By Somer Stanfield

King Henry II:The First of the Plantagenet Kings

Birth: March 5, 1133 in Le Mans,

France

Parents were Geoffrey Plantagenet

(Count of Anjou) and Matilda

(daughter of Henry I and

granddaughter of William the

Conqueror)

Was well educated by various

scholars in notable schools, and by

renowned tutors in France and

England, throughout his life

Birth & Early Years

Geoffrey Plantagenet

Matilda, Henry II’s mother,

was appointed heir by Henry I.

Many nobles swore to make sure

she took the throne after he died,

but Stephen, Matilda’s nephew,

took the throne in December

1135 with the nobles’ support,

due to the fact that they desired a

weak leader.

Matilda invaded in 1139,

started the Civil War

The Civil War: Stephen and Matilda

Stephen, King of England

Henry II came to England in 1142

and left a year later. His father

captured Normandy during this

time.

In 1147 and 1149. Henry

attempted to help with his mother’s

efforts but failed. The Treaty of

Wallingford was made and stated

that Henry would take the crown

after Stephen’s death.

A year later, in 1154 at

Westminster Abbey, Henry took the

crown following Stephen’s death,

ending the civil war.

The Civil War: Stephen and Matilda

Henry II

Henry’s father died in early

1151, leaving him his lands and

his title

In May 1152, Henry II wed

Eleanor of Aquitaine (ex-wife of

Louis VIII of France)

The marriage doubled the

amount of land he owned and

greatly increased his wealth

Had eight children

Marriage & Inheritance

Eleanor of Aquitaine

Thomas Becket was appointed

Chancellor of England and became

Henry II’s good friend

In 1162, Henry made Thomas the

Archbishop of Canterbury to give

himself more control over the courts

of the church

Becket and Henry had a fight a

year later over church law, and

Becket was exiled to France

In 1169, Thomas came back, but he

was murdered by Henry a year later.

Thomas Becket

Thomas Becket

Children of Henry II

Henry and Eleanor had a good

marriage , until it was soured by

his promiscuity.

In 1173, Eleanor encouraged her

sons to stage a revolt against their

father during 1173-1174.

Henry II crushed the rebellion,

put his wife under house arrest,

and made it so his son Henry (the

young king) would gain half the

throne later that year and that the

rest would be divided by Henry’s

brothers, Richard I and John.

Family Rebellion

Richard I

Henry the Young King and Richard I

fought over territory, leading Richard to

form an alliance with his father against

Henry, causing him to destroy much of

Aquitaine.

After the death of the Young King in

1183, Henry II was forced to redistribute

his land. Subsequently, Richard I became

next in line for the throne.

Richard swore allegiance to Phillip

Augustus, King of France, in 1186, after

his father refused to let him marry

Princess Alice of France.

The feud between Henry II and Richard

I did not end until 1201, when John

decided to join Richard. Phillip Augustus

Family Rebellion

Gained Scotland and was

paid homage by William, the

King of Scotland

Was the first of the

Plantagenet Kings

Set the basis for English

Common Law

Implemented trial by jury

because he considered church

courts to be inadequate

Lands of Henry II

Accomplishments

Richard and Phillip Augustus

defeated Henry II on July 4, 1189.

They forced him to sign a treaty that

appointed Richard as heir to the

throne, approved his marriage to

Alice, forced Henry to pay homage to

Phillip, and gave castles to Phillip as

well.

Henry II died on July 6, 1189, due

to blood poisoning. He was buried at

Fontevraud Abbey in France.

His supposed last words were

“Shame, shame on a conquered king.”

Henry was succeeded by Richard I,

who would later be succeeded by

John.

Henry II & his sons

Family Rebellion

Information Sourceshttp://www.historyinanhour.com/20

12/08/10/empress-matilda-summary/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/histor

ic_figures/becket_thomas.shtml

http://www.britannia.com/history/

monarchs/mon26.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/britis

h/middle_ages/henryii_law_01.shtml

http://britishstudies.pbworks.com/

w/page/15133693/The%20Plantagen

ets%20I

http://henrytheyoungking.blogspot.

com/2013/04/whos-who-all-those-

who-mattered-to.html

NCVPS Medieval Studies Unit 7

Reading Material

Sources

Image Sourceshttp://www.heraldicjewelry.com/blog/archiv

es/06-2014

http://www.historyinanhour.com/2012/08/10

/empress-matilda-summary/

http://www.thecultureconcept.com/circle/ele

anor-of-aquitaine-harmony-and-happiness-of-

courtly-love

http://www.shakespeareandhistory.com/king

-henry-ii.php

https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/4224

612303/

http://henrytheyoungking.blogspot.com/201

3/04/whos-who-all-those-who-mattered-

to.html

http://www.crisismagazine.com/2013/crusad

ers-and-kings-the-contrast-between-richard-

the-lionheart-and-philip-augustus

http://britishstudies.pbworks.com/w/page/15

133693/The%20Plantagenets%20I

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistor

y/british_history/magna_carta/