Monarch bulllet points Flashcards
1
Q
William I
A
- William the Conqueror, William the Bastard
- Duke of Normandy
- Norman Conquest, Battle of Hastings
- Domesday Book
- Built many castles (e.g. Tower of London)
- Wife: Matilda of Flanders
- Died while leading a campaign in northern France; buried in Caen
2
Q
William II
A
- William Rufus, William the Red
- Third (second surviving) son of William I
- Effective soldier, ruthless leader, unpopular
- Did not marry or produce offspring
- Died after being struck by an arrow while hunting. Suspicious circumstances. Buried in Winchester Cathedral.
3
Q
Henry I
A
- Henry Beauclerc
- Fourth son of William I
- Had to deal with the claim of eldest brother Robert Curthose. Defeated him (1106) and took Normandy.
- Wife: Matilda of Scotland. Had many mistresses and illegitimate children.
- Henry’s only legitimate son and heir, William Adelin, drowned in the White Ship disaster (1120).
- Took second wife (Adeliza of Louvain) in hope of producing heir but childless.
- Henry declared daughter, Matilda, heir but after death was succeeded by his nephew Stephen of Blois. Resulted in period of civil war known was the Anarchy.
- Died in Normandy (surfeit of lampreys?). Buried in Reading Abbey.
4
Q
Stephen
A
- Stephen of Blois
- Grandson of William I
- Reign marked by civil war with cousin, the Empress Matilda.
- Faced many rebellions. Captured at the battle of Lincoln in 1141, lost control of Normandy. Freed after Robert of Gloucester (half-brother of Empress Matilda) was captured at the Rout of Winchester.
- 1153: Empress Matilda’s son Henry FitzEmpress invaded and armies met at Wallingford Castle. Peace negotiated (Treaty of Winchester) in which Henry became heir.
- Wife: Matilda of Boulogne. Eldest son Eustace died in 1153 which made peace more likely.
- Died in Dover, buried in Faversham Abbey, Kent.
5
Q
Henry II
A
- Henry Curtmantle, Henry FitzEmpress, Henry Plantagent
- Grandson of Henry I, son of Empress Matilda and Geoffrey of Anjou
- Expanded lands, Angevin Empire
- ‘Cold war’ with Louis VII of France
- Murder of Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket
- Wife: Eleanor of Aquitaine. 8 children. Series of rebellions over future inheritances.
- Great Revolt of 1173-74; rebellion led by his wife and three sons. Henry quashed rebellion. Captured King William of Scotland at Battle of Alnwick.
- 1183: Young King Henry dies during campaigns against Henry II and younger brother Richard, who becomes heir.
- 1189: defeated in final rebellion by son Richard and Philip II of France. Henry, suffering from bleeding ulcer, retreats to Anjou, dies. Buried in Fontevraud Abbey.
6
Q
Richard I
A
- Richard Cœur de Lion, Richard the Lionheart, Oc e No (Yes and No - Occitan)
- Son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine
- Third Crusade to reconquer the Holy Land from Saladin. Failed to take Jerusalem.
- Captured and ransomed by Duke of Austria on return home
- Perhaps only spent 6 months in England
- Wife: Berengaria of Navarre, married in Cyprus. No issue.
- Died of gangrene while besieging castle of Châlus-Chabrol, shot by a crossbow.
- Heart buried in Rouen, body in Fontevraud Abbey.
7
Q
John
A
- John Lackland
- Brother of Richard I; Youngest son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine
- Wife: Isabella of Angoulême. 5 children.
- Unsuccessfully rebelled while Richard I fought Crusades. Banished but reconciled.
- Lost the duchy of Normandy to Philip II of France after battle of Bouvines. Led to collapse of Angevin Empire and rise in power of Capetian dynasty
- Taxes soared in attempt to reclaim lands
- Baronial revolt at the end of John’s reign led to sealing of the Magna Carta, limiting royal power.
- Claimed he signed MC under duress, led to First Baron’s War. Fell ill and died at Newark Castle, Nottinghamshire which led to compromise and succession of his son, Henry III.
- Buried in Worcester Cathedral.
8
Q
Henry III
A
- Henry of Winchester
- Elder son of John and Isabella of Angoulême
- Assumed throne aged 9 during First Baron’s War. Rebels were defeated at the battles of Lincoln and Sandwich in 1217.
- Country was ruled by a series of regencies until 1234
- Very pious, devoted to Edward the Confessor
- Extracted huge sums of money from Jews; introduced Statute of Jewry, attempting to segregate the community
- 1263-65: Simon de Montfort (married to Eleanor, Henry’s sister) led a rebellion, Second Baron’s War. Won battle of Lewes and set up government. Prince Edward escaped and defeated de Montfort at battle of Evesham; became Stewart of England.
- Died after a lengthy period of ill health. Buried in Westminster Abbey (which he had largely rebuilt).
- Wife: Eleanor of Provence. 5 children.
9
Q
Edward I
A
- Edward Longshanks, Hammer of the Scots
- First son of Henry III and Eleanor of Provence
- Wives: Eleanor of Castile
- Defeated Simon de Montfort at the Battle of Evesham in 1265, helping to quash the rebellion
- Was returning home from failed Ninth Crusade when his father died
- Conquered Wales, invading in 1277 and again in 1282 (killing Llywelyn ap Gruffud, last King of Wales). His son, Edward, became Prince of Wales. Built many castles.
- 1290 Edict of Expulsion formally expelled all Jews from England
- Invaded Scotland; 1297 Battle of Stirling was lost; 1298 he defeated William Wallace at Battle of Falkirk. Wallace was captured and executed in 1305. Robert the Bruce rebelled in 1306.
- Died of dysentery on the way to fight Bruce.
- Buried in Westminster Abbey
10
Q
Edward II
A
- Edward of Caernarfon
- 5th son, eldest surviving heir of Edward I and Eleanor of Castile
- Wife: Isabella of France (daughter of King Philip IV)
- Had to banish favourite Piers Gaveston several times at the demands of barons (eventually executed in 1312 when he returned)
- 1314: Defeated by Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn
- Edward’s cousin, Earl of Lancaster, seized the land of new favourites the Despenser family and forced Edward to exile them. Edward captured and executed Lancaster and reinstated the Despensers
- 1326, Isabella and new lover Roger Mortimer invaded from France, executed Despensers and Edward was deposed in favour of his son.
- Edward was imprisoned in Berkeley Castle and likely murdered there
- Buried in Gloucester Cathedral
11
Q
Edward III
A
- Eldest son of Edward II and Isabella of France
- Wife: Philippa of Hainault. 13 children.
- Crowned at age 14 after his father was deposed. Led a coup against de facto ruler Mortimer aged 17. Executed Mortimer and banished his mother.
- 1337: Declared himself rightful heir to French throne; led to Hundred Year’s War
- 1348: Created Order of the Garter
- 1348: Black Death kills over 1/3 of population
- Victories at Crécy (1346) and Poitiers (1356) led to highly favourable Treaty of Brétigny (1360)
- Lefter later fighting to his sons (e.g. Edward, the Black Prince) which was less succesful
- Later reign marred by international failure and domestic strife. Mistress Alice Perrers was banished from court, seen as a corrupting influence
- Died at Sheen Palace, Richmond. Buried in Westminster Abbey
12
Q
Richard II
A
- Richard of Bordeaux
- Son of Edward, the Black Prince. Grandson of Edward III
- Wives: Anne of Bohemia (died of plague), Isabella of Valois (widowed, aged 9). No children.
- Succeeded throne aged 10. Regency led by his uncle, John of Gaunt
- 1381: Peasant’s Revolt (Wat Tyler). Young King rides out and crushes rebels
- Spent much reign fighting the Lords Appellant, eventually executed or exiled most of them
- Usurped by John of Gaunt’s son Henry Bolingbroke after confiscating his lands. Imprisoned in Pontefract Castle, died 4 months later. Buried in Westminster Abbey
13
Q
Henry IV
A
- Henry Bolingbroke
- Son of Blanche of Lancaster and John of Gaunt, third son of Edward III
- Wives: Mary de Bohun, Joan of Navarre. Six Children.
- Faced rebellions from the Percy family
- 1403: Battle of Shrewsbury. Henry IV defeated Henry ‘Hotspur’ Percy
- 1408: Battle of Bramham Moor. Earl of Northumberland invaded from Scotland but was defeated and killed
- Had serious health problems in later life
- Buried in in Canterbury Cathedral
14
Q
Henry V
A
- Son of Henry IV and Mary de Bohun
- Wife: Catherine of Valois. 1 child.
- Reinvigorated Hundred Years’ War
- 1415: Defeated French at Agincourt
- 1420: Favourable Treaty of Troyes recognised him as heir to French throne. Married Charles VI’s daughter.
- Died unexpectedly, probably of dysentery
- Buried in Westminster Abbey
15
Q
Henry VI
A
Inherited throne at 9 months
