English Monarch. Born in Winchester eldest son of King John and Isabella of Angouleme. Henry was only nine when his father died in 1216 and he became King of a rebellious nation. A series of regencies ruled in his place until 1234, when Henry assumed power. Order had been restored during the regency, based on the acceptance of Magna Carta which had curtailed the King’s power over his nobles. Henry married Eleanor of Provence in 1236 and with her had at least two sons and three daughters. In 1230 and 1242 misguided attempts to win back territory in France that had been lost by his father ended in failure. Eventually he was forced to sign away Normandy, Maine, Poitou, Touraine and Anjou. Henry's reign was also marked by civil strife, as the English barons demanded more say in the running of the kingdom. The Provisions of Oxford in 1258 and the Provisions of Westminster in 1259 were attempts by the nobility to define the Magna Carta, control appointments and set up an aristocratic council. Henry tried to out maneuver his nobles by obtaining papal absolution from his oaths. Henry renounced the Provisions in 1262 and civil war broke out. The barons, under the leadership of the King’s brother-in-law, Simon de Montfort, forced Henry to accept a program of reform. The struggle with his nobles eventually led to the Battle of Lewes in 1264 where the king and his son were captured and imprisoned. In May 1265 Henry’s son, Prince Edward Longshanks, escaped captivity and rallied his forces, defeating and killing de Montfort at Evesham before taking control of government from his father. Royal authority was restored by the Statute of Marlborough in 1267, in which the king promised to uphold Magna Carta. The rest of Henry’s reign was occupied by resolving the civil problems created by the rebellion.
English Monarch. Born in Winchester eldest son of King John and Isabella of Angouleme. Henry was only nine when his father died in 1216 and he became King of a rebellious nation. A series of regencies ruled in his place until 1234, when Henry assumed power. Order had been restored during the regency, based on the acceptance of Magna Carta which had curtailed the King’s power over his nobles. Henry married Eleanor of Provence in 1236 and with her had at least two sons and three daughters. In 1230 and 1242 misguided attempts to win back territory in France that had been lost by his father ended in failure. Eventually he was forced to sign away Normandy, Maine, Poitou, Touraine and Anjou. Henry's reign was also marked by civil strife, as the English barons demanded more say in the running of the kingdom. The Provisions of Oxford in 1258 and the Provisions of Westminster in 1259 were attempts by the nobility to define the Magna Carta, control appointments and set up an aristocratic council. Henry tried to out maneuver his nobles by obtaining papal absolution from his oaths. Henry renounced the Provisions in 1262 and civil war broke out. The barons, under the leadership of the King’s brother-in-law, Simon de Montfort, forced Henry to accept a program of reform. The struggle with his nobles eventually led to the Battle of Lewes in 1264 where the king and his son were captured and imprisoned. In May 1265 Henry’s son, Prince Edward Longshanks, escaped captivity and rallied his forces, defeating and killing de Montfort at Evesham before taking control of government from his father. Royal authority was restored by the Statute of Marlborough in 1267, in which the king promised to uphold Magna Carta. The rest of Henry’s reign was occupied by resolving the civil problems created by the rebellion.
Bio by: Iola
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