Henry II

Who was Henry II?

Henry II was king of England, the founder of the Angevin dynasty, and ruled over the Angevin Empire in the 12th century.

When was Henry II king of England?

Henry II was king of England, and ruler of the rest of the Angevin Empire, from 1154 until 1189.

Where was Henry II king?

Henry was originally the count of Anjou, but he became king of England and ended up ruling extensive lands in France. These included Normandy, Aquitaine, Brittany, Anjou and Maine.

Who was Henry II's family?

Henry II was the founder of the Angevin dynasty, which ruled England from 1154 to 1216.

• ❖ Henry was the son of Count Geoffrey of Anjou (in France), and of the Empress Matilda, who was the daughter of King Henry I of England. Matilda gave Henry his claim to the English throne.
• ❖ Henry married Eleanor of Aquitaine, who brought the large and prosperous duchy of Aquitaine into the Angevin Empire.
• ❖ Two of Henry's sons rebelled against him, but they both died before Henry did.
• ❖ Henry's third son became King Richard I (also known as Richard the Lionheart). He was a famous and respected warrior king.
• ❖ Henry's youngest son was King John, who succeeded Richard I. John lost Normandy to the king of France, which began the disintegration of the Angevin Empire.

What did Henry II do?

There were 7 key events in Henry II's reign:

• ❖ Henry II became king of England in 1154, after a long period of civil war. He made an agreement with King Stephen, that he would succeed Stephen as king when he died.
• ❖ Henry brought peace to England, and restored law and justice to the kingdom. He incorporated England into his growing Angevin Empire.
• ❖ In 1170, Henry crowned his eldest son (also Henry) to rule alongside him. However, the young Henry and his brothers were not satisfied with the amount of power they were given.
• ❖ In 1173, Henry's sons rebelled against him, assisted by their mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine. Henry was finding it difficult to control his large empire.
• ❖ In 1175, Henry took control of Ireland with the Treaty of Windsor. This was the start of English control over Ireland.
• ❖ As well as dealing with his sons' rebellions, Henry also spent much of his reign dealing with challenges from the French king, who was jealous of his power. The king of France supported his sons' rebellions, which weakened the foundations of the empire.
• ❖ Henry died in 1189, in the middle of another rebellion by his sons. He was succeeded by the elder of his surviving sons, Richard I. Richard spent much of his reign trying to keep the Angevin Empire from being taken over by the king of France.

What was the significance of Henry II?

These are some of the ways in which Henry II was significant.

• ❖ Henry II brought England into a vast continental empire, which led to increased trade and cultural contact with France.
• ❖ Henry brought peace to England after a long civil war, and strengthened the power of the king through the restoration of law and order.
• ❖ Henry claimed control over Ireland. Ireland remained under English control until the 20th century; and Northern Ireland is still part of the United Kingdom.
• ❖ Henry spent much of his reign in conflict with the king of France, because the French king was jealous of Henry's power. His conflict with the French king, and his sons' rebellions, laid the foundations for the collapse of the Angevin Empire in 1216.