Born out of civil war, the House of Plantagenet ruled for over 300 years before its last king was slain at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. Throughout that time, England was plagued by war, murder and intrigue as the Plantagenets fought to keep the crown. Meet the kings and queens who saw the House's rise and those who fought for everything in the Wars of the Roses before the Tudor dynasty came to power and stamped them out.
Welcome to RICHARD III & THE PLANTAGENETS
The House of Plantagenet • The House of Plantagenet enjoyed a tumultuous reign that lasted three centuries, but what was the story of their rise and fall?
What’s in a Plantagenet name? • The Plantagenet name is legendary, but where did it come from?
Henry II • Out of the chaos of civil war, the first Plantagenet king forged an empire that became the envy of rulers across Europe
Making a saint • Thomas Becket enjoyed a remarkable posthumous journey in which the worldly politician was transformed into a heroic saint and martyr
An ageing king • In 1177, Peter of Blois penned a compelling, if unabashedly sycophantic, portrait of the king
Bluffer’s Guide The Revolt of 1173-74
Timeline
Eleanor of Aquitaine • Loathed, adored, celebrated and damned, the rebellious Eleanor of Aquitaine defied her gender, waged war and crafted Medieval Europe into a land she could rule
A guide to the Crusades • From 1096 to 1291, Jerusalem was at the epicentre of a war that saw millions killed
Growing up in Medieval Europe • Being born in the Middle Ages meant life was fated to follow a certain path
Expansion of the Angevin Empire • When Henry, Count of Anjou and Duke of Normandy, married Eleanor in 1152, Normandy, Anjou, Maine, Touraine, Aquitaine, Gascony, Poitou and Auvergne were brought together. When their son, Geoffrey, brought Brittany into the mix, the concentration of fiefs held by one man became a very real threat to the French monarchy.
Richard I • Richard the Lionheart was the most famous Christian king of the Medieval period, waging a religious war against the Muslim East, attempting to conquer the Holy Land and Jerusalem
The lion roars: Richard’s top five victories
Richard versus Saladin • Richard’s crusade was one of the most personal of all, with what began as a duel of religions evolving into one between two of history’s greatest leaders
Timeline
Death in his mother’s arms • The climactic events of Richard the Lionheart’s death
King John • King John is a monarch with a reputation for cowardice and failure – but is this really fair?
King John in fiction • From Robin Hood to Ivanhoe, King John has become a baddie to be reckoned with
Bluffer’s Guide The Magna Carta
Henry III • The son of Bad King John inherited a kingdom in anarchy, and would devote his rule to restoring the family name
The Statute of Jewry • Henry’s anti-Jewish policies fuelled the fire of the civil war
Westminster Abbey restoration • Henry was responsible for the Gothic styling at the religious heart of London
Edward I • He was the king who conquered Wales and came so close to ruling Scotland. Edward’s rule was one marked by contrasting fortunes, conflict and a rapidly changing England
Queen Eleanor • A happy royal marriage
Edward’s Crusade • Forging a band of brothers
The Edict of Expulsion • Edward expelled England’s entire Jewish population in 1290
Edward II • This much-loathed king had an equally hated favourite, saw Scotland slip from his grasp and ultimately met a murderous end
War of Saint-Sardos
Life in the time of Edward II
The Royal Lovers’ Conquest • Isabella, Queen of England, and her...