Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou (1113-1151)

The daughter of Henry I, known as Matilda, Empress of England (1102 to 1167) married Geoffrey V Plantagenet (1113 to 1151) in 1128. Geoffrey was eleven years younger than Matilda. He was 15 when they married. 

They were the parents of three sons - Henry II of England, Geoffrey and William. 

Geoffrey was the elder son of Fulk V of Anjou (c1092 to 1144) and Eremgarde de la Fleche (died 1126), daughter of Elais I of Maine. Fulk V married Eremgadre (or Eremburga) in 1109 and was King of Jerusalem from 1131 until his death in 1144.

Geoffrey's titles in France included Count of Anjou, Tourine and Maine by inheritance from 1129 and then Duke of Normandy by conquest from 1144.

Geoffrey had the nickname - Plantagenet - probably because he wore a sprig of yellow broom blossom in his hat. Genêt is the French name for the planta genista, or broom shrub.

Matilda had been promised that she would be queen after the death of her father. However, her cousin, Stephen, had other ideas. A series of battles, The Anarchy, followed from 1138 until 1153.

Geoffrey remained in France where he took control of Normandy for Matilda and became Duke of Normandy. In 1129 he had inherited the title of the count of Anjou and Maine.

Geoffrey looked after the family's French possessions while Matilda and her army were occupied in attempting to defeat Stephen.

Geoffrey died on 7 September 1151. He was buried at St Julien's Cathedral in Le Mans, France.

When King Stephen died, Geoffrey and Matilda's son became King Henry II of England.

Enamel effigy from 
Geoffrey's tomb 

John of Gaunt (1340-1399)

John of Gaunt was not a king of England but his family had many direct connections with royalty.

John Gaunt was born in Ghent, Belgium, on 6 March 1340. His parents were King Edward III and Philippa of Hanault. John was the fourth son and not expected to be king but he wielded much power in the kingdom.

In 1376 King Edward III had mostly retired from public life so was not available to attend a meeting of both houses of parliament. This meeting, later called the Good Parliament, met to bring in reforms to what was considered corrupt government. This was largely due to the expenses resulting in increased taxation due to the war with France There were also protests about corrupt officials who worked with the king.

John of Gaunt, the king's son, had become a key player in court politics and represented the king at the parliamentary sessions.

John of Gaunt was loyal to his father, amenable, and had become a skilled diplomat and politician. He was the natural choice to defend the interests of the Crown, and oversaw a complicated and divided parliament. He, became increasingly unpopular as he attempted to deal with the complaints and requests of parliament without diminishing the authority of the king. Initially the Commons was victorious in its claims, but six months later John of Gaunt reversed the outcome. These dealings with the parliament made John of Gaunt unpopular with the public as well as the politicians.

Richard II, the ten year old son of the Black Prince, became king after the death of Edward III. Although John of Gaunt (known as the Red Prince) was not officially regent he continued to oversee much of the government and protected the young prince. 

Over the years the political reputation of John of Gaunt varied depending on what else was happening in England. High taxation, however, led to political unrest in the community. In London, John of Gaunt resided at the Savoy Palace and in 1381 the palace was burned down by participants in the Peasant's Revolt. Fortunately John and his family were not in London at the time.

Artist impression of what the palace may have looked like - London Museum

In May 1359 at Reading Abbey, 19-year-old John married Blanche of Lancaster (1342 - 1368). Reports from the time state that this was a love match. Blanche was the daughter of the first Duke of Lancaster. When the duke died the entire Lancastrian estate was inherited by Blanche and John making them very rich.

John and Blanche had seven children but only three survived childhood - Philippa, Elizabeth and Henry (who became Henry IV).

John's second marriage was to Constance of Castile(1354 - 1394) in 1371. This was a political marriage providing John the chance to claim the Crown of Castile in Spain. In 1386 he travelled to Spain to claim the kingship of Castile but the expedition was not successful. However, their daughter, Catherine, later married King Henry III of Castile.

On 13 January 1396, John of Gaunt married his mistress, Katherine Swynford (1349 - 1403) - maiden name de Roet. They had four children born before they married - John, Henry, Thomas and Joan. The children were eventually declared legitimate by papal and royal decree and were given the surname, Beaufort. Katherine had been governess to the children of John and Blanche.

For many years Katherine and her children had lived with John and his other children when he was in England. However the Peasants' Revolt caused John to rethink about his position. Considering that God was punishing him for having a mistress, John publicly broke off his relationship with Katherine and she and the children returned to her home at Kettlethorpe. However John issued a 'quit claim' ensuring that all the gifts given by him to Katherine would remain her property. John also continued to support his children.

John of Gaunt was also a military leader - sometimes successful and sometimes not - and spent many years overseas, especially in France and Spain. In 1389 John of Gaunt became Duke of Aquitaine.

John of Gaunt was a patron and close friend of the poet, Geoffrey Chaucer, best known for writing 'The Canterbury Tales'. Chaucer married Philippa, the sister of Katherine Swynford.

John of Gaunt died on 3 February 1399 at Leicester Castle. He was 58. John of Gaunt was buried beside his first wife, Blanche, at St Paul's Cathedral. The tomb was destroyed in the Fire of London in 1666.

John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford were my 19th great grandparents.

Edward III (1312 - 1377)

King Edward III was born on 13 November 1312 at Windsor Castle. He was the son of King Edward III and Isabella of France.

Edward became king on 25 January 1327 when his father abdicated, He was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 29 January 1327. He was 14. Edward officially assumed power to rule in 1330 - his mother and Roger Mortimer had taken power of government until then.

Roger Mortimer was executed and Edward's mother was imprisoned for the rest of her life.

In 1328 Edward married Phillipa of Hanault (1313 - 1369) at York Minster. They possibly had seven sons and five daughters though not all survived childhood.

Like the reigns of the Plantagenet kings before him, much of Edward's reign was involved in combat, particularly against the Scots and the French.

Edward's early experience against the Scots included the Weardale campaign in 1327 which the English lost. In 1329 England recognised Scotland as an independent nation. However conflict continued. In 1333 The troops of Edward III defeated the Scottish army at Halidon Hill near Berwick. Then in 1346, David II of Scotland invaded England but was defeated at Neville's Cross. King David was captured and imprisoned until 1357 when he was released from captivity and he returned to Scotland.

The French, however, remained the greatest challenge. In 1337 King Philip VI of France annexed the English King's Duchy of Aquitaine. Edward III then responded by claiming the French crown as he was a grandson of Philip IV via his mother Isabella. This resulted in many battles between England and France which became known as the 100 Years' War.

In 1346 the French were defeated at the Battle of Crecy while in 1347 Edward besieged and captured Calais. In 1356 King Edward's son, known as Black Prince because of his black armour, defeated the French at Poitiers capturing King John II of France who was imprisoned by the English for four years. Most of South western France was now held by the English.

When King John II of France was released from prison he agreed to pay a ransom. His son, Louis of Anjou, remained in English-held Calais as a hostage. Lois escaped in 1364 and as King John II had not paid the ransom he was imprisoned in England where he died.

The fighting continued. In 1367 England and France support rival sides when there was civil war in Castille. In 1369 the French reclaimed Aquitaine while in 1370 the Black Prince attacked Limoges. French troops recaptured Poitou and Brittany in 1372 and there was a naval battle at La Rochelle. In 1373, another of King Edward's sons, John of Gaunt, led an invasion of France taking his army to the borders of Burgundy.

The Treaty of Bruges was agreed to in 1375 and English lands in France were reduced to Bordeaux and Calais.

King Edward III is not only known for fighting battles.

In 1332 Parliament was divided into two houses, the Lords and the Commons. During this time English becomes the court language replacing Norman French. In 1337, Edward created the Duchy of Cornwall to provide the heir to the throne with an independent income. In 1344 Edward founded the Order of the Garter - an award made to nobles and the military for special service to the king.

Conflict with Scotland and France was not the only challenge facing the king and the people of England.

 The Black Death, a plague occurring in 1348-9, 1361-2 and 1369 was estimated to have killed killed 30-40% of the English population. In some villages, the death toll reached 80-90%. It is estimated that London's population was reduced from 100,000 to 20,000 in one generation. The first cases were reported in Dorset in 1348. The original plague morphed into a more deadly version killing most people affected by it. With so many deaths there was an acute shortage of labour for agriculture and armies for many years.

On 21 June 1377 King Edward III died at Sheen Palace in Surrey, after ruling England for fifty years. He was 64. He was buried at Westminster Abbey.

Edward's grandson, Richard II then became king. Richard was the son of Edward, the Black Prince, who had died in 1376.

King Edward II (1284 - 1327)

King Edward II was born on 25 April 1284 at Caernarvon Castle in Wales. His parents were King Edward II and Eleanor of Castile.

In 1301 his father named him as the first Prince of Wales, a title bestowed on the eldest son of a king or queen since that time.

Edward II became king on 8 July 1307 aged 23 years. He was crowned king on 25 February 1308 at Westminster Abbey.

King Edward can be said to have a tumultuous reign.

On 25 January 1308 he married Isabella (1295-1358) daughter of the King Phillip IV of France and Joan I of Navarre.

Edward and Isabella had two sons - Edward (later King Edward III) and John - and two daughters - Eleanor and Joan who married King David II of Scotland.

Edward also had relationships with men. When young he was known to be under the influence of Piers Gaveston until the barons intervened and Gaveston was executed in 1312. Some years later Hugh le Despenser, son of the Earl of Winchester, used the power created with his relationship with the king to take over a large section of south Wales.

In 1314 Edward and his army once again ventured into Scotland where they were defeated at the Battle of Bannockburn by Robert Bruce.

View in 2014 of where the battle took place.

In 1320 the independence of the Scots was confirmed when the Declaration of Arbroath was signed.

King Edward continued to face opposition from the barons. In 1310 Parliament established a committee of Lords Ordainers to control the King and improve the administration of the country to favour the barons. A leader of the barons was the King's cousin, Thomas, Earl of Lancaster. He was probably more concerned with increasing his power base than in reforming parliament.

As the influence of Hugh le Despenser and his father over the king increased the barons rebelled. In 1321an attempt was made to invade London. The troops of the barons camped outside London's walls. They were unable to break into the city, but having come so were not prepared to back down on their demands.

Inside the city walls was the king was unable to force the besiegers to leave. He was also unwilling to meet their principle demand: to get rid of Hugh le Despenser. Eventually Queen Isabella intervened, publicly pleading with the king to exile Hugh for the sake of the kingdom. Eventually King Edward finally agreed to the barons' demands and the Despensers were exiled.

Unrest continued. In 1322 the Baron's Rebellion led by Thomas Earl of Lancaster was defeated at the Battle of Boroughbridge in Yorkshire.

Hugh le Despenser returned and took vengeance on those who previously opposed him. In 1324 after King Edward had ordered that all French aliens should be arrested, Despenser had put the queen under house arrest.

Meanwhile the French king (Isabella's brother) threatened Edward's possessions in Gascony. Isabella agreed to return to France to negotiate a peace treaty.

The peace treaty was approved provided that the king's eldest son went to France to pay homage to the French king. Now that she had her son with her, Queen Isabella, with Roger Mortimer, returned to England with an army to challenge the king.

King Edward II was captured in Wales and imprisoned at Berkeley Castle where he died on 21 September 1327 aged 43 years. He may have been murdered. he had been king for 20 years. 

King Edward II was buried at Gloucester Cathedral.

King Edward I (1239 - 1307)

Edward I was born on 17 June 1239 at Westminster Palace. His parents were King Henry II and Eleanor of Provence.

Edward became king on 20 November 1272 when he was 33.

He was crowned on 19 August 1274 at Westminster Abbey after he returned from the Ninth Crusade.

During the Second Barons War, Edward led the royal forces against Simon de Montfort who had imprisoned Edward's father. De Montfort was defeated in 1265. Henry III was suffering from ill health so Edward then acted as regent until his father died.

Battle of Evesham

Edward I took part in the Ninth Crusade from 1271-1272. and was on a crusade when he succeeded to the throne. Edward and his crusader forces arrived at Acre on May 9th in 1271. They carried out a series of raids and helped stop an attack on the city in December. Edward started negotiating a truce which was agreed to in May 1272.

As king in England, Edward had many other battles to fight.

In 1282 King Edward I and his troops invaded north Wales ending Welsh independence in 1284.

When Alexander III died without an immediate heir in 1287 there followed a period of leadership uncertainty in Scotland.

Initially Edward held power in Scotland and in 1292 chose John Balliol to be the new King of Scotland although the Scots, under William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, fiercely resisted actual conquest.

In 1295 John Balliol reneged on his allegiance to Edward and signed an alliance with King Philip IV of France.

Eventually Edward I became known as the Hammer of the Scots because of his determination to assert his rule in Scotland.

King Edward the warrior - statue at Burgh-by-Sands, Cumbria

In 1296 Edward invaded Scotland, defeated the Scots at Dunbar and deposed Balliol. Edward was once again in control in Scotland. The Stone of Scone was removed to Westminster Abbey in London.

The Scots then rose against English rule in 1297 and, led by William Wallace, defeated King Edward I at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. The following year Edward invaded Scotland again and defeated William Wallace at the Battle of Falkirk.

Robert Bruce was crowned Robert I, King of Scotland, in 1306. Edward I attempted to invade Scotland again in 1307, but died when he was travelling north with his troops.

Edward's reign saw the move towards the modern form of Parliament with the Model Parliament of 1295.

Castles including the northern Welsh Conway castle, Caernarvon castle, Beaumaris castle, and Harlech castle were built during Edward's reign. He was also responsible for building bastides (walled towns) to defend the English position in France.

Caernarvon castle.

Edward I married Eleanor of Castile in November 1254 and they had at least 14 children. Five daughters and one son who became Edward II lived to be adults, When Eleanor died in 1290, Edward arranged the creation of a series of Eleanor crosses commemorating her life and the journey taken to bring her body back to London for burial.

In 1299 Edward I married Margaret, daughter of Philip III of France and they had three children.

King Edward I died on 7 July 1307 in Cumbria, aged 68 years. He was buried at Westminster Abbey. Edward was king of England for 34 years.

King Henry III (1207-1272)

When King John died in 1216 his nine year old son became king - King Henry III.

Statue of Henry III at Salisbury Cathedral.

Henry III was born on 1 October 1207 at Winchester - the son of King John, and Isabella of Angoulême.

Henry III was King of England, Lord of Ireland and Duke of Aquitaine from 1216 until his death in 1272.

Nine year old Henry was first crowned king on 28 October 1216 at Gloucester Cathedral and later on 17 May 1220 at Westminster Abbey.

England was ruled temporarily by two French regents, Peter des Roches and Hubert de Burgh plus Sir William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke who was Protector of England.

The first challenge faced by the young king was the continuation of the first Barons War. The war ended in 1217 when Prince Louis of France renounced his claim to the English throne and Alexander II of Scotland paid homage to King Henry. In 1221 Alexander II of Scotland married Henry's sister, Joan.

The barons had continued to make changes to the Magna Carta and in 1225, King Henry III reaffirmed the document. During his rule Henry continued to encounter confrontations with the barons over a variety of issues including England's financial commitments to the papacy. King Henry took full control of the government of England in 1227, but retained Hubert de Burgh as his main adviser until 1232.

In 1236 King Henry married Eleanor of Provence. Two sons, Edward I and Edmund, plus three daughters, Margaret who became Queen of Scots, Beatrice and Katherine, lived to adulthood.

On 26 December 1251 Alexander III of Scotland married Henry's daughter, Margaret, in York. Alexander was 10 and Margaret was 11 when they married.

For a number of years Robert de Ros and John Balliol were appointed as guardians of Alexander III of Scotland until it was considered that he was old enough to rule in his own right.

In 1258 the English barons led by Simon de Montfort - brother-in-law of Henry III, rebelled against what they considered to be Henry's misgovernment. They presented a list of grievances to King Henry, who signed the Provisions of Oxford, further limiting royal power.

Henry repudiated the Provisions of Oxford in 1261.

Once again the barons objected to high taxes imposed by the king and the Second Barons War between the rebel barons and the king of England began in 1264.

Simon De Montfort and his troops defeated King Henry and his supporters at Lewes. Henry was captured in 1264 and was imprisoned until Prince Edward and his supporters defeated de Montfort at Evesham in 1265.

The Dictum of Kenilworth signed on 30 October 1266 restored Henry's authority and annulled the Provisions of Oxford.

King Henry was free but was no longer actively involved in political life. King Henry's health had deteriorated so his son, Edward, acted as regent for the remainder of Henry's life.

Henry spent much of his life improving the country's architectural monuments such as Westminster Palace and Westminster Abbey, Salisbury Cathedral, St Alan's Cathedral, Wells Cathedral and Lincoln Cathedral.

Henry had laid the foundation stone for the rebuilding of Westminster Abbey in 1245. The new church was consecrated on 13 October 1269 and Henry was one of the pall bearers carrying the coffin of St Edward (Edward the Confessor) which was placed in a new position in the church.

King Henry III died on November 16, 1272 at Westminster, aged 65 years, and was buried at Westminster Abbey. King Henry III reigned for 53 years. His son, Edward I was the next king.

In 1235 Henry III was given three lions by the Holy Roman Emperor. The animals were housed at the Tower of London. Over the years other animals were added to the collection at the Tower Menagerie making this the first London Zoo. From December 1831 the animals were rehoused at Regents Park. Wire sculptures of some of the animals can currently be found at the Tower of London.

Models of animals held in Tower Menagerie.

King John (1166-1216)

King John was born on 24 December 1166 at Beaumont Palace, Oxford. As the youngest son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine he was not expected to be king. This situation changed when his brother Richard I died on 6 April 1199. John was 32.

As the youngest son, when Henry II divided the family territories among his sons, John was made Lord of Ireland, the only territory left unallocated. This led to Lackland being a nickname for John.

John and his brother Richard were not on friendly terms. When Richard w/ent on the Third Crusade, almost immediately after being crowned king, he appointed barons loyal to him to manage his territories. John eventually served as acting king with his mother exerting much power in the kingdom.

John was crowned king at Westminster Abbey on 27 May 1199. Some of the barons plus the king of France wanted John's nephew, Arthur, to be king.

John had married Isabella of Gloucester in 1189, but the marriage was annulled ten years later. In 1200 John married Isabella of Angoulême. They had two sons (Henry and Richard) and three daughters (Joan, Eleanor and Isabella).

Most of King John's reign was dominated by war with France. Although there was peace after the Treaty of Le Goulet fighting commenced again in 1202. By 1204 John had lost Normandy and most of the other English possessions in France to the French king, Philip II, and spent the next decade trying to regain these territories without success. His army was finally defeated by Philip Augustus at the Battle of Bouvines in 1214.

As in the reign of previous kings, John was in conflict with the Church. When in 1205 John disputed Pope Innocent III's choice of Stephen Langton as archbishop of Canterbury, the pope suspended all religious services, including baptisms, marriages, and burials. King John retaliated by seizing church revenues. He was excommunicated in 1209 until finally accepting the pope's nominee. An annual monetary tribute was also to be paid to the pope.

Another problem facing John when he became king was the financial crisis in England partly due to expenses incurred supporting King Richard and his troops on crusade. There were additional costs when Richard was captured and money was needed for his ransom. Then there were the costs of the campaigns in France to try and keep territories claimed by the English king. Taxes were increased plus other charges which made John more unpopular with the barons and the general population as well as increasing his problems with the church.

Recent research, however, has shown the excellent organisation of royal bureaucracy during King John's reign and how the money raised by taxes was spent. Sealed documents were sent to individuals or officials, addressing various aspects of governance, including land disputes, financial matters, and appointments. King John's government documented Close Rolls-letters, orders, and instructions that were sealed with the royal "Close Seal."

King John was also the first of the Norman / Plantagenet kings to use the English language instead of French.

Major problems continued with many of the barons leading to the Barons War which began in 1215. In 1215 John refused the demands of the barons so in retaliation a rebel group took over the City of London. This action forced John to negotiate with the barons and clergy and on 15 June 1215 they met at Runnymede where the Charter of Liberties (later the Magna Carta) was signed. Although King John met many of their demands when he signed the Magna Carta the unrest continued and evolved into a civil war. Rebel barons sought assistance from France and Scotland in their fight against the king. Prince Louis of France landed in England in 1216 and his troops captured the Tower of London.

[Commemorative version of the Magna Carta, plus shields of the barons plus seal of King John, celebrating 800 years since original document signed. 

John and his loyal supporters fled north where he became ill with dysentery and died at Newark Castle on 18 October 1216. King John was buried at Worcester Cathedral. John was 49 when he died. He had ruled England for 17 years.

When John travelled north it is believed that the crown jewels were included in his baggage. Most of his baggage was lost when the baggage train crossed the tidal estuaries of the Wash.

King John no doubt had failings as a person and a leader. He certainly antagonised many people. But these were difficult times and he had many enemies at home and abroad.

Although John's brother, King Richard, only spent six months of his reign in England his reputation has survived through time and literature as him being a brave and good king. In contrast, King John, especially after losing his French territories, spent much of his reign in England trying to govern the country with little loyalty and support.

Many years later stories have evolved such as Shakespeare's play 'King John' and books, television shows and films about the fictional Robin Hood and his encounters with King John. These works of fiction portray John as a ruthless, unpopular king with many failings, especially when compared with his brother, good King Richard! 

[Plaque on wall of King's Lynn Town Hall commemorating the Royal Charter granted in 1204 by King John.]

King Henry II (1133-1189)

King Henry II was England's first Plantagenet king. He was the son of the Empress Matilda and Geoffrey Plantagenet. Henry was born on 5 March 1133 at Le Mans, France.

In 1152 Henry married Eleanor, daughter of William X, Duke of Aquitaine.

As well as England, Henry was lord of Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, and Count of Anjou, Brittany, Poitou, Normandy, Maine, and Gascony plus Aquitaine due to his marriage to Eleanor. With so many French possessions Henry lived for more than half his reign outside England.

After the death of King Stephen, Henry became the English king in 1154. He was crowned king at Westminster Abbey on 19 December 1154.

Henry and Eleanor had five sons - William (died aged 3), Henry, Richard, Geoffrey and John - and three daughters - Matilda who married Henry Duke of Saxony and Bavaria, Eleanor who married Alphonso VIII, king of Castile and Joan who married firstly William II, king of Sicily then Raymond IV, count of Toulouse. Consequently the family cemented relationships in many parts of Europe.

The children of Henry II and Eleanor.

Henry II became king after The Anarchy - a long battle between his mother and her cousin, Stephen. During this time many castles had been built illegally by some of the barons. Henry II insisted that the castles were to be destroyed.

He was still able to build up and count on support from loyal barons who supported the crown.

Henry needed the support of the barons especially as he spent much of his time in France where there were constant tensions with the French king. Eleanor was actively involved in the administration of England when Henry was absent as well as managing her own domains in France.

In England Henry II established a new judicial and administrative system in England as well as improving the financial administration of the country. This included introducing his own courts and magistrates, roles traditionally under the control of the church. In 1166 trial by jury was introduced in England. He also attempted to exert royal power over the church in England which increased friction with the Pope.

In 1155 Henry II appointed Thomas à Becket Chancellor of England, a post that he held for seven years. Henry appointed Thomas à Becket as Archbishop of Canterbury hoping that he would introduce Church reforms.

However Thomas à Becket supported the church much to the displeasure of the king. This resulted in four of Henry's knights killing Thomas à Becket in Canterbury Cathedral on 29 December 1170. This event was regretted by the king and overshadowed most of the achievements undertaken by Henry II.

Thomas à Becket memorial.

Henry II died at Chinon Castle, Anjou, on 6 July 1189, aged 56 years. He was buried at Fontevraud Abbey in France.

Henry II had been king of England for 34 years. His son, Richard, became the next king of England from 1189 - 1199.