Frederic Barberousse and Beatrice of Burgundy, it was elected king d' Allemagne in 1169, king d' Italie in 1186. He married the same year Constance of Sicily, heiress of the kingdom of Sicily, which gave him a son, Frederic II, the December 26th 1196.

When his/her father left in crusade, in May 1189, he exerted the power on the Germanic Roman Holy roman Empire. He concludes the Paix from Fulda with his rival Henri the Lion to have the freehands in Sicily, where Tancrède de Lecce disputed its rights to the throne. In January 1191, it went in Italy where the April 14th, the Pape Célestin III crowned it emperor of the Germanic Roman Holy roman Empire. After which Henri went to besiege Naples, without success; moreover, the inhabitants of Salerno captured and delivered his Constance wife to her Tancrède rival. Henri set out again in Germany in December.

During this time, Henri the Lion had broken the Paix of Fulda and had attacked the dukes of Saxony and Holstein, and of many German princes revolted against the emperor, within the framework of the fight between Guelfes and Gibelins. This revolt ended only when Richard Lion-hearted, held captive with Trifels by the emperor, was reconciled with him, in February 1194.

In May of the same year, Henri VI turned over in Italy; Tancrède de Lecce had just died, and its army hardly met resistance. The December 25th 1194, it was crowned king of Sicily.

Henri VI turned then to the East, announcing that it wished to take the head of a German Croisade. He wanted to make elect his son Frederic-Roger king of the Romans, so that its succession occurs without problem; but the diet of December 1195 refused, of many noble hoping to preserve their rights to the crown. It ends up obtaining win later one year, but at the time when it prepared to leave in crusade, a revolt burst in Sicily, perhaps formentée by his wife and the Pape. Revolted were subdued, but Henri VI died before being able to embark towards the Holy Land.

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