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Henry II

Specialty Definition: Henry II

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Rulers with this title include:

• Henry II of England
• Henry II of France
• Henry II of Germany
• Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor
• Henry II of Navarre
• Henry II, Duke of Saxony

  Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Henry II."

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Henry II of Castile

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Henry of Trastamara (1333? - 1379), was the illegitimate son of Alfonso XI of Castile and Leonora de Guzman, and half brother to Peter I of Castile. Became Henry II of Castile in 1366 when, as head of a host of soldiers of fortune, and with the aid of Bertrand du Guesclin, he drove Peter from his throne without giving battle. Henry murdered Peter in 1369. Married to Joan, daughter of John Manuel of Villena, head of a younger branch of the royal house of Castile. Their son was John I of Castile.

Preceded by: Peter I of Castile

List of Castilian monarchs

Followed by: John I of Castile

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Henry II of Castile."

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Henry II of Champagne

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Henry II of Champagne (c.1166-1197), was count of Champagne from 1181 to 1197, and king of Jerusalem from 1192 to 1197.

Henry was the eldest son of Henry I of Champagne and Marie de Champagne. He was about 15 when his father died, and his mother ruled as regent until 1187.

In 1190 left for the east, after having his barons swear to recognize his younger brother Thibaut as his successor should he fail to return. In Palestine he married Isabella, the daughter of Amalric I of Jerusalem by his second marriage, becoming king of Jerusalem in right of his wife in 1192. The couple had two daughters, Alice and Philippa of Champagne.

Henry died in 1197, under mysterious circumstances, falling from a tower. He left behind several difficulties for Champagne. He had borrowed a great deal of money to finance his expedition to Jerusalem, and for his marriage; and the succession to the county would later be contested by his daughters.

Preceded by: Conrad of Montferrat

Kingdom of Jerusalem

Followed by: Amalric II of Jerusalem

Preceded by: Marie (regent)

Count of Champagne

Succeeded by: Thibaut III

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Henry II of Champagne."

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Henry II of England

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Henry II Plantagenet (March 25, 1133 - July 6, 1189), was Duke of Anjou and King of England (1154 - 1189) and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland, eastern Ireland, and western France. His soubriquets include "Curt Mantle" (because of the practical short cloaks he wore), "Fitz Empress," and sometimes "The Lion of Justice," which had been used for his grandfather Henry I. He would be known as the first of the Angevin Kings.

Following the disastrous reign of King Stephen, Henry's reign was one of efficient consolidation. Henry II is regarded as England's greatest medieval king.

He was born on March 5, 1133, to the Empress Matilda and her second husband, Geoffrey the Fair, Duke of Anjou. He was brought up in Anjou and visited England in 1142 to help his mother in her disputed claim to the English throne.

Prior to coming to the throne he already controlled Normandy and Anjou on the continent; his marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine in 1152 added her land holdings to his, including vast areas such as Touraine, Aquitaine, and Gascony. He was thus effectively more powerful than the king of France with an empire that stretched from Solway Firth almost to the Mediterranean and from the Somme to the Pyrenees. As king, he would make Ireland a part of his vast domain. He also was in lively communication with the Emperor of Byzantium Manuel I Comnenus.

In August 1152 Henry, who had been fighting Eleanor's ex-husband Louis VII of France and his allies, rushed back to her, and they spent several months together. Around the end of November 1152 they parted: Henry went to spend some weeks with his mother and then sailed for England, arriving on 6 January 1153. Some historians believe that the couple's first child, William, Count of Poitiers, was born in 1152. It is possible that this was why Henry came home at that time, and the progress they made through Eleanor's lands was to mark the birth of the new heir -- that is, that their stated purpose of "introducing the new count" to the people meant Count William, not Count Henry. Others think William was born in 1153, and point out that Henry might still have been there nine months before William was born.

During Stephen's reign, the barons had subverted feudal legislation to undermine the monarch's grip on the realm; Henry saw it as his first task to reverse this shift in power. Castles which had been built without authorisation during Stephen's reign, for example, were torn down, and an early form of taxation replaced military service as the primary duty of vassals. Record-keeping was dramatically improved in order to streamline this taxation.

Henry II established courts in various parts of the country and was the first king to grant magistrates the power to render legal decisions on a wide range of civil matters in the name of the Crown. Under his reign, the first written legal textbook was produced, proving the basis of what today is referred to as Common Law. By the Assize of Clarendon (1166), trial by jury became the norm. Since the Norman Conquest, jury trials had been largely replaced by trial by ordeal and "wager of battel" (which was not abolished in England until 1819). This was one of Henry's major contributions to the social history of England. As a consequence of the improvements in the legal system, the power of church courts waned. The church, not unnaturally, opposed this, and its most vehement spokesman was Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, formerly a close friend of Henry's and his chancellor. Henry had appointed Becket to the archbishopric precisely because he wanted to avoid conflict.

The conflict with Becket effectively began with a dispute over whether clergy who had committed a secular offence could be tried by the secular courts. Henry attempted to subdue Becket and his fellow churchmen by making them swear to obey the "customs of the realm", but there was controversy over what constituted these customs, and the church was reluctant to submit. Becket left England in 1164 to solicit personally the support of the Pope in Rome and the king of France, where he stayed for a time. After a reconciliation between Henry and Thomas in Normandy in 1170, he returned to England. Becket again confronted Henry, this time over the coronation of Prince Henry (see below). The much-quoted words of Henry II echo down the centuries: "Who will rid me of this turbulent priest?" Four of his knights took their king literally (as he may have intended for them to do, although he later denied it) and travelled immediately to England, where they assassinated Becket in Canterbury Cathedral on December 29, 1170.

William, Count of Poitiers, had died in infancy. In 1170, Henry and Eleanor's fifteen-year-old son Henry was crowned king, but he never actually ruled and is not counted as a monarch of England; he is now known as Henry the Young King to distinguish him from his nephew Henry III of England.

Henry and his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, had four sons and three daughters. (Henry also had some ten children by at least four other women, and Eleanor had several of those children reared in the royal nursery with her own children; some remained members of the household in adulthood.) His attempts to wrest control of her lands from her (and her heir Richard) led to confrontation between Henry on the one side and his wife and legitimate sons on the other.

Henry's notorious liaison with Rosamund Clifford, the "fair Rosamund" of legend, is thought to have begun in 1165, during one of his Welsh campaigns, and continued until her death in 1176. However, it was not until 1174, at around the time of his break with Eleanor, that Henry acknowledged Rosamund as his mistress. Almost simultaneously, he began negotiating to divorce Eleanor and marry Alice, daughter of King Louis VII of France, who was already betrothed to his son, Richard. His affair with her continued for some years, and, unlike Rosamund Clifford, Alice is believed to have given birth to several of his illegitimate children.

Henry II's attempt to divide his titles amongst his sons but keep the power associated with them provoked them into trying to take control of the lands assigned to them, which amounted to treason, at least in Henry's eyes. Henry was fortunate to have on his side a knight who was both loyal and unbeatable in battle: William Marshal; Henry's illegitimate son Geoffrey Plantagenet (1151-1212), Archbishop of York, also stood by him the whole time and was the only son with Henry when he died.

When Henry's legitimate sons rebelled against him, they often had the help of King Louis VII of France. The death of Henry the Young King, in 1183, was followed by the death of the next in line to the throne, Geoffrey, Duke of Brittany who was trampled to death by a horse in 1186. His third son, Richard the Lionheart, with the assistance of Philippe II Auguste, attacked and defeated Henry on July 4, 1189; Henry died at the Chateau Chinon on July 7, 1189 and was entombed in Fontevraud Abbey, near Chinon and Saumur in the Anjou Region that today is part of France.

Richard the Lionheart then became king of England. He was followed by King John, the youngest son of Henry II, laying aside the claims of Geoffrey's son, Arthur, and daughter, Eleanor.

Fiction

The treasons associated with the succession were the main theme of the play The Lion in Winter, which was made into a film starring Peter O'Toole and Katherine Hepburn. Henry II and his sons King Richard and King John were also the subject of the BBC2 series The Devil's Crown and the 1978 book of the same title, written by Richard Barber and published as a guide to the tv series, which starred Brian Cox and Jane Lapotaire as Henry and Eleanor.

Preceded by: Stephen

List of British monarchs

Succeeded by: Richard I

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Henry II of England."

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Henry II of France

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Henri II (1519-1559), a member of the Valois Dynasty, was King of France from 1547 to 1559.

Born March 31, 1519 in the Royal Château at Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France, the son of François I and Claude de France, his marriage was arranged to Catherine de Medici (1519-1589) on October 28, 1533 when both were 14 years old.

He was crowned king, on July 25, 1547 in the cathedral at Reims, his reign marked by wars with Austria, and the persecution of the Protestant Huguenots. Henri II severely punished them, burning them alive or cutting out their tongues for speaking their Protestant beliefs. Even someone suspected of being a Huguenot was imprisoned for life.

Henri II was an avid hunter and participant in jousting tournaments. On July 1, 1559, during a match to celebrate a peace treaty with his longtime enemies, the Hapsburgs of Austria and to celebrate the marriage of his daughter Elizabeth to King Philip II of Spain, King Henri's eye was pierced by a sliver from a shattered lance that penetrated the brain. He suffered terribly, passing away on July 10, 1559 and was buried in a cadaver tomb in Saint Denis Basilica.

He was succeeded by his son, Francis II. Henri II's death resulted in the next forty years in France being filled with turbulence as his sons and other claimants to the French crown fought for power.

Issue:

1. François II, (January 19, 1544 - December 5, 1560)
2. Elisabeth de France, (April 2, 1545 - October 3, 1568)
3. Claude, (November 12, 1547 - February 21, 1575)
4. Louis, (February 3, 1549 - October, 1549)
5. Charles-Maximilien (Charles IX), (June 27, 1550 - May 30, 1574)
6. Edouard Alexandre (Henri III), (September 19, 1551 - August 2, 1589)
7. Marguerite de Valois, (May 14, 1553 - March 27, 1615)
8. Hercule (François), Duke of Alençon and Anjou, (March 18, 1555 - June 19, 1584)
9. Jeanne, (June 24, 1556 - June 24, 1556) (Twin - died at birth)
10. Victoire, (June 24, 1556 - August, 1556) (Twin - died at two months)

Preceded by: François I

List of French monarchs

Succeeded by: François II

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Henry II of France."

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Henry II of Navarre

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Henry II (1503 - May 25, 1555), titular king of Navarre, was the eldest son of Jean d'Albret (d. 1516) by his wife Catherine de Foix, sister and heiress of Francis Phoebus, king of Navarre, and was born at Sanquesa in April 1503.

When Catherine died in exile in 1517 Henry succeeded her in her claim on Navarre, which was disputed by Ferdinand I king of Spain; and under the protection of Francis I of France he assumed the title of king.

After ineffectual conferences at Noyon in 1516 and at Montpellier in 1518, an active effort was made in 1521 to establish him in the de facto sovereignty; but the French troops which had seized the country were ultimately expelled by the Spaniards.

In 1525 Henry was taken prisoner at the battle of Pavia, but he contrived to escape, and in 1526 married Margaret, the sister of Francis I and widow of Charles, duke of Alençon. By her he was the father of Jeanne d'Albret (d. 1572), and was consequently the grandfather of Henry IV of France. Henry, who had some sympathy with the Huguenots, died at Pau on May 25 1555.

Reference

• This entry incorporates public domain text originally from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica.

  Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Henry II of Navarre."

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Henry II, Duke of Bavaria

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Henry II the Wrangler, Duke of Bavaria (951-995) was the son of Henry I the Quarrelsome and Judith of Bavaria.

He married Gisela of Burgundy. Their daughter Giselle of Bavaria married Saint Stephen I of Hungary.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Henry II, Duke of Bavaria."

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Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Henry II of Germany (972 - 13 July 1024), the fifth and last ruler of the Saxon or Ottonian dynasty, succeeded his cousin the Holy Roman Emperor Otto III after the latter's death in 1002.

Some sources give Henry's date of birth as 6 May 973. He was the son of Henry the Quarrelsome of Bavaria, whom he succeeded as Duke of Bavaria in 995.

Rivals such as Eckhard of Meissen and Duke Herman of Swabia strongly contested Henry's election (7 June 1002 in Mainz), and only on 14 February 1014 did Pope Benedict VIII actually crown him emperor. Until then he ruled as king of the Lombards, a secondary title of the Emperor following a tradition begun under the Carolingians.

Henry spent the early part of his reign fighting in Bohemia, where he drove back the forces of Boleslaus I, duke of Poland and eventually secured Boleslaus's allegiance to the Empire. After 1014 Henry focused much of his attention on Italy, the scene of unrest and rebellion against both Pope and Emperor. Having restored order there, Henry continued to consolidate his rule throughout the Empire.

Henry's most significant contributions as emperor come in the realm of Church-State relations and Church administration within the Empire. He took part in church synods, most notably the Synod of Pavia, and his support of the bishops against the regular clergy helped to ensure their allegiance to the Emperor.

Henry also founded the diocese of Bamberg in 1007. Henry's interest in the Church had as much to do with piety as with political savvy. He and his wife, Cunigunde of Luxembourg, had no children, reportedly because they had taken a mutual vow of chastity. The Church canonized both Henry (1146) and Cunigunde (1200) after their deaths.

Preceded by: Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor

List of German Kings and Emperors

Succeeded by: Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor."

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Henry III of England

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Henry III (October 1, 1207 - November 16, 1272) is one of the least-known British monarchs, considering the great length of his reign. He was born in 1207, the son of the infamous King John, and succeeded to the throne at the age of nine, with the result that the country was ruled by regents until 1227. Henry married Eleanor of Provence, and they had nine children, the eldest of whom succeeded Henry as Edward I of England.

Henry's reign was marked by civil strife, as the English barons demanded more say in the running of the kingdom. This led to the calling of the first English Parliament by Simon de Montfort, who, besides being the leader of opposition, was married to Henry's sister. At the Battle of Lewes in 1264, Henry was defeated and taken prisoner by de Montfort. Henry's son, Edward, turned the tables on de Montfort in 1265 at the Battle of Evesham, following which savage retribution was exacted on the rebels. From about 1270, Henry effectively gave up the reins of government to his son. He died in 1272 and is buried in Westminster Abbey.

Henry was succeded by his son, Edward I of England.

Preceded by: John

List of British monarchs

Succeeded by: Edward I Longshanks

Marriage and children

Married on 14 January 1236, Canterbury Cathedral, Kent, England to Eleanor of Provence, with:

• Edward I (1239-1307)
• Margaret (1240-1275)
• Beatrice (1242-1275)
• Edmund Crouchback (1245-1296)
• Richard (1247-1256)
• John (1250-1256)
• William (1251-1256)
• Katherine (1253-1257)
• Henry

  Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Henry III of England."

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Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Henry III (1017-1056) was a member of the Salian (sometimes Franconian) dynasty of Holy Roman Emperors. Born in 1017, he became king of Germany upon the death of his father, the emperor Conrad II in 1039. He was crowned emperor by the Pope in 1046.

Henry was married in 1036 to Canute the Great's daughter Gunhilda, born around 1020. Early on Henry's father emperor Conrad II had arranged fief with Canute to have him rule over some parts of northern Germany and in turn to have their children get married. After the marriage took place at the earliest legal age, Gunhilda died just two years later at the Adriatic Coast on an imperial journey.

Henry was re-married in 1043 to Agnes de Poitou, daughter of duke of Aquitaine. They had a son Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor and a daughter, Judith of Swabia.

In 1046 Henry held royal/imperial courts at Merseburg and Meissen, where he ended the strife between the Dux Bomeraniorum, the duke Bratislaw of Bohemia and Casimir I of Poland. This is one of, or perhaps the earliest recording of the name of Pomerania.

Henry's reign as emperor was marked by his attempts to reform the Church, but also by his use of lay investiture to further his religious and political goals. This policy was continued by his son and successor, Henry IV, and eventually lead to the imperial-papal conflict known as the Investiture Controversy.

Preceded by: Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor

List of German Kings and Emperors

Succeeded by: Empress Agnes as regent for Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor."

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Henry the Fowler

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Henry I the Fowler (German, Heinrich der Vogler) (AD 876 - 936), German king 919 - 936. Although never crowned Holy Roman Emperor, later Emperors Henry considered him to be Henry I. First king of the Saxon or Ottonian dynasty, he was the son of the dux Otto. Henry married Matilda, daughter of Theudebert, duke of Saxony. Matilda founded many religious institutions, including the abbey of Quedlinburg, and was later canonized.

Despite early opposition from his fellow German dukes, Henry the Fowler was eventually able to persuade the dukes of Bavaria and Swabia to support his claim to the crown. More importantly, he won their support for his son, Otto, who later became the first crowned Holy Roman Emperor. An able leader, Henry was successful in driving off invading Magyars, and himself invaded territories to the north, where the Danes had harried the Frisians off to the sea. Widukind of Corvey in his Rex gestae Saxonicae reports that the Danes were subject of Henry the Fowler. Henry incorporated territories held by the Wends, who together with Danes had attacked Germany, into his own kingdom.

Henry's military skills and ambition helped him to increase his kingdom, into which he was able to incorporate the Duchy of Bavaria and the Kingdom of Lotharingia. His sons, Henry (also called the Quarrelsome) and Bruno (later canonized as St Bruno), inherited these (now both) duchies.

Henry the Fowler is also the name of a vagrant poet from the Tirol. He is the author of two cycles about Dietrich von Bern.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Henry the Fowler."

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