King Henry II of England 1154-1189. His kingdom stretched from the Solway almost to the Mediterranean, from the Somme to the Pyranees. Also Ireland, on the orders of Pope Adrian IV (1154-1159). Laid the foundations of the jury system when he sent judges to the shires to administer laws alongside twelve local men.

Perhaps known best for his inadvertant murder of Thomas à Becket, who served him ably and pliantly as Chancellor but then turned against him (and towards piety) when made Archbishop of Canterbury. Becket was murdered on the altar of Canterbury Cathedral 29 Dec 1170 by four knights who believed they were acting under Henry’s orders. Henry did public penance, but his legacy was stained by the results of his struggle with a man who was then canonized a saint and whose death place became a prime pilgrimage site in the Middle Ages. The power of Becket and the Church was not broken until 1536 when Henry VIII dissolved the monastic system.

Henry’s reign was overall one of growing stability, but as he grew older his sons engaged in many power struggles with him. When he died, he knew his sons Richard and John had risen against him.

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Had two sons out of wedlock, Geoffrey and William, before his marriage to Eleanor289

“He had neither his mother’s haughty dignity, nor his father’s dashing charm. All the signs are he was indifferent to rank and impatient of pomp, careless of his appearance, and disdaining the trappings of monarchy....He was stocky, freckled, restless, and unkempt. Yet the force of his personality was unmistakable.”289

Possibly the most overpraised monarch in English history. Saw the world from the patrimony of his ancestors, counts of Anjou and dukes of Normandy. Spent two-thirds of his reign outside England; his main convcern with his kingdom was the exploitation of his rights and collection of revenue. Henry’s achievement is that he survived, almost to the end, as undisputed ruler of his dominions.205

Knighted in 1149 by David I of Scotland, who effectively renounced his own claim to the Ennglish throne.205

Almost pathologically restless; his court was almost constantly on the road. While his courtiers didn’t like it, it gave him the opportunity to impose his personal rule htroughout the kingdom.205

His rages were Homeric, his tantrums awesome. When roused, he tore his clothes and chewed the carpet (they were made of straw). yet he could also be witty, generous, and eager to understand the problems of the people he encountered.205

Long-time mistress of Henry II, she was openly acknowledged as such after 1174.205

buried first before the altar at Godstow Nunnery, near Oxford, by a devastated Henry. Four years after Henry’s death, Bishop Hugh of Lincoln had her tomb removed and her remains buried in a cemetery because she was a “harlot.” The inscription on her tomb was “Rose of the world.”205