Greycliff's Chronicles: The new face of the Magna Carta: King Henry III

Who was King Henry III of England? How did he make a name for himself in the annuals of history?

Henry III was born in 1 October, 1207 to King John of England and Queen Consort, Isabelle (Isabella) of Angouleme. He took the throne on the death of his father in 1216 when he was only nine years old and ruled until 1272. As the eldest, his official titles were: king of England, lord of Ireland, duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, and count of Anjou. Unlike his ancestors, much of Henry’s life including his conflicts, accomplishments, and policies were documented by his contemporaries.

family tree of Henry III

Henry had a brother Richard, and three sisters: Joan, Isabella, and Eleanor. Historians report the oldest son of King John had a multitude of illegitimate siblings. Henry married Eleanor of Provence in 1236. Eleanor’s sister, Margaret was married to King Louis IX of France. The marriage to Eleanor was fruitful. His first son was named Edward in honor of Edward the Confessor. Edward was followed by Margaret in 1240, Beatrice in 1242, Edmund in 1245, and Katherine in 1253 (she died in 1257). After the birth of Edmund, his second son, he accepted the crown of southern Italy and Sicily in 1255.

Coronation of Henry III

Physically, Henry was of medium stature (around 5’6) and more to the robust size. He was burdened with a drooping eye: a trait he passed on to his son, Edward. He was known to be affectionate, quick-witted, impetuous, and sensitive to those who betrayed his loyalty. Chroniclers wrote of the King’s piousness. Henry was known to travel his realm, visiting the various shrines. He loved loving a fancy lifestyle and loved gifts. Unlike the majority of the men in his family, he was faithful to his wife. Alas, the love of Eleanor stopped at the royal doorstep. She wasn’t well liked by the London residents. One incident in particular had the Queen pelted with rotted vegetables and eggs as she was in her barge on The Thames. Thomas FitzThomas, the Mayor of London came to her rescue and took Eleanor to the Bishop of London’s home. Henry’s Plantagenet blood showed its true colors: he never forgot the insult to his wife.

He was the first monarch born to the throne with limitations due to the Magna Carta. Prior to John’s ill-fated rule, English Kings governed with an iron-fist. The English Barons were fed up with incompetent leadership, but how did the Magna Carta relate to a grown-up? In reality, in 1216 a clause requiring the scrutiny of the monarch by the Barons was dropped. The document had its flaws. The writers of the charter hadn’t provided a method to appoint royal officials and hadn’t defined ‘peers’. The king’s behavior was flexible according to the conditions of the document (which Henry’s son Edward used to his advantage). Revisions of the Great Charter had to balance royal prerogative over politics.

Henry's second coronation

The King angered the nobles when he gave his sister Eleanor in marriage to Simon de Montfort and his failed attempts to regain territory lost by his family. The Treaty of Paris in 1269 made the King abandoned his desire to retrieve the lost lands. Meanwhile, his brother, Richard had gained the crown of Germany with gold. Henry even promised to go on crusade as a method to make himself look good and ease some tax burdens. He had vowed to take up the cross in Palestine in 1250, travel to North Africa with the King of Castile, and crusade to Sicily on the Pope’s request. Surprisingly, he didn’t follow-through with any of his holy vows (the last primarily due to financial concerns).

Henry carrying a relic of Holy Blood

As a young boy and man, Henry was educated to be a King. He was looked over by Sir William Marshall, the Earl of Pembroke as a child. No doubt, he heard countless tales of bravery at battle and tournaments from the renowned knight. One of his first mentors was Peter des Roches. In thanks, Henry appointed Peter his first minister of his personal rule. The King was also into nepotism. He favored his half-brothers (his mother married Hugh de Lusignan in 1220) with wealthy wives and titles and protected the family no matter what they did. This didn't sit well with the nobility. In 12244, to show his strength and to stave off a dispute with Falkes de Breaute, Henry besieged Bedford Castle. After eight weeks, the fortress was destroyed.

Bedford Castle and the execution of the garrison

The Barons were getting pissed off at the special treatment Henry granted his favorites while the rest of the nobility was taxed to pay for the failed military objectives. It came to a head in 1258 when the Barons organized a coup against the King led by Peter of Savoy and Simon de Montfort. The King was all but set aside but Henry wasn’t one to stay in the background. Henry compromised to get what he wanted: more royal authority in more areas for a lesser power over the barons but he did increase the power of the Crown. The King worked his charisma and a little divine help was back in power in 1261 although the conflicts still continued. In 1264, civil war finally broke out. Henry was captured by Montfort. By now, Prince Edward was old enough to fight on behalf of his father. He managed to escape his jailers. Edward rallied the royalist troops. During the fighting at Evesham, Simon de Montfort was killed and the King regained control of the government. Henry ‘allowed’ the rebels to buy back lands as part of the terms. His son Edward was given permission to go crusading.

Henry travelling to Brittany

Henry remained devoted to his faith all his life. He had a shrine to Edward the Confessor built. In his last years, he was infirmed and had to be carried. That didn’t stop Henry from visiting his realm. When he died on the 16^th of November, 1272, his body was buried at Westminster Abbey. The heart of the King was sent across the Channel to Fontevrault in Anjou, where it was laid to rest beside his mother, his uncle, and his grandfather. One of his accomplishments was building Westminster at a cost of 55,000 pounds. He added to Winchester Castle and the Tower of London.