Henry II

The Legacy of Henry Plantagenet

Nicholas Vincent celebrates the founder of the Plantagenet dynasty.

Eleanor of Aquitaine marries Henry of Anjou

Richard Cavendish marks the anniversary of a royal marriage, on May 18th, 1152.

Hugh of Lincoln: the Hammer of Kings

Described by John Ruskin as “the most beautiful sacerdotal figure known to me in history,” the heroic bishop triumphantly upheld his office against two proud and strong-willed English sovereigns.

The Angevin Empire

The Angevin Empire may have come about by a mixture of luck and calculation, but skill and respect for local custom were required for Henry II to preserve it intact.

Henry II (r. 1154-89)

The first Angevin monarch, he controlled extensive territories in France, and his empire became the foremost political power of western Europe. Henry ruled by itinerant government, displaying great military and administrative skills. He began the conquest of Ireland and consolidated royal power in England after Stephen's reign. His program of legal and administrative reforms included clarification of common law, establishing the Exchequer and developing an efficient civil service. He clashed with Thomas Becket in his unsuccessful attempt to impose the authority of royal courts over ecclesiastical ones (as he had done with feudal courts).