Posts Tagged ‘norman england’

Continuing to kick off the New Year with more of our regular Weekend Warrior series for those of you moving to London, England soon! We’ve had our hiatus in the previous weeks for our beloved Twelve Days of Christmas and to explain Boxing Day to you fellow non-UK/Commonwealth citizens, but now it’s time to roll with the rest of our British history lesson on King Henry II.

Last we saw of this monarch, he was kinda sorta indirectly responsible for the murder of Thomas Becket, who was sainted for his martyrdom. Overall, though, his reign has served to re-strengthen the monarchy, and he does patch up relations with the Church, even if it doesn’t fully restore government control over it.

Already a Norman ruler himself, Henry thwarts a potential second one to the west of England by claiming Irish territory over a claimant to the kingship there that is supported by Anglo-Norman forces. He also expands the kingdom’s reaches into Cumbria, Northumbria, and at the England/Scotland border, adding to his territories in France through inheritance and marriage.

Quite sadly, Henry II‘s worst foes are ultimately his own sons. Henry, Geoffrey, Richard, and John are in dispute over the lands allocated across each of them. With multiple rebellions against Henry II commencing as of 1173, even after the deaths of his brothers Henry and Geoffrey, Richard continues to attack his father and succeeds in defeating him in 1189 with the aid of Philip II of France. King Henry II dies that same year.

Lovely to see you again, my dear Weekend Warriors! Why do I persist in this looong history of Britain? Because I think it’s only right that if we expats are to reside in London apartments and enjoy all that the city and nation have to offer, we ought to at least have a vague idea as to who brought it all about. If there’s one thing the British are, it’s proud of their history and traditions, and we should honor that. So then, last week we were just about hearing the death rattle of Stephen’s reign and, well, Stephen himself…

Stephen, King of England, dies in 1154, and succeeding him as promised is Matilda‘s son Henry, who is thenceforth known as King Henry II. We must realize that England at this point is actually rather unruly. Stephen was not the toughest of monarchs, and his lack of true leadership has eroded away at royal authority in general; his civil war against Matilda was also a great distraction that has allowed barons much leeway, so it is practically a state of anarchy. Henry II, however, has stepped in to clean things up. He strengthens government administration, reorganizing the judicial system with the aid of his chancellor, Thomas Becket (Does that name ring a bell? Give it a minute…).

As the courts and treasury get sorted, royal authority spreads, and not left untouched in this progress is the Church. Becket becomes Archbishop of Canterbury in 1162, and in subsequent years the church courts are dominated by royal courts, so tensions between Becket and Henry II rise. As the two men’s disagreements and resentment escalate, Henry II rather publicly and unfortunately declares his exasperation with Becket and desire to be rid of him. Well, four knights took him at his literal word and, in 1170, murdered Becket in Canterbury Cathedral. If his name is now starting to come back to you, it is likely because Becket’s martyrdom earned him Saint status, and it is his very shrine that the characters of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales journey toward, as have infinite real-life pilgrims.

Welcome back to a regular installment of our Sunday British history lesson!  Last week, we learned a bit about how Stephen usurped Henry I’s throne from Henry’s daughter and rightful heir, Matilda. When we left off, Stephen was really botching up the job, too…

But I mentioned last time how Matilda was merely biding her time…so in 1139, she invades England with the support of her husband Geoffrey of Anjou and half-brother Robert, Earl of Gloucester, engaging the nation in civil war. They gain a foothold in western England and join a subsequent 1141 rebellion, and Stephen is captured that year in Lincoln. Matilda thus wins back her recognition as Queen…

…and then blows it. She’s evidently an arrogant little lady, which alienates her citizens and supporters, so she’s never crowned. Meanwhile, Stephen’s troops rally and capture Robert, who is traded for Stephen’s release. Robert dies in 1147, and civil war in England only ensues further until 1148 when Matilda, now bereft of her biggest supporter and losing the battle for her son Henry to attain the crown instead, removes herself to Normandy for rest of her years.

Stephen, you see, wants his son Eustace as heir, and the succession dispute continues until Eustace’s death in 1153. Stephen ultimately agrees to declare Matilda’s son as his heir (as King Henry II), but only after allowing Stephen to peacefully reign until his death. As it turns out, Henry II doesn’t have very long to wait…

Until next week, Weekend Warriors!