Name___________________________ Hr____Due______

The Kings of early Medieval England and Important Events of Their Reigns
William the Conqueror (see your in class worksheet) KING HENRY II of England--ruled 1154-1189 Also known as Henry of Anjou or Henry Plantagenet (famous future kings belonged to this family). He was the great-great grandson of the William the Conqueror and controlled considerable lands in France. His marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine increased his lands as she was the daughter of the king of the largest French province, Aquitaine. They had eight children, two of whom (Richard and John) would become kings of England. Henry was volatile, stubborn, and magnetic. He made important changes in English law and achieved some expansion of his territories throughout his reign. However, he is perhaps known for his quarrels with his family and the tragic episode of his one-time friend Thomas Becket whom he appointed as the Archbishop of Canterbury and later had killed. 1. Who was King Henry to William the Conqueror?_________________________________________ 2. Who was King Henrys wife?_________________________________________________________ 3. What famous Catholic Church leader did Henry have murdered?_____________________________ 4. What was King Henrys famous family name? __________________________________________

KING RICHARD I of England: Most known for launching the 1st Crusade. Known as Richard the Lionhearted (or Lion-heart from the French, Coeur de Lion) for his courage and skill in battle. Richard was the son of King Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine and the second king in the Plantagenet line. Richard was far more interested in lands in France and in his Crusading battles than he was in governing England. He spent only about six months of his ten-year reign there. He nearly spent all the treasury left by his father in order to fund his Crusade. Though he scored some successes in the Holy Land, Richard and his fellow Crusaders failed to reach their goal which was to recapture Jerusalem from Muslim ruler Saladin. On his way home from the Holy Land in 1192, Richard was shipwrecked, captured, and handed over to Emperor Henry VI. A large portion of the 150,000-mark ransom was raised through heavy taxing of the people of England. Richard was freed in 1194. He had himself crowned again just to reinforce his title as king, and then quickly left England, went to Normandy (France) and never returned.

The next five years were spent in warfare with King Philip II of France. Richard died from a wound inflicted while in battle but was childless and the English crown passed to his brother John. What was Richard I nickname and why?_________________________________________________ What was he most known for?___________________________________________________________ Why did he fail to rule his kingdom well?__________________________________________________ What did he do after he was freed from his kidnappers in France?_______________________________

KING JOHN I Reigned 1199-1216. Known as King John Lack land. King John's reign has been most known as one of the most disastrous in English history. It began with defeatshe lost Normandy to King Philip Augustus of France in his first five years on the throneand ended with England torn apart by civil war. In 1213, he made England a papal fief to resolve a conflict with the Roman Catholic Church. His rebellious barons forced him to sign the Magna Carta in 1215. He was known as John Lack land because he lost much English land in unsuccessful battles. As far as his kingdom went, John functioned as an efficient ruler, but he lost approval of the English barons by taxing more than what was normally allowed by feudal overlords. The tax known as scutage, or payment made instead of providing knights (as required by feudal law), became very unpopular. John was a very well informed king, often acting as a judge in the Royal Courts but he was known as being very suspicious and untrustworthy and his vassals often did not support his deeds and decisions (thus the writing of the Magna Carta) He was married but not a faithful husband. He had five children with his wife but 11 illegitimate children with several mistresses some of whom were his cousins and wives of his vassals. ABOUT THE MAGNA CARTA of 1215 The Magna Carta is an important historical document that took some power away from the king (John) and gave some rights and freedoms to the people. Magna Carta means "Great Charter" in Latin. On June 15, 1215, the barons (lords) of Medieval England faced King John at Runnymede feild, and forced the king to put his seal on the document, the Magna Carta. King John had been an unpopular king who abused his power, oppressed his subjects, and angered the barons by increasing taxes and demanding many soldiers for his military campaigns abroad. King John was excommunicated from the Catholic Church by the Pope in 1209, further increasing his unpopularity.

The barons wrote the Magna Carta, which contained 63 clauses promising all freemen access to courts and a fair trial. It eliminated unfair fines and punishments, gave power to the Catholic Church in England, and addressed many other small rights issues. Although King John violated many of the clauses in the Magna Carta, later kings of England were eventually forced to follow its terms. The Magna Carta was one of the forerunners of modern British law, the US Constitution and its Amendments (the Bill of Rights) and the guiding documents of many other countries that have further expanded the rights and liberties of the people and limited the power of the government. What was King Johns nickname and why?__________________________________________ Why was he an unpopular king?___________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ What does Magna Carta mean in Latin?___________________________________________ What kind of rights did the Magna Carta give?_______________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________

About Eleanor of Aquitaine:

As the daughter of William X, Duke of Aquitaine and Count of Poitiers, Eleanor inherited a domain larger than that of the king. She was educated and strong willed. She was one of the most powerful women of the Middle Ages. At age 15 she married the future Louis VII of France, still a teen himself, and a month later the adolescent couple became King and Queen of France upon the death of King Louis VI. As Queen, Eleanor was famous for both her beauty and brains. During their 15-year marriage she bore Louis two daughters and exercised considerable influence over her husband. In 1147 she convinced him to lead a Crusade (holy war), and she accompanied him on the trip to the Holy Land dressed in armor. A few years after their return from the Second Crusade, the marriage of the royal couple was annulled and Eleanor regained control of her lands in regions of France. Two months later, at the age of 30, she wed 18-year-old Henry Plantaganet (Count of Anjou and Duke of Normandy) and grandson of King Henry I of England. In 1154 Henry became King Henry II of England and Eleanor became Queen. Eleanor's French holdings helped make Henry's lands in France greater than that of the French king. The Plantaganets had a stormy relationship that resulted but had eight children, two of whom (Richard and John) would later become kings of England. Eleanor was very active in ruling lands in both England and France. She was also very involved in promoting literacy and culture in both regions. When her son Richard became King after her husbands death, Eleanor was responsible for ruling England while King Richard spent years fighting in the Crusades. Queen Eleanor was very successful at being the Queen of both France and England in her lifetime. She died in the monastery at Fontevrault, France in April of 1204. She was 82 years old.

How old was Eleanor when she got married and became Queen of France?_________________________ Which two kings was she married to in her lifetime and what regions did they rule? _____________________________________________________________________________________ How did she become such a powerful woman?_______________________________________________

Which of her 8 children later became kings of England________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ What was she responsible for when Richard was king and why?_________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________