History of the Plantagenet Kings of England [email protected] http://newsummer.com/presentations/Plantagenet Introduction Plantagenet: Pronunciation & Usage Salic Law: "of Salic land no portion of the inheritance shall come to a woman: but the whole inheritance of the land shall come to the male sex." Primogeniture: inheritance moves from eldest son to youngest, with variations Shakespeare's Plantagenet plays The Life and Death of King John Edward III (probably wrote part of it) Richard II Henry IV, Part 1 Henry IV, Part 2 Henry V Henry VI, Part 1 Henry VI, Part 2 Henry VI, Part 3 Richard III Brief assessments The greatest among them: Henry II, Edward I, Edward III The unfulfilled: Richard I, Henry V The worst: John, Edward II, Richard II, Richard III The tragic: Henry VI The Queens Matilda of Scotland, c1080­1118 (Henry I) Empress Matilda, 1102­1167 (Geoffrey Plantagent) Eleanor of Aquitaine, c1122­1204 (Henry II) Isabella of France, c1295­1348 (Edward II) Margaret of Anjou, 1430­1482 (Henry VI) Other key notables Richard de Clare "Strongbow," 1130­1176 William the Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke, 1147­1219 Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, c1208­1265 Roger Mortimer, Earl of March, 1287­1330 Henry "Hotspur" Percy, 1364­1403 Richard Neville "The Kingmaker," 1428­1471 Some of the important Battles Hastings (Wm I, 1066): Conquest Lincoln (Stephen, 1141): King Stephen captured Arsuf (Richard I, 1191): Richard defeats Salidin Bouvines (John, 1214): Normandy lost to the French Lincoln, 2nd (Henry III, 1217): Pembroke defeats French Lewes (Henry III, 1264): Ascension of Simon de Montfort Evesham (Henry III, 1265): Death of Montfort Bannockburn (Edward II, 1314): Scottish victory Boroughbridge (Edward II, 1322): Despensers' victory over barons Crecy (Edward III, 1346): Victory of French Poitiers (Edward III, 1356): Black Prince captures Jean II Shrewsbury (1403): Harry "Hotspur" Percy killed Agincourt (Henry V, 1415): Conquest of French territories Castillon (Henry VI, 1453): Hundred Year War lost St Albans (Henry VI, 1455): York rebellion Wakefield (Henry VI, 1460): Queen Margaret's victory over York St Albans, 2nd (Henry VI, 1461): Another victory for Margaret Mortimer Cross (Henry VI, 1461): York Victory Towton (Henry VI, 1461): Ascension of York Barnet (1471): Warwick is killed Tewkesbury (1471): Margaret imprisoned Bosworth Field (Richard III, 1485): End of the Plantagenets Sources Thomas B. Costain, The Conquerors (Garden City, New Jersey: The Country Life Press, 1949). Thomas B. Costain, The Magnificent Century (Garden City, New Jersey: Doubleday & Company, 1953). Thomas B. Costain, The Three Edwards (Garden City, New Jersey: Doubleday & Company, 1958). Thomas B. Costain, The Last Plantagenets (Garden City, New Jersey: Doubleday & Company, 1962). Rebecca Fraser, The Story of Britain From the Romans to the Present: A Narrative History (New York and London: W. W. Norton & Company, 2003). John Gillingham, The Angevin Empire (New York: Holmes and Meier Publishers, 1984). David Green, Edward The Black Prince: Power in Medieval Europe (Harlow, England: Pearson Education Limited, 2007). Dan Jones, The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England (New York: Penguin Books, 2013). Giles St. Aubyn, The Year of the Three Kings, 1483 (New York: Athenum, 1983). The Dynastic Lineage / Y­DNA The three outlier Richards The House of Anjou (the Angevins) The House of Plantagenet The House of Lancaster (the Lancastrians) The House of York (the Yorkists) The Normans William I "The Conqueror," c1028­1087 Ruled 1066­1087, 21 years The first English king to crown wife William II "Rufus," c1056­1100 Ruled 1087­1100, 13 years Lost Normandy Adds French territories Henry I "Beauclerc," c1068­1135 Ruled 1100­1135, 35 years Regained Normandy Death of son William on the White Ship Marriage and the Charter of Henry I Henry designated Matilda as heir Died eating too many lampreys (indigestible eel), 1135 The Anarchy (1135­1154) Stephen (ruled 1135­1154) Treaty of Wallingford (1153) The House of Anjou Henry II Fitz Empress "Curtmantle," 1133­1189 Ruled 1154­1189, 35 years The Angevin Empire Marriage to Eleanor gains Aquitaine, Poitou and Auverne. Gains Brittany and Nantes "Can none of the cowards eating my bread free me of this turbulent priest?" (1170) Henry set up administrative center and palace in Dublin (1171) Revolt of Eleanor and sons, 1173­4 The Young King revolts and dies from dysentery, 1183 War with Richard and Philip, 1189; Richard named heir Holdings become one inheritable unit after Henry's death, 1189 Consolidated justice system under the crown Richard I "Lionheart" or "Coeur de Lion," 1167­1199 Ruled 1189­1199, 10 years Defeated Saladin at Battle of Arsuf but unable to capture Jerusalem, 1191 Imprisoned 1.5 years by Leopold of Austria John rebels 1193­4 Killed in battle in Aquitaine, 1199 King John "Lackland," 1166­1216 Ruled 1199­1216, 17 years Lost Normandy at Battle of Bouvines to Phillip II, 1214 First Barons' War (1215­1217) Runnymede and the Magna Carta, 1215 Barons offer crown to Prince Louis of France John dies, 1216 Louis signs Treaty of Lambeth, 1217 The House of Plantagenet Henry III (of Winchester), 1207­1272 Ruled 1216­1272, 54 years William the Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke Strong regent in Marshal during Henry first two years Weak revenues, but spent lavishly, hoarded gold Heavily taxed Jews and negotiated taxes w/powerful barons Henry borrowed heavily for French campaign Gave up Normandy, Anjou and Poitou, kept Gascony Simon de Montfort Second Baron's War (1263­4) De Montfort rules for about 18 months Prince Edward [I] escapes, aligns with the Welsh Marcher Lords Plantagenets become more English than Angevin Edward I "Longshanks" (of Westminster), 1239­1307 Ruled 1272­1307, 35 years United the barons and put his attention to Scotland and Wales The English Justinian Dies in tent during Scottish campaigns Edward II (of Caernarfon), 1284­1327 Ruled 1307­1327, 20 years "His character remained incurably frivolous" (Fraser, 185) Loses Scotland The Despenser War Isabella and Mortimer invade to dispel Despensers Executed 1327 by "red­hot poker which was stuck up him" (Fraser) Edward III (of Windsor), 1312­1377 1327­1377, 50 years Queen Isabella and Roger Mortimer, regents 3 years Edward's coup at Nottingham Castle "The new king offered light, courage and hope" (Jones, 367) English becomes the national language Age of Chaucer (John of Gaunt's brother­in­law) Hundred Years War, 1338­1453 England becomes most powerful European nation The Black Death, 1346­1353 His sons Edward, the Black Prince, died 1376, Earl of Ulster ­ crown goes to his son, Richard (Read quote) Lionel of Antwerp, Duke of Clarence, died 1368, had one daughter John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, died 1399 Edmund of Langley, Duke of York Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester Long illness, senility, and death Richard II (of Bordeaux), 1367­1400 Son of the Black Prince Ruled 1377­1399, 22 years Tyrannical The bloodless Lancastrian Revolution (Henry IV) died 1400 in prison, possibly murdered The House of Lancaster Henry IV (of Bolingbroke), 1367­1413 Ruled 1399­1413, 14 years The Earl of March's claim (Lionel's grandson) Henry "Hotspur" Percy turns against him Henry V (of Monmouth), 1387­1422 Ruled 1413­1422, 11 years "Obsessively disciplined," "oratorical gifts and outstanding military ability" (Fraser) Reclaimed Normandy and reasserts Edward III's claim to France Battle of Agincourt, 1415 "A touch of Harry in the Night" (Shakespeare) Married French princess (Catherine of Valois) and negotiated that his son become King of France PREVIEW: The Cousins' War (1455­1487) Reigns of Henry VI, Edward IV, Richard III Sir Walter Scott called it the War of the Roses The Lancastrians (red rose) The Yorkists (white rose) Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, "The Kingmaker" Nearly decimated the aristocracy Henry VI, 1421­1471 Ruled 1422­1461, 39 years Briefly King of France but lost all except Calais "saintly simpleton" (St Aubyns, 37) Feuds between uncles, who act as regents: John, Duke of Bedford Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester Henry Beaufort Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York Mental breakdown, 1453­1455 Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York 2nd richest and powerful noble Claims to the throne "Devil's Parliament" confiscates York property, 1459 York killed at Wakefield, Dec 1460 Margaret of Anjou (Henry VI's queen) invades from Scotland Defeat at Towton, 1461 Lancastrian raids from Scotland Battle of Hexham, 1464 ­ Henry captured and imprisoned; Margaret exiled to France The House of York Edward IV, 1442­1483 Ruled 1461­1470, 1471­1483, 22 years Invasion: Warwick and Clarence unite with Queen Margaret; Henry VI restored (for six months) Queen Margaret defeated at Tewkesbury and imprisoned; Prince Edward and all Lancastrian nobles murdered; Henry VI executed Margaret ransomed by King Louis XI of France; died in poverty, 1482 Edward was father of Elizabeth of York, future queen consort of Henry VII Edward V, 1470­1483? Brothers seized by their uncle, Richard of Gloucester, who denounced Edward as a bastard; never crowned Richard III, 1452­1485 Ruled 1483­1485, 2 years Crowned himself instead of nephew Spontaneous revolts over the safety of the remaining royal children "Year of Three Kings" prophecy Battle of Bosworth Field Epilogue Lancastrian leader, Henry Tudor, is crowned as Henry VII The last Plantagenet: Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick, son of George Plantagenet (Richard III's brother) and grandson of the Kingmaker, is imprisoned at age 10 by Henry VII and executed in 1499 Discovery of Richard's bones and mtDNA (2013) Revised 3 July 2014.