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On May 16, 1220, English King Henry III laid a foundation stone for a new Westminster Abbey building in London.
"Henry was born at Winchester Castle on 1st October 1207, eldest son of King John and Isabella. He succeeded his father in 1216. His was one of the longest reigns in English history.
It is to Henry that we owe the rebuilding of Westminster Abbey in the new Gothic style of architecture. In 1220 he had laid the foundation stone of the old Lady Chapel (later replaced by Henry VII's chapel) and he had a special devotion to St Edward the Confessor. He wanted to emulate the great churches then being built in France and to transfer Edward's body to a new shrine near which he himself could be buried.
Demolition of Edward the Confessor's 11th century church began in 1245 and the king was recklessly extravagant in the money spent on the Abbey and its lavish decoration (the cost including the new Shrine was £45,000, about 15 million in today's money). The eastern section, including the intricate Cosmati pavement, and transepts of the Church as far as one bay of the nave west of the organ screen, dates from his reign. The bones of St Edward were translated to the new shrine in 1269 and the consecration of the Church took place on 13th October 1269. But building ceased when Henry died and it was completed at a much later date."
"Henry was born at Winchester Castle on 1st October 1207, eldest son of King John and Isabella. He succeeded his father in 1216. His was one of the longest reigns in English history.
It is to Henry that we owe the rebuilding of Westminster Abbey in the new Gothic style of architecture. In 1220 he had laid the foundation stone of the old Lady Chapel (later replaced by Henry VII's chapel) and he had a special devotion to St Edward the Confessor. He wanted to emulate the great churches then being built in France and to transfer Edward's body to a new shrine near which he himself could be buried.
Demolition of Edward the Confessor's 11th century church began in 1245 and the king was recklessly extravagant in the money spent on the Abbey and its lavish decoration (the cost including the new Shrine was £45,000, about 15 million in today's money). The eastern section, including the intricate Cosmati pavement, and transepts of the Church as far as one bay of the nave west of the organ screen, dates from his reign. The bones of St Edward were translated to the new shrine in 1269 and the consecration of the Church took place on 13th October 1269. But building ceased when Henry died and it was completed at a much later date."
Henry III | Westminster Abbey
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All About Westminster Abbey | FULL EPISODE | Time Team
During the 19th century, restoration work at the Abbey uncovered a previously unknown section of the church. The Team search for the lost sacristy in Westmin...
Thank you my friend SGT (Join to see) for making us aware that on May 16, 1220, English King Henry III laid a foundation stone for a new Westminster Abbey building in London.
All About Westminster Abbey | FULL EPISODE | Time Team
During the 19th century, restoration work at the Abbey uncovered a previously unknown section of the church. The Team search for the lost sacristy in Westminster Abbey.
Series 17, Episode 1.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1glHVjudPY
Images:
1. Coronation of King Henry III was crowned king on 28 October 1216 AD in Gloucester Cathedral.
2. L-shaped foundations of the medieval Great Sacristy, as seen from the roof of Westminster Abbey.
3. The Cosmati pavement, a mosaic made from small pieces of semi-precious stone, marble, glass and metal, lies in front of the high altar at Westminster Abbey. The pavement was commissioned by Henry III to be a centrepiece of the abbey when it was rebuilt in the 13th century.
4. Part of the account of works at Westminster Abbey from 1253
Background from {[https://www.medievalchronicles.com/medieval-kings-2/plantagenet-kings/king-henry-iii-henry-of-winchester/]}
King Henry III (Henry of Winchester)
King Henry III ruled the England from 19th October 1216 to 16th November 1272. He also remained as the Lord of Ireland and Duke of Aquitaine in the same time period. He was the son of the Medieval King, John of England and Isabella of Angouleme. Henry was only nine years old when he assumed the throne and it was in the middle of the First Barons’ War.
King Henry III Timeline
King Henry III was born on 1st October 1207 at the Winchester Castle, Hampshire. He was the King of medieval England from 19th October 1216 to 16th November 1272. His coronation took place on 28th October 1216 in Gloucester and 17th May 1220 at Westminster Abbey. In January 1227, this Medieval King assumed formal control of the government. A revolt, led by William Marshal, broke out in 1232. Henry invaded Poitou in 1242 and as a result Battle of Taillebourg took place. The Battle of Lewes was fought in 1262. King Henry III married Eleanor of Provence in 1236. He died on 16th November 1272 at Westminster, London.
King Henry III Coronation
King Henry III was one of those Medieval Kings that were crowned twice. He was initially crowned in 1216 after the death of his father King John. His loyalist leaders hurried into the coronation in order to reinforce his claim to the throne. Bishops of Worcester and Exeter anointed King Henry III, and he was crowned by Peter des Roches. As the fortunes of Henry’s government began to improve in 1220 the Pope allowed his second coronation, which was intended to affirm the authority of the King.
King Henry III Wife and Family
King Henry III wife was Eleanor of Provence whom he married in 1236. Together they had five children. Eleanor was the daughter of Raymond-Berengar, the Count of Provence, and Beatrice of Savoy. King Henry III’s children’s names were Edward I of England, Margaret of England, Beatrice of England, Edmund Crouchback & Katherine of England. This Medieval King had no illegitimate children.
What Kind of Ruler was King Henry III?
King Henry III was a good ruler with a good heart. He was a pious man and contributed a lot towards religious causes. But he was never considered as an extraordinary King as he failed to rule in peace and harmony. There were revolts during his rule and the medieval Barons were always unhappy with him and his policies.
What was King Henry III Famous for?
King Henry III was famous for his public demonstration of piety and was genuinely devout. He used to attend the mass at least once a day and was very well known among his contemporaries for attending mass frequently. According to some historians, it was believed that he attended mass thrice a day and in 1259 this medieval king stopped at almost every church, which came his way and was holding mass. King Henry III generously gave to the religious causes.
King Henry III – Revolution & the Barons’ War
In 1258, some English barons revolted against the King Henry III as the anger had grown due to King’s unpopular Sicilian policy, king’s officials, raising of funds, unfair treatment of the English Church and Poitevins, influence in the court. The Welsh, who were already in the open revolt, allied themselves with the Scotland. Henry had an acute shortage of money and there was strong feeling within Henry’s court that he wouldn’t be able to lead the country through these problems. Although King Henry III tried his best, but the crisis never ended and in April 1264 the second Barons War broke out. It was fought between the baron Simon de Montfort forces and Henry’s forces. De Montfort was the part of the initial revolt and though he had some initial success, he was not unable to consolidate it and was killed at the Battle of Evesham. The war finally ended in July 1267 when the final rebels surrendered at the Isle of Ely.
King Henry III – Invasion of France
King Henry III assumed the formal control of the government in January 1227. Henry wanted to reclaim the family lands in France as these lands were very important to him. However, the French Kings were economically and militarily sound as compared to Henry III and had an advantage over him. In 1226 Louis VIII of France died and left behind his twelve year old son Louis IX as heir to the throne. The young medieval king wasn’t in a strong position as several nobles in the court had their ties to the English. There were several revolts taking place across the country. Henry invaded France in 1230. Although he made several attempts, but couldn’t achieve anything and returned to England in 1234 with empty hands after making a truce with Louis.
King Henry III – Religion
King Henry III was religiously very devoted and used to show his public demonstration of piety. During his rule, he promoted lavish and luxurious Church services and was known for attending the mass at least once a day. He became the patron of the Teutonic Order in 1235 and supported military crusading orders. He defended the mother church throughout his reign as the support of the Papacy in the earlier part of his rule had the lasting impact on his attitude towards Rome. In 1241 he paraded the Holy Cross throughout Europe.
King Henry III Death
King Henry III died on the evening of 16th November 1272 in Westminster. King Henry became ill after his son Edward left for the Eighth crusade in 1270. He was concerned about the fresh rebellion and with his failing health he wrote to his son to return but he did not. King Henry III like other Medieval Kings was buried in the Westminster Abbey. Edward returned in 1974.
King Henry III Summary
The King Henry III’s rule could be divided in three parts. In initial part he was still young and the government was mostly run by his former tutors. In the second part he enjoyed the full control over the government. In the third part he remained busy in rebellion and civil war. Henry III inherited most of his problems from his Father King John and they weren’t created due to his own misrule."
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs SMSgt Lawrence McCarter SPC Michael Duricko, Ph.D GySgt Thomas Vick SGT Denny Espinosa LTC (Join to see)Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D. PO1 William "Chip" Nagel PO2 (Join to see) SSG Franklin Briant SPC Michael Terrell SFC Chuck Martinez CSM Charles HaydenSMSgt Tom Burns MSgt James Clark-Rosa SP5 Jeannie Carle Wayne Soares 1SG Dan Capri
All About Westminster Abbey | FULL EPISODE | Time Team
During the 19th century, restoration work at the Abbey uncovered a previously unknown section of the church. The Team search for the lost sacristy in Westminster Abbey.
Series 17, Episode 1.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1glHVjudPY
Images:
1. Coronation of King Henry III was crowned king on 28 October 1216 AD in Gloucester Cathedral.
2. L-shaped foundations of the medieval Great Sacristy, as seen from the roof of Westminster Abbey.
3. The Cosmati pavement, a mosaic made from small pieces of semi-precious stone, marble, glass and metal, lies in front of the high altar at Westminster Abbey. The pavement was commissioned by Henry III to be a centrepiece of the abbey when it was rebuilt in the 13th century.
4. Part of the account of works at Westminster Abbey from 1253
Background from {[https://www.medievalchronicles.com/medieval-kings-2/plantagenet-kings/king-henry-iii-henry-of-winchester/]}
King Henry III (Henry of Winchester)
King Henry III ruled the England from 19th October 1216 to 16th November 1272. He also remained as the Lord of Ireland and Duke of Aquitaine in the same time period. He was the son of the Medieval King, John of England and Isabella of Angouleme. Henry was only nine years old when he assumed the throne and it was in the middle of the First Barons’ War.
King Henry III Timeline
King Henry III was born on 1st October 1207 at the Winchester Castle, Hampshire. He was the King of medieval England from 19th October 1216 to 16th November 1272. His coronation took place on 28th October 1216 in Gloucester and 17th May 1220 at Westminster Abbey. In January 1227, this Medieval King assumed formal control of the government. A revolt, led by William Marshal, broke out in 1232. Henry invaded Poitou in 1242 and as a result Battle of Taillebourg took place. The Battle of Lewes was fought in 1262. King Henry III married Eleanor of Provence in 1236. He died on 16th November 1272 at Westminster, London.
King Henry III Coronation
King Henry III was one of those Medieval Kings that were crowned twice. He was initially crowned in 1216 after the death of his father King John. His loyalist leaders hurried into the coronation in order to reinforce his claim to the throne. Bishops of Worcester and Exeter anointed King Henry III, and he was crowned by Peter des Roches. As the fortunes of Henry’s government began to improve in 1220 the Pope allowed his second coronation, which was intended to affirm the authority of the King.
King Henry III Wife and Family
King Henry III wife was Eleanor of Provence whom he married in 1236. Together they had five children. Eleanor was the daughter of Raymond-Berengar, the Count of Provence, and Beatrice of Savoy. King Henry III’s children’s names were Edward I of England, Margaret of England, Beatrice of England, Edmund Crouchback & Katherine of England. This Medieval King had no illegitimate children.
What Kind of Ruler was King Henry III?
King Henry III was a good ruler with a good heart. He was a pious man and contributed a lot towards religious causes. But he was never considered as an extraordinary King as he failed to rule in peace and harmony. There were revolts during his rule and the medieval Barons were always unhappy with him and his policies.
What was King Henry III Famous for?
King Henry III was famous for his public demonstration of piety and was genuinely devout. He used to attend the mass at least once a day and was very well known among his contemporaries for attending mass frequently. According to some historians, it was believed that he attended mass thrice a day and in 1259 this medieval king stopped at almost every church, which came his way and was holding mass. King Henry III generously gave to the religious causes.
King Henry III – Revolution & the Barons’ War
In 1258, some English barons revolted against the King Henry III as the anger had grown due to King’s unpopular Sicilian policy, king’s officials, raising of funds, unfair treatment of the English Church and Poitevins, influence in the court. The Welsh, who were already in the open revolt, allied themselves with the Scotland. Henry had an acute shortage of money and there was strong feeling within Henry’s court that he wouldn’t be able to lead the country through these problems. Although King Henry III tried his best, but the crisis never ended and in April 1264 the second Barons War broke out. It was fought between the baron Simon de Montfort forces and Henry’s forces. De Montfort was the part of the initial revolt and though he had some initial success, he was not unable to consolidate it and was killed at the Battle of Evesham. The war finally ended in July 1267 when the final rebels surrendered at the Isle of Ely.
King Henry III – Invasion of France
King Henry III assumed the formal control of the government in January 1227. Henry wanted to reclaim the family lands in France as these lands were very important to him. However, the French Kings were economically and militarily sound as compared to Henry III and had an advantage over him. In 1226 Louis VIII of France died and left behind his twelve year old son Louis IX as heir to the throne. The young medieval king wasn’t in a strong position as several nobles in the court had their ties to the English. There were several revolts taking place across the country. Henry invaded France in 1230. Although he made several attempts, but couldn’t achieve anything and returned to England in 1234 with empty hands after making a truce with Louis.
King Henry III – Religion
King Henry III was religiously very devoted and used to show his public demonstration of piety. During his rule, he promoted lavish and luxurious Church services and was known for attending the mass at least once a day. He became the patron of the Teutonic Order in 1235 and supported military crusading orders. He defended the mother church throughout his reign as the support of the Papacy in the earlier part of his rule had the lasting impact on his attitude towards Rome. In 1241 he paraded the Holy Cross throughout Europe.
King Henry III Death
King Henry III died on the evening of 16th November 1272 in Westminster. King Henry became ill after his son Edward left for the Eighth crusade in 1270. He was concerned about the fresh rebellion and with his failing health he wrote to his son to return but he did not. King Henry III like other Medieval Kings was buried in the Westminster Abbey. Edward returned in 1974.
King Henry III Summary
The King Henry III’s rule could be divided in three parts. In initial part he was still young and the government was mostly run by his former tutors. In the second part he enjoyed the full control over the government. In the third part he remained busy in rebellion and civil war. Henry III inherited most of his problems from his Father King John and they weren’t created due to his own misrule."
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LTC Stephen F.
King Henry III of England. An interview with Prof David Carpenter
King Henry III was king of England from 1216 to 1272. He came to throne as a nine-year-old boy in the midst of a civil war with half the country occupied by ...
King Henry III of England. An interview with Prof David Carpenter
King Henry III was king of England from 1216 to 1272. He came to throne as a nine-year-old boy in the midst of a civil war with half the country occupied by an army led by a French prince. His father, King John, had rejected Magna Carta. Henry and his allies embraced it, helping them to victory in the civil war. But Henry, who was kind and pious, but also naïve and imprudent, struggled to govern the country according to the terms of the Charter. In the end, in 1258, he was forced to accept a revolutionary programme of reform that went far beyond anything seen in Magna Carta.
Henry’s greatest legacy to London is Westminster Abbey, a beautiful building which Henry dedicated to Edward the Confessor, his patron saint, and presented as a gift to the political nation of England. Henry also clashed bitterly and repeatedly with many of London’s leading citizens, at a time when the Londoners were growing increasingly rich and self-confident.
Prof David Carpenter is a professor of medieval history at King’s College London. The first volume of his brilliant new biography of Henry has just been published in the Yale English Monarchs series. He joined me to discuss his book, Henry’s action-packed rule, his magnificent abbey and his relations with the citizens of London."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLb0OsXmBgM
Images:
1. A painting by Pieter Farbis from 1735 shows Westminster Abbey from the north. The Great Sacristy is at the center of the painting.
2. Eleanor of Provence became queen of England when she married Henry III.
3. King Henry III
4. January 1236, King Henry III married Eleanor of Provence, the daughter of Raymond-Berengar, the Count of Provence, and Beatrice of Savoy, at Canterbury Cathedral
Background from {[https://www.historyextra.com/period/medieval/reasons-why-henry-iii-great-king-magna-carta-westminster-abbey/]}
10 reasons why Henry III may have been a great king
Henry III reigned from 1216 until his death in 1272, making him the longest-serving English monarch until George III reached 56 years on the throne in 1816. But despite reigning for more than five decades, Henry has never been associated with greatness. Here, Darren Baker puts across a case for boosting the monarch's underrated reputation, drawing on key moments in his reign including the confirmation of Magna Carta, the rebuilding of Westminster Abbey and the establishment of the first parliament…
When it comes to naming the great kings of England, it’s usually the warriors who come to mind. There’s Richard I and his nickname “Lionheart”, Edward III and his Order of the Garter, and Henry V and his victory at Agincourt. But Darren Baker sees Henry III as a great king of England, if not the greatest. Here, he offers 10 facts to support his case…
1 He issued and confirmed the Magna Carta we know today
Magna Carta as we know it dates back 800 years to November 1217. That’s when the original document was revised to help reconcile the nation following the civil war that put Henry on the throne. Because he succeeded as a 9-year-old boy, Henry grew up with Magna Carta as a natural part of his rule. He had, moreover, the right temperament to ensure its ultimate success. Had he been a different sort of person, one inclined to bullying, debauchery and megalomania, Magna Carta could have ended up gutted or in the dustbin. Unlike his father King John, Henry put his seal to the charter willingly in 1225 (unchanged since 1217) and confirmed it three times. By the end of his reign, it was enshrined as the bedrock of English values.
2 He established our first parliament
Parliament came into existence during Henry’s reign. Because Magna Carta prevented any monarch from acting on a whim, he needed the counsel and consent of his barons, knights and clerics on matters of law and taxation. In 1236, the name parliament was first used to describe these assemblies of state. One of the more significant innovations in its evolution occurred in 1254 when, for the first time, the counties were ordered to elect representatives and send them to Westminster for an emergency session. In the later part of Henry’s reign, parliament became the battleground to see who had ultimate authority in the realm: the king and crown, or the baronial and clerical faction headed by Henry’s own brother-in-law Simon de Montfort. The king eventually came out on top, but the stage was set for parliament to begin slowly ebbing away at royal power.
3 He rebuilt Westminster Abbey
Any mark of greatness generally requires tangible evidence and here, none of the warrior kings can compete with Henry III. Indeed, his greatest achievement may well be the centrepiece of English pride and heritage. In 1245, he started rebuilding Westminster Abbey into the form we know it today. Progress was slow because Henry was always short of funds, but he kept at it until the glorious parts of it had been completed by his death in 1272. These include the Cosmati pavement in front of the high altar. In the intricately swirling shapes and patterns of this floor – surely one of the wonders of the medieval world – Henry sought to represent the universe at its creation and demise. This naturally meant he needed an age for the universe, but the number he came up with – 19,683 years – is more a testament to his famous wit and humour than to science or astronomy.
4. He empowered his queen
The queens of Henry’s Norman predecessors had been politically marginalised for the most part. When they did stir, it was usually against the highhandedness of their husbands, and the reaction they faced could be harsh. For all her glamour, Eleanor of Aquitaine ended up spending half of her husband’s reign in prison. Henry’s mother Isabella of Angoulême went back to her homeland in France while he was still a boy because his regents would not let her share in any power as queen dowager.
Henry reversed this trend by empowering his own queen, Eleanor of Provence. He gave her patronage for financial independence and influence and respected her voice in governmental affairs. So complete was his confidence in her abilities that in 1253, he named her regent to rule the land while he was abroad. And she was heavily pregnant at the time.
5 He was a faithful husband and adoring father
Many an English king found it hard to be faithful to his queen. Henry I, II and King John had various mistresses and produced innumerable illegitimate issue, creating discord in the family and a need to provide for so many extra offspring. In contrast, Henry III is not known to have strayed once from his wife in their 36 years together and prior to their marriage, his only close personal attachments were to either nuns or his three sisters.
Queen Eleanor in turn worked tirelessly on her husband’s behalf at the lowest point of his reign, when Simon de Montfort had taken over the government, and she remained true to Henry’s memory in her widowhood. They had five children, each of whom they adored dearly, and the death of their youngest at the age of three left both parents distraught. Their love and affection not only ensured stability in the family, and therefore stability in the realm, but set a good example for the next generation. Henry’s sons and sons-in-law were also loving and faithful husbands.
6 He made pageantry a part of the monarchy
Royalty as we know it did not exist in England before Henry III. Kings like his grandfather tended to dress down and eschew formality, not because they had the common touch, but rather they were greedy men who didn’t want to spend money. Henry’s first coronation had been a rushed affair because of the political situation, with spare solemnities and trappings and a makeshift crown for his head. After that, he went all out for state occasions. The coronation of his queen in 1236 was a dazzling affair. The royal pair was escorted by 360 horsemen, each carrying a gold or silver cup to use at the feast. Even chronicler Matthew Paris, who was well known for his gossip, was left speechless by the spectacle.
In 1247 Henry put on a similar display when he carried a crystal vial of Holy Blood from St Paul’s to Westminster Abbey, wearing only a pilgrim’s cloak and walking barefoot for the whole two miles, even over uneven patches of road. Paris was a witness to that event as well, and, spotted by the king in the crowd, was invited to dine with him the next day. It’s likely that wine was served, because under Henry III, the stuff flowed. On his deathbed, his last order to the chancery was to settle the money he owed his wine merchant, nearly £1m in today’s money.
7 His longevity ensured stability and contributed to great change
Succession was always an uncertain time in medieval monarchies and Henry’s accession to the throne in 1216 was the clearest example of it. In their effort to depose King John, rebel barons had sworn allegiance to the crown prince of France. Since the prince was going nowhere, they had no choice but to get on with the war. Had they succeeded, Henry would have been made to disappear and that would have been it for the Plantagenets.
While he owed his survival to the papacy and loyalists, Henry must have had some guardian angel all his life, because he later survived dysentery, plague, two battles, several military campaigns, and an assassination attempt. Again, he did better here than the warrior kings. The Lionheart was felled by gangrene, Henry V by dysentery, and Edward III had a slovenly decline, with the succession far from secure. The continuity of Henry III’s reign, which covered more than half a century, contributed to the great changes that took place during it, in administration, education, justice and the visual arts.
8 He valued peace
When asked what he had done for his people, Henry’s answer was always he had given them peace. Although that was true for the most part, he did launch military expeditions to the continent to recover lost English lordships, or keep what was left of them, but the costs in lives and money never came close to what the warrior kings inflicted on their subjects. Henry was never out to conquer and declined to do so when Wales was open to him in 1246.
He actively promoted Edward the Confessor, another king of peaceful endeavours, to become the patron saint of the nation. Alas, as England descended into war and political terror over the next few centuries, Englishman St Edward had to give way to another warrior, St George, famed for his dragon-slaying exploits among other things.
Henry’s greatest victory over his opponents never occurred on the battlefield, rather in the Tower of London. In 1261, secure behind its walls, he used pressure and diplomacy to overturn the Provisions of Oxford, the reforms that gave his barons the upper hand in government. When he emerged from the Tower just before Christmas (his favourite time of the year, by the way), he had won back all power and did it without shedding any blood, an absolutely unheard of thing in medieval and early modern England.
9 He revived English fortunes abroad
If Henry seemed obsessed with recovering the continental lands lost by his father to the French, it was because there was plenty at stake. Firstly, there was the honour of the Plantagenets and how the French Capetian dynasty had treated them with contempt.
Secondly, there was the money, for Normandy alone generated as much royal income as all of England. That not only denied Henry the funds he needed for his many projects, but it allowed his rival Louis IX to undertake two very expensive crusades and lose them both. Needing closure, Henry eventually gave up his claims to the lost lands, but got compensation worth about £30m in today’s money and peace with France. The friendship that ensued between him and Louis, both of whom were married to sisters, was easily one of the great political achievements of the Middle Ages.
Lastly, Henry’s international diplomacy was beneficial for education, art, and trade. Under his rule, construction and craftsmanship flourished, Oxford and Cambridge grew to maturity (despite the usual spring riots), and the wine coming in and wool going out made England among the richest countries in Europe.
10 He believed in charity, humility, forgiveness
Like many people of that age, Henry III was very pious and believed it was his duty to make sure the poor were fed. He fed hundreds of them on a daily basis, thousands on special occasions. Poor weather in the late 1250s ruined successive harvests, leading to famine throughout the land. It’s no coincidence that the reform of the realm was launched at this very time, with the king’s willing participation. The starvation of his people could only mean there was something wrong with his rule and he had to fix it. Henry was the type of man to take it on the chin, to welcome a new spirit of cooperation. Admitting mistakes and forgiving transgressions were key elements of his majesty.
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King Henry III was king of England from 1216 to 1272. He came to throne as a nine-year-old boy in the midst of a civil war with half the country occupied by an army led by a French prince. His father, King John, had rejected Magna Carta. Henry and his allies embraced it, helping them to victory in the civil war. But Henry, who was kind and pious, but also naïve and imprudent, struggled to govern the country according to the terms of the Charter. In the end, in 1258, he was forced to accept a revolutionary programme of reform that went far beyond anything seen in Magna Carta.
Henry’s greatest legacy to London is Westminster Abbey, a beautiful building which Henry dedicated to Edward the Confessor, his patron saint, and presented as a gift to the political nation of England. Henry also clashed bitterly and repeatedly with many of London’s leading citizens, at a time when the Londoners were growing increasingly rich and self-confident.
Prof David Carpenter is a professor of medieval history at King’s College London. The first volume of his brilliant new biography of Henry has just been published in the Yale English Monarchs series. He joined me to discuss his book, Henry’s action-packed rule, his magnificent abbey and his relations with the citizens of London."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLb0OsXmBgM
Images:
1. A painting by Pieter Farbis from 1735 shows Westminster Abbey from the north. The Great Sacristy is at the center of the painting.
2. Eleanor of Provence became queen of England when she married Henry III.
3. King Henry III
4. January 1236, King Henry III married Eleanor of Provence, the daughter of Raymond-Berengar, the Count of Provence, and Beatrice of Savoy, at Canterbury Cathedral
Background from {[https://www.historyextra.com/period/medieval/reasons-why-henry-iii-great-king-magna-carta-westminster-abbey/]}
10 reasons why Henry III may have been a great king
Henry III reigned from 1216 until his death in 1272, making him the longest-serving English monarch until George III reached 56 years on the throne in 1816. But despite reigning for more than five decades, Henry has never been associated with greatness. Here, Darren Baker puts across a case for boosting the monarch's underrated reputation, drawing on key moments in his reign including the confirmation of Magna Carta, the rebuilding of Westminster Abbey and the establishment of the first parliament…
When it comes to naming the great kings of England, it’s usually the warriors who come to mind. There’s Richard I and his nickname “Lionheart”, Edward III and his Order of the Garter, and Henry V and his victory at Agincourt. But Darren Baker sees Henry III as a great king of England, if not the greatest. Here, he offers 10 facts to support his case…
1 He issued and confirmed the Magna Carta we know today
Magna Carta as we know it dates back 800 years to November 1217. That’s when the original document was revised to help reconcile the nation following the civil war that put Henry on the throne. Because he succeeded as a 9-year-old boy, Henry grew up with Magna Carta as a natural part of his rule. He had, moreover, the right temperament to ensure its ultimate success. Had he been a different sort of person, one inclined to bullying, debauchery and megalomania, Magna Carta could have ended up gutted or in the dustbin. Unlike his father King John, Henry put his seal to the charter willingly in 1225 (unchanged since 1217) and confirmed it three times. By the end of his reign, it was enshrined as the bedrock of English values.
2 He established our first parliament
Parliament came into existence during Henry’s reign. Because Magna Carta prevented any monarch from acting on a whim, he needed the counsel and consent of his barons, knights and clerics on matters of law and taxation. In 1236, the name parliament was first used to describe these assemblies of state. One of the more significant innovations in its evolution occurred in 1254 when, for the first time, the counties were ordered to elect representatives and send them to Westminster for an emergency session. In the later part of Henry’s reign, parliament became the battleground to see who had ultimate authority in the realm: the king and crown, or the baronial and clerical faction headed by Henry’s own brother-in-law Simon de Montfort. The king eventually came out on top, but the stage was set for parliament to begin slowly ebbing away at royal power.
3 He rebuilt Westminster Abbey
Any mark of greatness generally requires tangible evidence and here, none of the warrior kings can compete with Henry III. Indeed, his greatest achievement may well be the centrepiece of English pride and heritage. In 1245, he started rebuilding Westminster Abbey into the form we know it today. Progress was slow because Henry was always short of funds, but he kept at it until the glorious parts of it had been completed by his death in 1272. These include the Cosmati pavement in front of the high altar. In the intricately swirling shapes and patterns of this floor – surely one of the wonders of the medieval world – Henry sought to represent the universe at its creation and demise. This naturally meant he needed an age for the universe, but the number he came up with – 19,683 years – is more a testament to his famous wit and humour than to science or astronomy.
4. He empowered his queen
The queens of Henry’s Norman predecessors had been politically marginalised for the most part. When they did stir, it was usually against the highhandedness of their husbands, and the reaction they faced could be harsh. For all her glamour, Eleanor of Aquitaine ended up spending half of her husband’s reign in prison. Henry’s mother Isabella of Angoulême went back to her homeland in France while he was still a boy because his regents would not let her share in any power as queen dowager.
Henry reversed this trend by empowering his own queen, Eleanor of Provence. He gave her patronage for financial independence and influence and respected her voice in governmental affairs. So complete was his confidence in her abilities that in 1253, he named her regent to rule the land while he was abroad. And she was heavily pregnant at the time.
5 He was a faithful husband and adoring father
Many an English king found it hard to be faithful to his queen. Henry I, II and King John had various mistresses and produced innumerable illegitimate issue, creating discord in the family and a need to provide for so many extra offspring. In contrast, Henry III is not known to have strayed once from his wife in their 36 years together and prior to their marriage, his only close personal attachments were to either nuns or his three sisters.
Queen Eleanor in turn worked tirelessly on her husband’s behalf at the lowest point of his reign, when Simon de Montfort had taken over the government, and she remained true to Henry’s memory in her widowhood. They had five children, each of whom they adored dearly, and the death of their youngest at the age of three left both parents distraught. Their love and affection not only ensured stability in the family, and therefore stability in the realm, but set a good example for the next generation. Henry’s sons and sons-in-law were also loving and faithful husbands.
6 He made pageantry a part of the monarchy
Royalty as we know it did not exist in England before Henry III. Kings like his grandfather tended to dress down and eschew formality, not because they had the common touch, but rather they were greedy men who didn’t want to spend money. Henry’s first coronation had been a rushed affair because of the political situation, with spare solemnities and trappings and a makeshift crown for his head. After that, he went all out for state occasions. The coronation of his queen in 1236 was a dazzling affair. The royal pair was escorted by 360 horsemen, each carrying a gold or silver cup to use at the feast. Even chronicler Matthew Paris, who was well known for his gossip, was left speechless by the spectacle.
In 1247 Henry put on a similar display when he carried a crystal vial of Holy Blood from St Paul’s to Westminster Abbey, wearing only a pilgrim’s cloak and walking barefoot for the whole two miles, even over uneven patches of road. Paris was a witness to that event as well, and, spotted by the king in the crowd, was invited to dine with him the next day. It’s likely that wine was served, because under Henry III, the stuff flowed. On his deathbed, his last order to the chancery was to settle the money he owed his wine merchant, nearly £1m in today’s money.
7 His longevity ensured stability and contributed to great change
Succession was always an uncertain time in medieval monarchies and Henry’s accession to the throne in 1216 was the clearest example of it. In their effort to depose King John, rebel barons had sworn allegiance to the crown prince of France. Since the prince was going nowhere, they had no choice but to get on with the war. Had they succeeded, Henry would have been made to disappear and that would have been it for the Plantagenets.
While he owed his survival to the papacy and loyalists, Henry must have had some guardian angel all his life, because he later survived dysentery, plague, two battles, several military campaigns, and an assassination attempt. Again, he did better here than the warrior kings. The Lionheart was felled by gangrene, Henry V by dysentery, and Edward III had a slovenly decline, with the succession far from secure. The continuity of Henry III’s reign, which covered more than half a century, contributed to the great changes that took place during it, in administration, education, justice and the visual arts.
8 He valued peace
When asked what he had done for his people, Henry’s answer was always he had given them peace. Although that was true for the most part, he did launch military expeditions to the continent to recover lost English lordships, or keep what was left of them, but the costs in lives and money never came close to what the warrior kings inflicted on their subjects. Henry was never out to conquer and declined to do so when Wales was open to him in 1246.
He actively promoted Edward the Confessor, another king of peaceful endeavours, to become the patron saint of the nation. Alas, as England descended into war and political terror over the next few centuries, Englishman St Edward had to give way to another warrior, St George, famed for his dragon-slaying exploits among other things.
Henry’s greatest victory over his opponents never occurred on the battlefield, rather in the Tower of London. In 1261, secure behind its walls, he used pressure and diplomacy to overturn the Provisions of Oxford, the reforms that gave his barons the upper hand in government. When he emerged from the Tower just before Christmas (his favourite time of the year, by the way), he had won back all power and did it without shedding any blood, an absolutely unheard of thing in medieval and early modern England.
9 He revived English fortunes abroad
If Henry seemed obsessed with recovering the continental lands lost by his father to the French, it was because there was plenty at stake. Firstly, there was the honour of the Plantagenets and how the French Capetian dynasty had treated them with contempt.
Secondly, there was the money, for Normandy alone generated as much royal income as all of England. That not only denied Henry the funds he needed for his many projects, but it allowed his rival Louis IX to undertake two very expensive crusades and lose them both. Needing closure, Henry eventually gave up his claims to the lost lands, but got compensation worth about £30m in today’s money and peace with France. The friendship that ensued between him and Louis, both of whom were married to sisters, was easily one of the great political achievements of the Middle Ages.
Lastly, Henry’s international diplomacy was beneficial for education, art, and trade. Under his rule, construction and craftsmanship flourished, Oxford and Cambridge grew to maturity (despite the usual spring riots), and the wine coming in and wool going out made England among the richest countries in Europe.
10 He believed in charity, humility, forgiveness
Like many people of that age, Henry III was very pious and believed it was his duty to make sure the poor were fed. He fed hundreds of them on a daily basis, thousands on special occasions. Poor weather in the late 1250s ruined successive harvests, leading to famine throughout the land. It’s no coincidence that the reform of the realm was launched at this very time, with the king’s willing participation. The starvation of his people could only mean there was something wrong with his rule and he had to fix it. Henry was the type of man to take it on the chin, to welcome a new spirit of cooperation. Admitting mistakes and forgiving transgressions were key elements of his majesty.
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00:00:00 Introduction : Henry III of England00:04:39 Part 1: Background and childhood00:07:53 Part 2: Minority ( twelve 16 –26)00:07:53 Chapter 1: Cor...
Henry III of England
00:00:00 Introduction : Henry III of England
00:04:39 Part 1: Background and childhood
00:07:53 Part 2: Minority ( twelve 16 –26)
00:07:53 Chapter 1: Coronation
00:10:21 Chapter 2: End of the Barons` War
00:14:25 Chapter 3: Restoring royal authority
00:19:18 Part 3: Early rule ( twelve 27 –34)
00:19:18 Chapter 1: Invasion of France
00:22:03 Chapter 2: Richard Marshal`s revolt
00:24:44 Part 4: Henry as king
00:24:44 Chapter 1: Kingship, government and law
00:28:48 Chapter 2: Court
00:32:10 Chapter 3: Religion
00:35:49 Chapter 4: Jewish policies
00:39:29 Part 5: Personal rule ( twelve 34 –58)
00:39:29 Chapter 1: Marriage
00:43:22 Chapter 2: Poitou and the Lusignans
00:46:33 Chapter 3: Scotland, Wales and Ireland
00:50:09 Chapter 4: European strategy
00:53:30 Chapter 5: The Sicilian business
00:56:47 Part 6: Later reign ( twelve 58 –72)
00:56:47 Chapter 1: Revolution
01:00:22 Chapter 2: Crisis
01:04:17 Chapter 3: Second Barons` War
01:08:57 Chapter 4: Reconciliation and reconstruction
01:11:28 Part 7: Death ( twelve 72 )
01:13:38 Part 8: Legacy
01:13:38 Chapter 1: Popular culture
01:15:10 Part 9: Issue
01:16:11 Postscript : Information about this video and recording.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGP90xIXz4A
Images:
1. King Henry III with coat of arms, scepter, and cross of Christ
2. The likeness of the effigy crafted for his tomb in Westminster Abbey in 1291 is probably genuine.
3. The tomb of King Henry III in Westminster Abbey, London
Background from {[https://www.discovermiddleages.co.uk/king-henry-iii//]}
King Henry III – The Longest Reign in Medieval England by Medieval Steward
King Henry III was born in Winchester Castle on 1 October 1207, the eldest son of King John and Isabella of Angouleme. At the tender age of nine, his tyrannical father John died, and Henry of Winchester became King Henry III of England.
As Henry was too young to rule himself, the vastly experienced knight William Marshal, and the justiciar Hubert de Burgh, were appointed Regents of England until Henry came of age.
King Henry III did eventually rule on his own, and proceeded to reign for longer than any other medieval king of England. However, his reign was chequered with rebellion, failed battles, and costly invasions.
King Henry III’s First Coronation
England was in the middle of the First Baron’s War (1215-1217), when King Henry III was crowned for the first time. Prince Louis VIII of France and English baron Robert Fitzwalter had rebelled against King John, and those loyal to the new king decided Henry needed to be crowned quickly. Henry was only nine when he became king on 19 October 1216, and on 28 October 1216 he was crowned at Gloucester Cathedral.
King Henry III should have been dressed in fine garments, jewels and a crown. However, his father John had lost much of the royal treasures in The Wash, a few months before. So Henry had to borrow some suitable robes, and use his mother’s gold circlet as a crown. He was first knighted by William Marshall, then crowned by Peter des Roches, Bishop of Winchester. The coronation was overseen by Cardinal Guala, the papal legate to England.
Ending the Civil War
King Henry III started his reign with the daunting prospect of ending his father’s civil war. Cardinal Guala fully supported the new king, and set about improving relations between England and the Papacy.
During Henry’s first coronation, Cardinal Guala encouraged Henry to pay homage to the Pope, recognising him as Henry’s feudal lord. In effect, this made King Henry III more like a noble than a king, and the Pope essentially became head of state. This act enabled the Papacy to authorise Guala’s protection of Henry and his kingdom. Furthermore, Henry declared himself a crusader, further promoting his protection.
The venerable William Marshal, 1st earl of Pembroke, was appointed Regent of England, to help Henry defeat the rebels. Loyalist Peter des Roches became Henry’s tutor and guardian, and Hubert de Burgh ran the government as Justiciar. King Henry III now had the support he needed to regain peace in England.
Battle of Lincoln
Louis VIII returned from France in April 1217, where he attempted to gather reinforcements. In his absence, Cardinal Guala declared that King Henry III’s war against the rebels was a holy crusade. This caused many soldiers to abandon the rebellion and defect to the loyalist cause.
Louis separated his army, sending half to Lincoln Castle, while the other half remained on the coast to attack Dover Castle. William Marshall saw his opportunity, and marched to the aid of Nicola de la Haye, constable of Lincoln Castle. After some intense street fighting, Marshall broke the siege and defeated the rebels loyal to Louis. This victory was a turning point for Henry.
Prince Louis resigned to the fact his war on England and the throne was lost. Cardinal Guala led the negotiations, by which the French Prince would renounce his claim to the English throne. In exchange, Louis’ rebel followers would receive their lands back, and King Henry III would adhere to Magna Carta. However, these terms were not approved by some loyalists, who deemed them to be too generous towards the clergy rebels. Without an agreement, Louis remained in London with his army.
Battle of Sandwich
On 24 August 1217 Louis’ reinforcements crossed the English Channel from Calais, and headed towards the coast of Sandwich, Kent. William Marshall, who was in Canterbury the day before, ordered the Cinque Ports (English fleet of ships and men prior to the creation of the Royal Navy) to meet the advancing French fleet.
Off the Sandwich coast, the English attacked the French and started the Battle of Sandwich (also known as the Battle of Dover). Pots of quicklime were launched onto the French decks, causing plumes of powder to cloud the French sight. With the French in disarray, the English threw hooked blades, normally used to cut rigging, bringing down the French sails. Once close enough, the English boarded the French ships and killed all on board. The flagship, containing knights, was the only one spared the slaughter, while 55 French vessels were lost.
When the news reached Louis, the prince once again entered peace negotiations with Cardinal Guala, alongside King Henry III and William Marshall.
The Treaty of Lambeth 1217
On 11 September 1217, the Treaty of Lambeth (also known as the Treaty of Kingston) was agreed. The treaty was signed in Lambeth, at the Archbishop Stephen Langton’s house. Prince Louis of France surrendered his castles in England, and released his loyal followers from their oaths.
The remaining terms were similar to the previous terms after his defeat at Lincoln Fair, with the exception that the rebel clergy would not be granted their lands back. King Henry III reissued the Magna Carta for a third time and created the first Charter of the Forest.
King Henry III’s Second Coronation
And this crowning of the king was done with such great peacefulness and splendour, that the oldest men amongst the nobles of England who were present asserted that they never remembered any of his predecessors being crowned amid such concord and tranquillity – William of Coventry
England was now at peace, with the rebels silenced and the French returned to France. The Pope insisted that Henry should have a second coronation, one that befits a true king.
On 17 May 1220, King Henry III was crowned for the second time, with all the splendour and pomp a coronation deserves, at Westminster Abbey.
Despite King Henry III having his second coronation, he still did not rule England outright. He was no longer the vassal of the Pope, but he did not yet have a majority government to rule. This came in January 1227, before his 21st birthday.
King Henry III and the Magna Carta
In February 1225, King Henry III issued his third version of Magna Carta, along with an updated version of the Charter of the Forest. Both charters were sealed for the first time with Henry’s own seal. Previous versions were sealed by William Marshall and the Papal legate, Cardinal Guala.
In the new version of Magna Carta, Henry made it clear that it was now given freely by the king. This gave his barons and the church much needed encouragement, as it demonstrated that the king was supporting the charter through his own free will.
It is these new clauses King Henry III sealed, that are still on the Statute book today. Henry and his son, Edward, would continue to confirm the Magna Carta, to keep their barons and the church from having any doubts. Needless to say, many of the clauses have been disobeyed by kings since then.
King Henry III Invades France
Under King John, Henry’s father, the English lands in France were all but lost. Henry was determined to reclaim his rights to those lands, and set about invading France. The French Prince Louis VIII, now king, died in 1226, and was succeeded by his twelve year old son, Louis IX. The young king, much like the young Henry, had a regency government and faced rebellions of his own.
In 1228, Norman and Angevin rebels called for King Henry III to reclaim his lands. However, Henry’s response was slow and he eventually landed in Brittany in May 1230. Taking advice from his loyal advisor, Hubert de Burgh, Henry marched south to Poitou. But Henry did very little while he was there, and eventually made a truce with Louis IX, finally returning to England in 1234, achieving nothing.
English Revolt
Henry lacked the military mind of his Plantagenet predecessors, and this lost him vital support at home. Henry further alienated his English nobles by bestowing positions of authority on foreigners, like Peter des Roches. In 1232, Hugh de Burgh, the loyal justiciar was removed from power, and replaced by Peter des Roches, who was a Poitevin.
Peter had support from the barons of Poitou, and they saw his ascendance as a chance to reclaim the lands given to supporters of Hugh de Burgh. Peter des Roches began stripping estates from English barons, infuriating Hugh’s followers, most notably Richard Marshall, William’s son.
Richard allied himself with Llywelyn of Wales, and rebelled against Peter des Roches and King Henry III. The Archbishop of Canterbury intervened, and Henry was forced to dismiss Peter des Roches. But through this distraction, Henry’s truce with France had now expired. Inevitably, Louis IX attacked Brittany, and Henry lost more territory.
King Henry III Marries Eleanor of Provence
In January 1236, King Henry III married Eleanor of Provence, the daughter of Raymond-Berengar, the Count of Provence, and Beatrice of Savoy, at Canterbury Cathedral. Eleanor was only twelve years old at the time. Through this marriage, Henry could create valuable alliances with France’s southern rulers. Eleanor’s older sister Margaret was married to Henry’s enemy, Louis IX of France.
In 1239, Eleanor gave birth to their first son, Edward, who would eventually succeed Henry, and become the formidable King Edward I Longshanks. Edward was named after Henry’s devoted saint king, Edward the Confessor. The couple would go on to have four more children, Margaret, Beatrice, Edmund and Katherine. They would spend most of their time at Windsor Castle, and they were all very close as a family.
The Savoyards
The marriage brought with it an influx of Savoyards from Savoy, Burgundy and Flanders, who were relatives of Eleanor. King Henry III once again alienated his own barons by authorising high powered positions for the new foreigners, including Eleanor’s uncle, Boniface, who became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1244.
The Savoyards gradually integrated into society, through marriages and time, providing Eleanor with a strong supportive network. In 1253, King Henry III left for Gascony, and Eleanor was made Queen consort of England.
King Henry III and Statute of Jewry
Since 1095, Europe had sent crusades to the Holy Land, and by the mid 13th century Christian Lords were returning from their 7th Crusade. As a result, England, along with other European countries, were witnessing a rise in antisemitic feelings towards their local Jewish populations. King Henry III decided to impose a restrictive Statute of Jewry in 1253, which was intended to segregate the Jews.
The Statute including imposing the wearing of a Jewish badge. The reaction to Henry’s restrictions were so strong, that the arch-presbyter of England’s Jews asked if they could leave England. Henry refused the request.
King Henry III and Simon de Montfort
Simon de Montfort was the 6th Earl of Leicester, and brother-in-law to King Henry III, and would become the leader in a revolution against the king. He had a dubious claim to the earldom of Leicester, as it was initially handed to The Earl of Chester by King John. However with no heirs, the Earl of Chester was approached by de Montfort and was persuaded to hand down the earldom. It took another nine years before Henry formally approved it.
Battle of Taillebourg
In 1241, Hugh de Lusignan, King Henry III’s step-father, requested military support from Henry in his rebellion against Louis IX of France. But with little support, Henry eventually arrived in 1242 only to discover Hugh de Lusignan had defected to Louis’ side.
The doomed campaign was to get worse. Upon arriving in Taillebourg, facing the enemy at a bridge over the Charente River, the French knights charged. Overwhelmed by the advance, Simon de Montfort managed to hold off the French long enough for King Henry III to escape. De Montfort was furious with the king’s incompetence, and Henry was forced to negotiate another truce with Louis. This only made things worse back in England, with the baronial support for the king falling again.
The Lusignans
The failed revolt in France led Henry to invite his Lusignan relatives (the Poitevins) to settle in large estates, much like the Savoyards had done before. By 1250, a bitter rivalry was developing between the established Savoyards and the Lusignans. The Lusignans began taking personal issues into their own hands, with little regard for the consequences. King Henry III did very little to stop them either. The English barons now despised this second influx of foreigners, and Simon de Montfort was beginning to lead the revolt.
Kingdom of Sicily and Excommunication
Pope Innocent IV began to search for a suitable ruler for the kingdom of Sicily, one who favoured the Papacy. King Henry III decided that this would be an excellent opportunity for his son Edmund. The Pope agreed on the condition that Edmund would remove Manfred, the son of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, from Sicily.
King Henry III agreed, but when Pope Innocent IV was succeeded by Alexander IV, the Papacy demanded compensation for the money spent on the war so far. Henry turned to Parliament in 1255, only to be rejected as the sum was too high (135,541 marks). Further attempts to raise the money for the “Sicilian business” were also rejected, and in 1258 the Papacy sent an envoy threatening to excommunicate Henry. So the king had to extort the money from the church, forcing the clergy to provide unlimited funds.
However, the grant of the kingdom of Sicily was revoked by the Pope. Adding another fruitless campaign to Henry’s reign.
King Henry III Signs the Provisions of Oxford
By this point, in 1258, the baron’s support for King Henry III has reached an all time low. Simon de Montfort gathered his followers and brought in the Provisions of Oxford. The provisions forced Henry to accept a new form of government. A council of 24 members, half chosen by the crown and half by the barons, were to create a 15 member Privy Council. The Privy Council would chose the chief ministers, the Justiciar and Chancellor. These reforms would also branch down to local government, where the discontented voices of freemen were heard, and the Provisions of Westminster were formed.
The Provisions of Oxford were designed to make decision making fair and easy. However, disagreements between leading barons over radical reforms soon came to fore, with Simon de Montfort once again at the centre of change.
Treaty of Paris
In 1259, King Henry III left for France to sign the Treaty of Paris, along with Simon de Montfort and other leading officials. On 4 December, the treaty saw the Plantagenet lands in France being signed over to King Louis IX, with the exception of Gascony and parts of Aquitaine. This effectively ended the 100 years of conflicts between Capetian and Plantagenet dynasties.
King Henry III Faces a Revolution
Stability in England was fragile. Simon de Montfort was now leading the radicals, and civil war loomed against Henry, his son Edward and the conservative barons.
The Second Baron’s War
King Henry III appealed to Pope Alexander IV to release him from the Provisions of Oxford and Westminster. The Pope, who favoured royal power, agreed and Henry renounced his oaths to both provisions in 1262.
Simon de Montfort and his rebels were outraged, and threatened the king with civil war. Henry appealed to King Louis IX of France to mediate the argument. Louis agreed, and in January 1264 issued the Mise of Amiens in favour of Henry. Simon de Montfort could not let this go, and civil war broke out in April 1264.
The Battle of Lewes
On 14 May 1264, King Henry III and his forces met Simon de Montfort and his rebels at Lewes, Sussex. Henry occupied Lewes Castle, and chose to engage the enemy using Edward’s cavalry charge to route the rebels. Edward chased the enemy away from the castle, leaving Henry exposed. Henry sent in his troops up Offham hill, where Simon de Montforts men had the positional advantage at the top.
Henry’s troops were defeated, and they fled back to the castle. Henry had no choice but to surrender, and Henry was forced to sign the Mise of Lewes, transferring royal powers to the Simon de Montfort, and reinstating the Provisions of Oxford and Westminster.
However, the rebels were unable to maintain their power for long. Queen Eleanor was making plans to invade England, supported by Louis IX of France. Furthermore, Edward had managed to escape capture and formed a new army with royal supporters from the Welsh Marches.
The Battle of Evesham
Simon de Montfort started to make his way home to Kenilworth Castle, to join up with his son’s forces. Together they would outnumber Edwards new army. But Edward, who was a far better general than his father, struck first, and defeated de Montforts son at Kenilworth.
Edward then marched south west to intercept Simon de Montfort, who was still trying to get to Kenilworth with King Henry III as prisoner. The two sides met at Evesham on 4 August 1265, and it was Edward who had the larger force. Simon de Montfort realised his doom:
God have mercy on our souls, for our bodies are Sir Edward’s
The rebel army was defeated, and Simon de Montfort was killed. His body was mutilated, cutting of his hands, feet and genitals. Henry, who was not wearing his own armour, was nearly killed by royal forces had he not cried out:
Save me, save me, I am Henry of Winchester!
King Henry III Makes Way for Edward
Despite the royal victory, the rebel cause was still present. King Henry III knew he could not return to the old ways before the provisions, and his time was coming to an end. The last of the resistance fighters were forced to surrender, and Henry reissued the provisions to enable stability. In September 1267, Henry signed the Treaty of Montgomery, recognising Llywelyn ap Gruffydd as the Prince of Wales, bringing about peace to the region. Edward became Steward of England, and assumed government duties, before leaving on the 8th Crusade.
Aside from being a poor military leader, Henry possessed a keen eye for the arts and culture. He rebuilt the royal palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey in a Gothic style, spending a vast £45,000 in lavish decorations (£15,000,000 today). Henry revered Edward the Confessor, and in 1269 Westminster Abbey was consecrated, and the saint’s body was translated to a new shrine.
While Edward was away, on 16 November 1272 King Henry III died in Westminster, and was buried in the Abbey. His body was later exhumed in 1290, to be moved to a grander tomb. It was noted that his beard was still intact, a sign of saintly purity, but Henry was never canonised.
King Henry III Facts
• Henry was born on 1 October 1207, Winchester
• His father was John
• His mother was Isabella of Angouleme
• He was crowned twice on 28 October 1216 at Gloucester Cathedral, aged 9; and on 17 May 1220 at Westminster Abbey, aged 12
• He married Eleanor of Provence
• He had 9 children, including Edward I
• He died on 16 November 1272 at Westminster, aged 65
• He was known as Henry of Winchester before becoming king
• He has the longest reign of any king in medieval England
• He is most famous for fighting the infamous rebel, Simon de Montfort
• He reissued the Magna Carta and Provisions of Oxford and Westminster a number of times
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00:00:00 Introduction : Henry III of England
00:04:39 Part 1: Background and childhood
00:07:53 Part 2: Minority ( twelve 16 –26)
00:07:53 Chapter 1: Coronation
00:10:21 Chapter 2: End of the Barons` War
00:14:25 Chapter 3: Restoring royal authority
00:19:18 Part 3: Early rule ( twelve 27 –34)
00:19:18 Chapter 1: Invasion of France
00:22:03 Chapter 2: Richard Marshal`s revolt
00:24:44 Part 4: Henry as king
00:24:44 Chapter 1: Kingship, government and law
00:28:48 Chapter 2: Court
00:32:10 Chapter 3: Religion
00:35:49 Chapter 4: Jewish policies
00:39:29 Part 5: Personal rule ( twelve 34 –58)
00:39:29 Chapter 1: Marriage
00:43:22 Chapter 2: Poitou and the Lusignans
00:46:33 Chapter 3: Scotland, Wales and Ireland
00:50:09 Chapter 4: European strategy
00:53:30 Chapter 5: The Sicilian business
00:56:47 Part 6: Later reign ( twelve 58 –72)
00:56:47 Chapter 1: Revolution
01:00:22 Chapter 2: Crisis
01:04:17 Chapter 3: Second Barons` War
01:08:57 Chapter 4: Reconciliation and reconstruction
01:11:28 Part 7: Death ( twelve 72 )
01:13:38 Part 8: Legacy
01:13:38 Chapter 1: Popular culture
01:15:10 Part 9: Issue
01:16:11 Postscript : Information about this video and recording.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGP90xIXz4A
Images:
1. King Henry III with coat of arms, scepter, and cross of Christ
2. The likeness of the effigy crafted for his tomb in Westminster Abbey in 1291 is probably genuine.
3. The tomb of King Henry III in Westminster Abbey, London
Background from {[https://www.discovermiddleages.co.uk/king-henry-iii//]}
King Henry III – The Longest Reign in Medieval England by Medieval Steward
King Henry III was born in Winchester Castle on 1 October 1207, the eldest son of King John and Isabella of Angouleme. At the tender age of nine, his tyrannical father John died, and Henry of Winchester became King Henry III of England.
As Henry was too young to rule himself, the vastly experienced knight William Marshal, and the justiciar Hubert de Burgh, were appointed Regents of England until Henry came of age.
King Henry III did eventually rule on his own, and proceeded to reign for longer than any other medieval king of England. However, his reign was chequered with rebellion, failed battles, and costly invasions.
King Henry III’s First Coronation
England was in the middle of the First Baron’s War (1215-1217), when King Henry III was crowned for the first time. Prince Louis VIII of France and English baron Robert Fitzwalter had rebelled against King John, and those loyal to the new king decided Henry needed to be crowned quickly. Henry was only nine when he became king on 19 October 1216, and on 28 October 1216 he was crowned at Gloucester Cathedral.
King Henry III should have been dressed in fine garments, jewels and a crown. However, his father John had lost much of the royal treasures in The Wash, a few months before. So Henry had to borrow some suitable robes, and use his mother’s gold circlet as a crown. He was first knighted by William Marshall, then crowned by Peter des Roches, Bishop of Winchester. The coronation was overseen by Cardinal Guala, the papal legate to England.
Ending the Civil War
King Henry III started his reign with the daunting prospect of ending his father’s civil war. Cardinal Guala fully supported the new king, and set about improving relations between England and the Papacy.
During Henry’s first coronation, Cardinal Guala encouraged Henry to pay homage to the Pope, recognising him as Henry’s feudal lord. In effect, this made King Henry III more like a noble than a king, and the Pope essentially became head of state. This act enabled the Papacy to authorise Guala’s protection of Henry and his kingdom. Furthermore, Henry declared himself a crusader, further promoting his protection.
The venerable William Marshal, 1st earl of Pembroke, was appointed Regent of England, to help Henry defeat the rebels. Loyalist Peter des Roches became Henry’s tutor and guardian, and Hubert de Burgh ran the government as Justiciar. King Henry III now had the support he needed to regain peace in England.
Battle of Lincoln
Louis VIII returned from France in April 1217, where he attempted to gather reinforcements. In his absence, Cardinal Guala declared that King Henry III’s war against the rebels was a holy crusade. This caused many soldiers to abandon the rebellion and defect to the loyalist cause.
Louis separated his army, sending half to Lincoln Castle, while the other half remained on the coast to attack Dover Castle. William Marshall saw his opportunity, and marched to the aid of Nicola de la Haye, constable of Lincoln Castle. After some intense street fighting, Marshall broke the siege and defeated the rebels loyal to Louis. This victory was a turning point for Henry.
Prince Louis resigned to the fact his war on England and the throne was lost. Cardinal Guala led the negotiations, by which the French Prince would renounce his claim to the English throne. In exchange, Louis’ rebel followers would receive their lands back, and King Henry III would adhere to Magna Carta. However, these terms were not approved by some loyalists, who deemed them to be too generous towards the clergy rebels. Without an agreement, Louis remained in London with his army.
Battle of Sandwich
On 24 August 1217 Louis’ reinforcements crossed the English Channel from Calais, and headed towards the coast of Sandwich, Kent. William Marshall, who was in Canterbury the day before, ordered the Cinque Ports (English fleet of ships and men prior to the creation of the Royal Navy) to meet the advancing French fleet.
Off the Sandwich coast, the English attacked the French and started the Battle of Sandwich (also known as the Battle of Dover). Pots of quicklime were launched onto the French decks, causing plumes of powder to cloud the French sight. With the French in disarray, the English threw hooked blades, normally used to cut rigging, bringing down the French sails. Once close enough, the English boarded the French ships and killed all on board. The flagship, containing knights, was the only one spared the slaughter, while 55 French vessels were lost.
When the news reached Louis, the prince once again entered peace negotiations with Cardinal Guala, alongside King Henry III and William Marshall.
The Treaty of Lambeth 1217
On 11 September 1217, the Treaty of Lambeth (also known as the Treaty of Kingston) was agreed. The treaty was signed in Lambeth, at the Archbishop Stephen Langton’s house. Prince Louis of France surrendered his castles in England, and released his loyal followers from their oaths.
The remaining terms were similar to the previous terms after his defeat at Lincoln Fair, with the exception that the rebel clergy would not be granted their lands back. King Henry III reissued the Magna Carta for a third time and created the first Charter of the Forest.
King Henry III’s Second Coronation
And this crowning of the king was done with such great peacefulness and splendour, that the oldest men amongst the nobles of England who were present asserted that they never remembered any of his predecessors being crowned amid such concord and tranquillity – William of Coventry
England was now at peace, with the rebels silenced and the French returned to France. The Pope insisted that Henry should have a second coronation, one that befits a true king.
On 17 May 1220, King Henry III was crowned for the second time, with all the splendour and pomp a coronation deserves, at Westminster Abbey.
Despite King Henry III having his second coronation, he still did not rule England outright. He was no longer the vassal of the Pope, but he did not yet have a majority government to rule. This came in January 1227, before his 21st birthday.
King Henry III and the Magna Carta
In February 1225, King Henry III issued his third version of Magna Carta, along with an updated version of the Charter of the Forest. Both charters were sealed for the first time with Henry’s own seal. Previous versions were sealed by William Marshall and the Papal legate, Cardinal Guala.
In the new version of Magna Carta, Henry made it clear that it was now given freely by the king. This gave his barons and the church much needed encouragement, as it demonstrated that the king was supporting the charter through his own free will.
It is these new clauses King Henry III sealed, that are still on the Statute book today. Henry and his son, Edward, would continue to confirm the Magna Carta, to keep their barons and the church from having any doubts. Needless to say, many of the clauses have been disobeyed by kings since then.
King Henry III Invades France
Under King John, Henry’s father, the English lands in France were all but lost. Henry was determined to reclaim his rights to those lands, and set about invading France. The French Prince Louis VIII, now king, died in 1226, and was succeeded by his twelve year old son, Louis IX. The young king, much like the young Henry, had a regency government and faced rebellions of his own.
In 1228, Norman and Angevin rebels called for King Henry III to reclaim his lands. However, Henry’s response was slow and he eventually landed in Brittany in May 1230. Taking advice from his loyal advisor, Hubert de Burgh, Henry marched south to Poitou. But Henry did very little while he was there, and eventually made a truce with Louis IX, finally returning to England in 1234, achieving nothing.
English Revolt
Henry lacked the military mind of his Plantagenet predecessors, and this lost him vital support at home. Henry further alienated his English nobles by bestowing positions of authority on foreigners, like Peter des Roches. In 1232, Hugh de Burgh, the loyal justiciar was removed from power, and replaced by Peter des Roches, who was a Poitevin.
Peter had support from the barons of Poitou, and they saw his ascendance as a chance to reclaim the lands given to supporters of Hugh de Burgh. Peter des Roches began stripping estates from English barons, infuriating Hugh’s followers, most notably Richard Marshall, William’s son.
Richard allied himself with Llywelyn of Wales, and rebelled against Peter des Roches and King Henry III. The Archbishop of Canterbury intervened, and Henry was forced to dismiss Peter des Roches. But through this distraction, Henry’s truce with France had now expired. Inevitably, Louis IX attacked Brittany, and Henry lost more territory.
King Henry III Marries Eleanor of Provence
In January 1236, King Henry III married Eleanor of Provence, the daughter of Raymond-Berengar, the Count of Provence, and Beatrice of Savoy, at Canterbury Cathedral. Eleanor was only twelve years old at the time. Through this marriage, Henry could create valuable alliances with France’s southern rulers. Eleanor’s older sister Margaret was married to Henry’s enemy, Louis IX of France.
In 1239, Eleanor gave birth to their first son, Edward, who would eventually succeed Henry, and become the formidable King Edward I Longshanks. Edward was named after Henry’s devoted saint king, Edward the Confessor. The couple would go on to have four more children, Margaret, Beatrice, Edmund and Katherine. They would spend most of their time at Windsor Castle, and they were all very close as a family.
The Savoyards
The marriage brought with it an influx of Savoyards from Savoy, Burgundy and Flanders, who were relatives of Eleanor. King Henry III once again alienated his own barons by authorising high powered positions for the new foreigners, including Eleanor’s uncle, Boniface, who became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1244.
The Savoyards gradually integrated into society, through marriages and time, providing Eleanor with a strong supportive network. In 1253, King Henry III left for Gascony, and Eleanor was made Queen consort of England.
King Henry III and Statute of Jewry
Since 1095, Europe had sent crusades to the Holy Land, and by the mid 13th century Christian Lords were returning from their 7th Crusade. As a result, England, along with other European countries, were witnessing a rise in antisemitic feelings towards their local Jewish populations. King Henry III decided to impose a restrictive Statute of Jewry in 1253, which was intended to segregate the Jews.
The Statute including imposing the wearing of a Jewish badge. The reaction to Henry’s restrictions were so strong, that the arch-presbyter of England’s Jews asked if they could leave England. Henry refused the request.
King Henry III and Simon de Montfort
Simon de Montfort was the 6th Earl of Leicester, and brother-in-law to King Henry III, and would become the leader in a revolution against the king. He had a dubious claim to the earldom of Leicester, as it was initially handed to The Earl of Chester by King John. However with no heirs, the Earl of Chester was approached by de Montfort and was persuaded to hand down the earldom. It took another nine years before Henry formally approved it.
Battle of Taillebourg
In 1241, Hugh de Lusignan, King Henry III’s step-father, requested military support from Henry in his rebellion against Louis IX of France. But with little support, Henry eventually arrived in 1242 only to discover Hugh de Lusignan had defected to Louis’ side.
The doomed campaign was to get worse. Upon arriving in Taillebourg, facing the enemy at a bridge over the Charente River, the French knights charged. Overwhelmed by the advance, Simon de Montfort managed to hold off the French long enough for King Henry III to escape. De Montfort was furious with the king’s incompetence, and Henry was forced to negotiate another truce with Louis. This only made things worse back in England, with the baronial support for the king falling again.
The Lusignans
The failed revolt in France led Henry to invite his Lusignan relatives (the Poitevins) to settle in large estates, much like the Savoyards had done before. By 1250, a bitter rivalry was developing between the established Savoyards and the Lusignans. The Lusignans began taking personal issues into their own hands, with little regard for the consequences. King Henry III did very little to stop them either. The English barons now despised this second influx of foreigners, and Simon de Montfort was beginning to lead the revolt.
Kingdom of Sicily and Excommunication
Pope Innocent IV began to search for a suitable ruler for the kingdom of Sicily, one who favoured the Papacy. King Henry III decided that this would be an excellent opportunity for his son Edmund. The Pope agreed on the condition that Edmund would remove Manfred, the son of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, from Sicily.
King Henry III agreed, but when Pope Innocent IV was succeeded by Alexander IV, the Papacy demanded compensation for the money spent on the war so far. Henry turned to Parliament in 1255, only to be rejected as the sum was too high (135,541 marks). Further attempts to raise the money for the “Sicilian business” were also rejected, and in 1258 the Papacy sent an envoy threatening to excommunicate Henry. So the king had to extort the money from the church, forcing the clergy to provide unlimited funds.
However, the grant of the kingdom of Sicily was revoked by the Pope. Adding another fruitless campaign to Henry’s reign.
King Henry III Signs the Provisions of Oxford
By this point, in 1258, the baron’s support for King Henry III has reached an all time low. Simon de Montfort gathered his followers and brought in the Provisions of Oxford. The provisions forced Henry to accept a new form of government. A council of 24 members, half chosen by the crown and half by the barons, were to create a 15 member Privy Council. The Privy Council would chose the chief ministers, the Justiciar and Chancellor. These reforms would also branch down to local government, where the discontented voices of freemen were heard, and the Provisions of Westminster were formed.
The Provisions of Oxford were designed to make decision making fair and easy. However, disagreements between leading barons over radical reforms soon came to fore, with Simon de Montfort once again at the centre of change.
Treaty of Paris
In 1259, King Henry III left for France to sign the Treaty of Paris, along with Simon de Montfort and other leading officials. On 4 December, the treaty saw the Plantagenet lands in France being signed over to King Louis IX, with the exception of Gascony and parts of Aquitaine. This effectively ended the 100 years of conflicts between Capetian and Plantagenet dynasties.
King Henry III Faces a Revolution
Stability in England was fragile. Simon de Montfort was now leading the radicals, and civil war loomed against Henry, his son Edward and the conservative barons.
The Second Baron’s War
King Henry III appealed to Pope Alexander IV to release him from the Provisions of Oxford and Westminster. The Pope, who favoured royal power, agreed and Henry renounced his oaths to both provisions in 1262.
Simon de Montfort and his rebels were outraged, and threatened the king with civil war. Henry appealed to King Louis IX of France to mediate the argument. Louis agreed, and in January 1264 issued the Mise of Amiens in favour of Henry. Simon de Montfort could not let this go, and civil war broke out in April 1264.
The Battle of Lewes
On 14 May 1264, King Henry III and his forces met Simon de Montfort and his rebels at Lewes, Sussex. Henry occupied Lewes Castle, and chose to engage the enemy using Edward’s cavalry charge to route the rebels. Edward chased the enemy away from the castle, leaving Henry exposed. Henry sent in his troops up Offham hill, where Simon de Montforts men had the positional advantage at the top.
Henry’s troops were defeated, and they fled back to the castle. Henry had no choice but to surrender, and Henry was forced to sign the Mise of Lewes, transferring royal powers to the Simon de Montfort, and reinstating the Provisions of Oxford and Westminster.
However, the rebels were unable to maintain their power for long. Queen Eleanor was making plans to invade England, supported by Louis IX of France. Furthermore, Edward had managed to escape capture and formed a new army with royal supporters from the Welsh Marches.
The Battle of Evesham
Simon de Montfort started to make his way home to Kenilworth Castle, to join up with his son’s forces. Together they would outnumber Edwards new army. But Edward, who was a far better general than his father, struck first, and defeated de Montforts son at Kenilworth.
Edward then marched south west to intercept Simon de Montfort, who was still trying to get to Kenilworth with King Henry III as prisoner. The two sides met at Evesham on 4 August 1265, and it was Edward who had the larger force. Simon de Montfort realised his doom:
God have mercy on our souls, for our bodies are Sir Edward’s
The rebel army was defeated, and Simon de Montfort was killed. His body was mutilated, cutting of his hands, feet and genitals. Henry, who was not wearing his own armour, was nearly killed by royal forces had he not cried out:
Save me, save me, I am Henry of Winchester!
King Henry III Makes Way for Edward
Despite the royal victory, the rebel cause was still present. King Henry III knew he could not return to the old ways before the provisions, and his time was coming to an end. The last of the resistance fighters were forced to surrender, and Henry reissued the provisions to enable stability. In September 1267, Henry signed the Treaty of Montgomery, recognising Llywelyn ap Gruffydd as the Prince of Wales, bringing about peace to the region. Edward became Steward of England, and assumed government duties, before leaving on the 8th Crusade.
Aside from being a poor military leader, Henry possessed a keen eye for the arts and culture. He rebuilt the royal palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey in a Gothic style, spending a vast £45,000 in lavish decorations (£15,000,000 today). Henry revered Edward the Confessor, and in 1269 Westminster Abbey was consecrated, and the saint’s body was translated to a new shrine.
While Edward was away, on 16 November 1272 King Henry III died in Westminster, and was buried in the Abbey. His body was later exhumed in 1290, to be moved to a grander tomb. It was noted that his beard was still intact, a sign of saintly purity, but Henry was never canonised.
King Henry III Facts
• Henry was born on 1 October 1207, Winchester
• His father was John
• His mother was Isabella of Angouleme
• He was crowned twice on 28 October 1216 at Gloucester Cathedral, aged 9; and on 17 May 1220 at Westminster Abbey, aged 12
• He married Eleanor of Provence
• He had 9 children, including Edward I
• He died on 16 November 1272 at Westminster, aged 65
• He was known as Henry of Winchester before becoming king
• He has the longest reign of any king in medieval England
• He is most famous for fighting the infamous rebel, Simon de Montfort
• He reissued the Magna Carta and Provisions of Oxford and Westminster a number of times
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