Henry was born in 1207 at Winchester Castle to John Lackland and Isobel of Angouleme. Henry’s coronation at the age of nine, following the death of his father was a simple affair. In the absence of the English crown, which had recently been lost, Henry was crowned with a simple gold band. Additionally, Henry was not crowned by the Archbishop of Canterbury, who supported Prince Louis’s invasion of England. Modern historians believe that Henry was crowned either by Peter des Roches, the Bishop of Winchester, or Cardinal Guala Bicchiere, the Papal Legate to England.
Henry's Early Reign
As Henry reached maturity, he became keen to restore the authority of the Crown, which had been undermined by the English nobility during the reign of John. Henry married Eleanor of Provence and promoted many of his French relatives to positions of great power and prestiege. Because of this and because of Henry’s tendency to rule for long periods with no ministers at all, his method of government came to be seen as foreign to many of his subjects
Henry was also devoted to the cult of the Anglo-Saxon King, Edward the Confessor, who was canonized in 1161. Henry had a mural of Edward painted in his bed chamber and had Westminster Abbey, which had been built by Edward the Confessor, declared the fixed seat of power in England. Henry also hired French architects from Reims to renovate Westminster in the Gothic style. The centrepiece of the renovated Abbey was a shrine to Edward the Confessor.
Henry was also known for his anti-Jewish decrees, which included forcing English Jews to wear a "badge of shame" in the form the Two Tables. Henry was also intensely pious and often delayed his journeys by insisting on hearing Mass several times per day. During visit to his brother-in-law, Louis IX, the King of France, Henry took so long to arrive at the French court that Louis banned priests from Henry’s route. According to the medieval chronicler Roger of Wendover, after meeting with representatives of the Pope, Henry once said, "If [the prelates] knew how much I, in my reverence of God, am afraid of them and how unwilling I am to insult them they would trample on me as on an old and worn-out shoe."
During the rule of Henry’s father, John Lackland, the English nobility supported an invasion of England by Prince Louis because they were deeply unhappy with the way John ruled the kingdom. Following John’s death, Henry was seen as the safe choice. Henry’s regents moved quickly to secure Henry’s crown by declaring their intention to rule according the principles laid out in the Magna Carta.
In 1244, Henry was faced the threat of a Scottish invasion. In an attempt to bolster England’s northern defences, Henry ordered York Castle to be rebuilt in stone.
Henry's Later Reign
Henry’s reign was marred by on-going conflicts with the English nobles who demanded a greater say in the running of the kingdom. Henry precipitated a major scandal when he accused Simon de Montfort of attempting to seduce his sister. Henry’s relationship with de Montfort reached a crisis point in the 1250s when de Montfort was brought up on trumped up charges while serving as Henry’s agent in Gascony.
Henry also became embroiled in a war in Sicily on behalf of the Pope, which Henry had become involved in order for his second son Edmund to be titled. This led the nobles to fear that Henry would become a second John. In 1258, seven leading nobles forced Henry to agree to the Provisions of Oxford, which called for the abolition of the absolutist Anglo-Norman monarchy, the establishment of a council of 15 barons, and for the convening of Parliament three times a year, to monitor their activity. Henry was also forced to take part in the swearing of a collective oath to support the Provisions of Oxford.
As time went on, the supporters of de Montfort and the supporters of the King grew more and more polarized. In 1262, Henry obtained a Papal Bull exempting him from his oath and both camps began to raise armies. Henry’s was placed under the command of his oldest son, Edward.
In 1263, de Montfort’s forces had captured most of southwest England and Henry was defeated at the Battle of Lewes on May 14, 1264. Henry and Edward were taken prisoner, and Henry was reduced to being a figurehead King as a result. At the same time, de Montfort broadened the representation in Parliament to include every English county and many major towns. This was the closest England came to the complete overthrow of the monarchy until the rise of Oliver Cromwell in the mid-17th Century.
In 1265, Edward was freed from captivity thanks to the efforts of his cousin Roger Mortimer.
The Death of Henry III
Following Henry’s death in 1272, he was succeeded by his oldest son, Edward I, who became known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots. Henry’s body was temporarily laid in the tomb of Edward the Confessor, while his own tomb was constructed in Westminster Abbey.
Author Paul Linus
Henry's Early Reign
As Henry reached maturity, he became keen to restore the authority of the Crown, which had been undermined by the English nobility during the reign of John. Henry married Eleanor of Provence and promoted many of his French relatives to positions of great power and prestiege. Because of this and because of Henry’s tendency to rule for long periods with no ministers at all, his method of government came to be seen as foreign to many of his subjects
Henry was also devoted to the cult of the Anglo-Saxon King, Edward the Confessor, who was canonized in 1161. Henry had a mural of Edward painted in his bed chamber and had Westminster Abbey, which had been built by Edward the Confessor, declared the fixed seat of power in England. Henry also hired French architects from Reims to renovate Westminster in the Gothic style. The centrepiece of the renovated Abbey was a shrine to Edward the Confessor.
Henry was also known for his anti-Jewish decrees, which included forcing English Jews to wear a "badge of shame" in the form the Two Tables. Henry was also intensely pious and often delayed his journeys by insisting on hearing Mass several times per day. During visit to his brother-in-law, Louis IX, the King of France, Henry took so long to arrive at the French court that Louis banned priests from Henry’s route. According to the medieval chronicler Roger of Wendover, after meeting with representatives of the Pope, Henry once said, "If [the prelates] knew how much I, in my reverence of God, am afraid of them and how unwilling I am to insult them they would trample on me as on an old and worn-out shoe."
During the rule of Henry’s father, John Lackland, the English nobility supported an invasion of England by Prince Louis because they were deeply unhappy with the way John ruled the kingdom. Following John’s death, Henry was seen as the safe choice. Henry’s regents moved quickly to secure Henry’s crown by declaring their intention to rule according the principles laid out in the Magna Carta.
In 1244, Henry was faced the threat of a Scottish invasion. In an attempt to bolster England’s northern defences, Henry ordered York Castle to be rebuilt in stone.
Henry's Later Reign
Henry’s reign was marred by on-going conflicts with the English nobles who demanded a greater say in the running of the kingdom. Henry precipitated a major scandal when he accused Simon de Montfort of attempting to seduce his sister. Henry’s relationship with de Montfort reached a crisis point in the 1250s when de Montfort was brought up on trumped up charges while serving as Henry’s agent in Gascony.
Henry also became embroiled in a war in Sicily on behalf of the Pope, which Henry had become involved in order for his second son Edmund to be titled. This led the nobles to fear that Henry would become a second John. In 1258, seven leading nobles forced Henry to agree to the Provisions of Oxford, which called for the abolition of the absolutist Anglo-Norman monarchy, the establishment of a council of 15 barons, and for the convening of Parliament three times a year, to monitor their activity. Henry was also forced to take part in the swearing of a collective oath to support the Provisions of Oxford.
As time went on, the supporters of de Montfort and the supporters of the King grew more and more polarized. In 1262, Henry obtained a Papal Bull exempting him from his oath and both camps began to raise armies. Henry’s was placed under the command of his oldest son, Edward.
In 1263, de Montfort’s forces had captured most of southwest England and Henry was defeated at the Battle of Lewes on May 14, 1264. Henry and Edward were taken prisoner, and Henry was reduced to being a figurehead King as a result. At the same time, de Montfort broadened the representation in Parliament to include every English county and many major towns. This was the closest England came to the complete overthrow of the monarchy until the rise of Oliver Cromwell in the mid-17th Century.
Pros and Cons of Online Education
Excercise and Pregnancy: The Facts
In 1265, Edward was freed from captivity thanks to the efforts of his cousin Roger Mortimer.
The Death of Henry III
Following Henry’s death in 1272, he was succeeded by his oldest son, Edward I, who became known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots. Henry’s body was temporarily laid in the tomb of Edward the Confessor, while his own tomb was constructed in Westminster Abbey.
Author Paul Linus
Comments