Henry II, sometimes known as Henry Curtmantle, Henry of Anjou, or Henry Plantagenet, was born in Le Mans, Maine, in 1133. He was the grandson of Henry I, and he invaded England in 1153 to take back his crown from the usurper Stephen of Blois. He became Duke of Normandy in 1150, Count of Anjou in 1151, and finally King of England in 1154.
Like his grandfather before him, Henry II isn’t as well known as some of his successors, but he achieved great things during his reign. In 1152, he married Eleanor of Aquitaine, and he amassed vast territories in France, reformed the English court system, and strengthened royal administration. Two of his sons became more popular for their own accolades, those being Richard the Lionheart and John Lackland. Henry II is also known to be associated with the murder of Thomas Becket, who later became a saint.
Henry II was the first Plantagenet king, and his dynasty would prove to be one of the most powerful and influential in all of Europe for over three hundred years.
Early Life
Henry II was lucky enough to receive a good education, mostly in France, but some in England. His father Geoffrey of Anjou died in 1151, passing on his lands and titles to Henry. By 1152, he had married Eleanor of Aquitaine, who had just divorced King Louis VII of France, and by 1154 he was King of England.
Henry was of stocky build and wasn’t known to dress majestically, but he had a strong personality to make up for this, which drew many into his service. He could be sincere and just at times, but at other times cruel and careless. Regardless of his flaws, he did many great things for England.
Henry’s Reign
During the reign of Stephen, England was plunged into a bitter civil war. Most of the country had been devastated by the incompetence of the former king; the realm was unhappy, and many upset barons had built rogue castles in rebellion against the English crown.
Henry wanted to bring England back under royal control, he helped stabilise the country financially, then he tore down the castles that had been unlawfully built, displaying his power and authority over the nobility. He decreed that new castles could now only be built with the consent of the crown.
Henry also wanted to alter how the church and monarchy were associated. Many of the laws of the land were influenced by the Papacy, and he was keen to dictate royal authority over the church. Henry introduced his own laws and magistrates instead, laying the groundwork for English Common Law as we know it today.
Additionally, the king held vast lands in Europe. Sometimes referred to as the Angevin Empire, Henry possessed most of what is now western France, as well as lands in the north, some through conquest, many through diplomacy, and others through the political bargaining of his children – two of Henry’s sons were married off to nobility in France, and three of his daughters married elsewhere, giving him influence in Germany, Castile, and Sicily.
In 1157, Henry invaded Wales and received homage from the leaders there without the need for conquest. Wales would later be conquered by one of the king’s great-grandsons, Edward I. Henry also obtained homage from King Malcolm IV of Scotland and from his brother and successor, William the Lion in 1174. Anglo-Norman control was also established in Ireland.
These were some fantastic achievements by the King of England, but as always, nothing is ever perfect. Henry was constantly feuding with his sons, and an argument with Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, would lead to what most people remember him for.
Saints and Sinners
Thomas Becket originally served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162. He took on the mantle of archbishop after the former Archbishop Theobald of Bec died in 1161. With Henry adamant on having the church under royal control, he thought Becket would be a good choice for the role of archbishop, being certain that he could also control him. Ultimately, this wasn’t the case and Becket was a staunch defender of the church and its traditions; they spent years arguing and opposing each other.
Becket eventually fled to France in 1164 to seek sanctuary from the French king. The Pope was also on the side of Becket but always hoped for peaceful negotiations between archbishop and the king. Eventually they came to an agreement, and Becket returned to England in 1170. However, peace didn’t last long when Becket excommunicated three of Henry’s supporters.
This made the king very angry. In a moment of temper, Henry apparently said: “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?” While this was probably said in a fit of temporary rage, four knights who were staunch supporters of the king mistook the words as an order from their lord. These men marched themselves to Canterbury Cathedral, perhaps to only arrest or even beat Becket within an inch of his life, but they instead drew weapons and hacked him to death in front of the high altar.
This caused shock and horror throughout all of Christian Europe. Murder in a church was one thing, but to kill the archbishop in his own holy house in front of a sacred altar was another. Becket may not have been popular, but most will agree his death was extremely undeserving. He was later canonised as a saint, becoming Saint Thomas of Canterbury, and his tomb and relics soon became a place of pilgrimage for all of the Christian world.
Family Feud
If it wasn’t bad enough that Henry had the murder of an archbishop on his conscience, he was also at odds with his own family. His wife Eleanor gave birth to eight children, and only four survived infancy: Henry, Geoffrey, Richard, and John. The king planned on dividing the lands of his empire equally amongst his sons, but they were not happy with this arrangement as they themselves held no real power; the king reserved it all for himself.
In 1170, the king made his eldest son, also called Henry or Henry the Young King co-regent, but yet the young king still remained powerless. In 1173, he joined a rebellion with his siblings and mother when the king proposed to finding territories for his youngest son, John Lackland, but not for his older sons. John is often regarded as a favourite of Henry’s, and the king would often favour him at the expense of his other children.
A revolt soon broke out in England and Normandy. Henry’s reputation took a blow after the murder of Becket and many barons and nobles began to rebel with the support of the French and the Scottish. However, Henry acted fast and soon settled matters in his dominions in France. He went back to England to deal with the problems there, and fighting continued for another year.
On July 12 1174, Henry committed public penance at Canterbury, still reeling with guilt from the murder of Becket. The following day, Henry captured King William of Scotland at the Battle of Alnwick, and the Scottish monarch was forced to pay homage again. Henry thought that the rebellion was a punishment from God for his part in Becket’s death, and the capture of the Scottish king as well as victory at Alnwick were seen as a sign from heaven that his penance had been paid.
Defending his territories from a year of bitter rebellion is perhaps one of Henry’s more notable achievements. He defended his empire from the brink of collapse and pushed his enemies back, showing that his overlordship was not so easily broken. This great victory dramatically improved his reputation, but it didn’t stop the quarrels within his own family.
Death and Legacy
The disputes with Henry’s sons were never fully resolved. There was some temporary peace, but in 1181 Henry the Young King and Richard began to fight over the governance of Aquitaine, and by 1182 full scale war had once again started. Henry the Young King died from illness in 1183, and Geoffrey died in 1186, leaving only Richard and John alive.
The two brothers continued to quarrel over lands and when the king tried to find an inheritance for John, it led to Richard forming an alliance with France. Henry was defeated by this alliance and eventually gave up, John later joined Richard and his new allies, which was the final blow for the king.
He came down with a fever in July 1189 and died near Tours, in France. While Henry didn’t go out in a blaze of glory, he left behind a lasting legacy. He built an enormous empire and paved the way towards the future of England, and the changes he implemented in church and government still remain today. While he is often remembered for the terrible things he did, it is worth noting that his contribution to England and his many other great accomplishments deserve to be more widely recognised today.
References
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-II-king-of-England
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/King-Henry-II-of-England/