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    Henry III

    What was the name of Henry III's father who had preceded him on the throne of England?Henry III - King of England

      John. John's second wife was Isabella of Angouleme and she was the mother of all his children including Henry III. John's first wife was also called Isabella (of Gloucester) but that marriage had been annulled.

    How old was Henry III when he succeeded his father as king?Henry III - King of England

      nine. Henry III was the first monarch to be crowned in his minority. This meant that his early years had to be supervised by a succession of advisers. In those days the main adviser was called the "Rector" of the kingdom rather than the Regent.

    What was the name of the man in his seventies who became Henry III's first adviser and who made all the important political and military decisions until the year 1219?Henry III - King of England

      William the Marshall, Earl of Pembroke. All four men played an important part in Henry III's reign but William the Marshall was his first rector, protector and adviser. His relationship with the royal family was helped by the marriage of his daughter to Richard, Henry III's brother. William the Marshall died in 1219 and his powers were taken over by Hugh de Burgh.

    Henry III was actually crowned twice.Where did the first crowning take place?Henry III - King of England

      St. Peter's Abbey, Gloucester Cathedral, Gloucester.. The date of his first crowning was the 28th October,1216. His mother's chaplet was used for the ceremony. A second crowning took place on the 17th May, 1220 at Westminster Abbey in Middlesex. Most historians believe that the first crowning was done to rally support to the new monarch in the face of the foreign invasion. The second crowning confirmed his more secure position after his enemies had been defeated or bought off.

    What was the name of Henry III's wife whom he married in Canterbury Cathedral in 1236?Henry III - King of England

      Eleanor. Eleanor of Provence was the younger sister of the Queen of France. Though Henry and Eleanor appear to have enjoyed a happy family life, the marriage brought problems in the form of the new queen's relations who flocked to England in great numbers and began to acquire lots of the important jobs.

    Under Henry III a large number of foreign noblemen came to England and acquired important positions at court.Which two countries were most strongly represented by this influx of newcomers?Henry III - King of England

      France and Italy. As well as the Queen's connections a large number of Frenchmen from Poitou were encouraged by Peter des Roches who had been largely responsible for Henry III's education. Henry III was also a strong supporter of the Pope and many Italians knew they could expect warm greetings and rewards at his court.

    How many children did Henry III and his wife have?Henry III - King of England

      nine. Their names were Edward, Margaret, Beatrice, Edmund, Richard, John, Katherine, William and Henry. Apart from Edward who became Edward I the other children of significance were Edmund (Earl of Lancaster)and known as Crouchback, Margaret who married Alexander III of Scotland and Beatrice who married John, Duke of Brittany.

    Which saint did Henry III wish to honour by installing his shrine in Westminster Abbey?Henry III - King of England

      Edward the Confessor. Henry III seemed very aware of the power of art as a form of propaganda. Choosing a king as the saint to honour was a good advertisement for the monarchy. During his reign Henry spent huge sums of money on Gothic art. He took a strong personal interest in each project underway and often issued detailed instructions about how things should be done.

    What happened in England as a result of the Provisions of Oxford?Henry III - King of England

      Henry III had to agree to a ruling council who made most of the big decisions.. Henry was thus forced to agree to sweeping reforms and to yield some of the major decisions to a fifteen man council. This was one of the first steps towards a parliamentary form of government. Civil War broke out in 1264 when Henry tried to reassert his own autocratic control and renounced the Provisions of Oxford.

    What happened at the Battle of Lewes?Henry III - King of England

      Simon de Montfort defeated the Royal Army and captured both Henry III and Edward the heir to the throne.. At Lewes in Sussex Simon de Montfort demonstrated that he was a much more able soldier than Edward, the king's son and leader of the royal army. After the battle de Montfort found himself in charge of the country and attempted to rule with a council of nine men. He then invited knights from each shire and burgesses from selected towns to join in the new form of parliament.

    In what way was Simon de Montfort related to Henry III?Henry III - King of England

      He was his brother in law.. Simon de Montfort had married Eleanor,one of Henry III's sisters. She had previously been married to William the Marshall, Earl of Pembroke. For a while de Montfort's power was based on the fact that he had a royal connection and was popular because he agreed with the Provisions of Oxford. However, when he lost the support of the Earl of Gloucester disaster soon followed and he lost the battle of Evesham and his life.

    For how many years did Henry III reign over England?Henry III - King of England

      56 years. Henry was born on the 1st October 1207 and came to the throne in October 1216. He died on the 16th November, 1272 and thus had one of the longest reigns of any British monarch. Other long reigning rulers include George III at 60 years and Queen Victoria at 64 years.

    Becoming king as a minor upon the death of his father King John, who acted as Regent for the first four years of Henry III's reign?Henry III

      William the Marshal. Stephen Langton was the Archbishop of Canterbury, Edward of Woodstock was the Black Prince and was not born until 1330. Richard of Cornwall was Henry's younger brother. William the Marshal was one of Europe's foremost knights. Born with limited financial resources, he became wealthy due to his success in tournaments and was permitted to marry a wealthy heiress. He supported Henry II in his wars against his sons, (but allowed Richard to escape from a battle which he had lost) and supported John's claim to the throne against his nephew Arthur of Brittany. He was known throughout Europe as simply 'the Marshal'.

    Who was Henry's mother? Henry III

      Isabella of Angouleme. Isabella of Gloucester was John's first wife - a marriage that was ended due to consanguinity. Berengaria of Navarre was the consort of Richard the Lionheart and one who was never in England. Constance of Brittany was the wife of John's elder brother Geoffrey and the mother of his two children, Arthur and Eleanor.

    At the time of John's coronation, the Angevin empire comprised of virtually all western France from the Spanish border to the English channel. By the time Henry was crowned, the Angevin empire consisted of which areas?Henry III

      Gascony, Bearn, Angouleme, Saintonge and Agenais. In addition to Normandy, the heartland of the duchy of Aquitaine, Poitou, had fallen from the Angevin empire leaving only the south-west corner corner still loyal to Henry III. Henry attempted to regain Poitou and was for a time successful, however its loss was conceded in 1227.

    When William Marshal died, Henry was only 12 years old and did not assume control of the government. At this time Hubert de Burgh became regent, a position he retained until Henry assumed direct rule in 1227, at which time he became chief justiciar. De Burgh had an enemy in council who arranged his downfall in 1232 and assumed control of the government. Who was this man?Henry III

      Peter des Roches, Bishop of Winchester. Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury died in 1228 prior to the downfall of Hubert de Burgh. Edmund Rich, Langton's successor as Archbishop of Canterbury and Richard Marshal, son of William the Marshal both opposed Peter des Roches.

    One of the reasons that des Roches and his government were opposed by the barons of England was that he was a 'foreigner'. From where did he come?Henry III

      Poitou. Des Roches filled government positions with fellow Poitevins. Since Poitou was no longer in English hands, the barons became concerned that England was coming more and more under foreign influence. Richard Marshal was declared a traitor because of his opposition to des Roches's government. The resentment of foreigners became more acute when Henry began to favour the relatives of his French born queen and his Lusignan half-brothers.

    In 1234 Henry assumed direct control of the government, partially as a result of a delegation of barons whose aim was to expel the Poitevins. Shortly thereafter he married. Who was his bride?Henry III

      Eleanor of Provence. Marie of France was the betrothed (wife) of Arthur of Brittany, Henry's dead cousin. Margaret of France, the sister of Eleanor of Provence, married Louis IX, king of France and son of Philip II. Blanche of Artois was Henry's daugher-in-law.

    How many children did Henry have?Henry III

      9. Henry and Eleanor had nine children but only four survived, two sons and two daughters. Five children, (one daughter and four sons) died in infancy or early childhood. Margaret, their elder daughter, married Alexander III of Scotland and the younger daughter, Beatrice, married John II, Duke of Brittany. Margaret died before her husband, who remarried. When Alexander III died, his widow Yolande, married Arthur II of Brittany, the eldest son of Beatrice and John.

    Henry III, king at nine years and eighteen days, was the second youngest monarch to ascend the throne since the Conquest. Who was the youngest monarch to ascend the throne?Henry III

      Henry VI. Henry VI was only eight months old when his father, Henry V died of dysentry while in France. Edward VI was only slightly older than Henry III when he took the throne at nine years three months. Richard II took the throne at ten years six months. Edward V, the old man of the group, became king at twelve years five months, and also had the shortest reign of the group since he was one of the princes murdered in the Tower of London.

    Henry was born in the old capital of England and the city which continued to hold the treasury. Which was it?Henry III

      Winchester. Henry was also known as Henry of Winchester. He was one of the five children of John and Isabella of Angouleme.

    Henry had a younger brother who became famous in his own right as he was elected 'King of the Romans'. Although sometimes at odds with his brother, generally this younger sibling was supportive. Who was he?Henry III

      Richard of Cornwall. Geoffrey of Anjou was Henry's great grandfather. Frederich of Sicily was Henry's brother-in-law and the husband of Henry's sister Isabella. John of Brittany was Henry's son-in-law, the husband of Henry's daughter Beatrice. Richard was married several times, each time increasing his wealth until he became arguably, the richest man in Europe. His first wife was the daughter of William Marshal while his second wife, Sanchia, was the sister of Henry's wife Eleanor. As a result, Richard became Henry's brother-in-law as well as his brother.

    One of the officials in medieval times was the seneschal. What was a seneschal?Henry III

      all of these (a bailiff, a steward of the estate, a major-domo representing his feudal lord in the courts). A seneschal often represented the English king in his French possessions.

    Simon de Montfort was appointed seneschal of which of Henry's domains?Henry III

      Gascony. In 1248 de Montfort was appointed seneschal of Gascony, one of the few surviving parts of the Angevin empire. He put down civil disturbance but was put on trial. Although cleared, Henry put strictures upon his authority and when he returned to Gascony, rebellion again broke out. Eventually, Henry agreed to pay the expenses that Simon de Montfort had covered personally and de Montfort resigned his office.

    Simon de Montfort had a familial relationship with Henry III. What was it?Henry III

      brother-in-law. Originally Simon de Montfort and Henry were friends. When Henry's sister Eleanor, widow of William Marshal second Earl of Pembroke and son of the famous William Marshal, wanted to marry de Montfort, he agreed to it. Since he felt his barons would oppose this marriage to someone they regarded as a foreigner, the marriage was conducted secretly.

    One of the subjects of disagreement between Henry and his barons was that of the financial situation of the country. The national debt was significant at the accession of Henry due to the wars of both his uncle Richard and his father John. Henry, however, added to the problem. One of the causes for the increasing debt was his support of his son's attempt to become King of Sicily. Which son was this?Henry III

      Edmund of Lancaster. Pope Innocent IV bestowed the kingdom of Sicily on Edmund, the younger son of Henry III. The problem with this was that the throne was already occupied and would have to be taken by force. Henry, in secret negotiations with the papacy, agreed to assume the costs of this venture and to provide troops. Henry was unable to pay the costs. When Innocent died in 1254, Alexander IV confirmed Edmund's title but pressed for payment and threatened Henry with excommunication.

    As a result of the financial crisis, the barons forced Henry to agree to a series of changes to governmental administration. What was this agreement was called?Henry III

      Provisions of Oxford. The provisions of Oxford created two administrative bodies - a council of fifteen who would sit permanently with the king and a body of twenty-four to deal specifically with the current crisis. Three sessions of Parliament were to meet annually and all royal castles were to be returned to the crown. This had a particular impact upon the king's half brothers who had been given the bulk of these strongholds. The Lusignans were ultimately driven by force from these strongholds and exiled.

    Henry III attempted to thwart the agreement he had made with the barons and the matter was referred to another important personage for mediation. To whom were these provisions referred?Henry III

      Louis IX of France. Louis IX, not surprisingly, found in favour of his brother-in-law Henry III and the barons then refused to accept the results of the mediation. Louis IX was resentful of any encroachment of royal authority. Alexander III of Scotland was Henry's son-in-law. Holy Roman Emperor Frederich II, another brother-in-law of Henry III died in 1250, prior to the 1258 Provisions of Oxford.

    Matters came to a head when Simon de Montfort led troops against Henry III and Edward his eldest son. Henry, his brother Richard and his son Edward were captured in a decisive battle. Which battle was this?Henry III

      Battle of Lewes. Following the battle, Edward was held captive. According to legend, he was able to escape one day while riding when he persuaded his guards to indulge in a horse race which he judged. After the race, mounted on a fresh horse while his guards' horses were winded, he escaped.

    One year after their defeat, the royalist forces led by Edward, the king's elder son, were successful in defeating the forces of the barons. Which battle was this?Henry III

      Battle of Evesham. In the battle, Simon de Montfort was killed and his body mutilated. The rest of Henry's reign was occupied in resolving the problems arising from the rebellion. Henry remained king but more of a figurehead since authority was wielded in his name by his son. Henry gradually slipped into senility and died in 1272.

    Henry's strong willed wife survived him by almost 20 years. Although not well liked, she remained in England and retired to an abbey. In which abbey did she become a nun and find her final resting place?Henry III

      Amesbury. Eleanor was a woman of strong opinions and exerted considerable influence during the reigns of both her husband and her son.

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