Henry II

Appleby, J.T., Henry II – The Vanquished King, (G. Bell and Sons, 1962)

Foreword  - Quick notes

·         ‘Empire stretched From Scotland to the Pyrenees. No King of England before or after his wielded such power over so vast a territory as did Henry II’ p. Vii

·         Died alone – wife in prison, best friend had been killed at the word of Henry, 4 sons reached maturity – 2 of whom had died while rebelling against their father, 1 had joined France, the youngest had also betrayed him at the end of his life. His barons had deserted him and his servants had even taken his clothes and left him naked while he was dying!

·         Father of English Law

Tyerman, C, Who’s Who in Early Medieval England, (Shepheard-Walwyn, 1996), pp. 182-194

·         Henry accession had to be won – ‘personal fulfilment rather thanb an inevitable progress or political epoch’ – pg 182

·         Excellent education – academically and militarily

·         Wanted to protect the royal claim- got rid of many titles i.e. Sheriffs and Barons as hereditary titles

·         He was interested in his rights and not tradition

·         ‘creator of new laws and a ruler who governed by selfish caprice’

·         Only interested in himself

·         This can be seen in the famous dispute with Thomas Beckett – personal vendetta and to safeguard royal rights to justice and ecclesiastical patronage

·         Henry’s reign compared to the uncertainties of Richard’s and the disasters of John’s – in retrospect his reign was a good government

·         Legal innovator – created possessary assizes

·         Legal revolution – though not a novel idea in reality – no real reform – still the same as previously organised

·         1158 – 1163 – left to his proxies

·         1160s – Becket dispute

·         1170 – coronation of the Young Henry – in order to show his eagerness to not go the same way as Stephen (Stephen failed to have a coronation ceremony for his son during his lifetime)

·         Every English monarch from 978 to 1189 either possessed a disputed title or was establishing a recent claim

·         Hi rule works because of physical energy – always on the road, so fast it was said ‘the King of England seems rather to fly than to travel by horse or ship’ pg 190 Louis VII

·         ‘Henry did not govern his people, he governed his interests’ pg 190

Appleby, J.T., Henry II – The Vanquished King, (G. Bell and Sons, 1962)

·         His wife was previously the wife of King Louis VII of France – Eleanor of Aquitaine – this duchy was given to Henry on his marriage to her – she’s a prominent figure in her own right

__________________________________________

This is important to know because of Becket's murder. I suppose a profile of the King would be useful in setting up the murder of Becket. This could be as a spider diagram or around a picture of the King, printed or drawn