Henry the II

Henry the II

Henry the II (1154-1189) was the first of the Plantagenest.

He was a man of a tremendous energy. He decided to set in order England before anything else. He received help from the chancellor Thomas Becket, who was older than the king. He became friend and companion of Henry the II: they were close friends.

Thomas Becket was a clergy man of minor orders. In any case, to help the king he used  an army of a thousand knights to fight in France. He took the command of them because he was a soldier too.

After the struggle the two friends had to fall out with each other (rompere i rapporti), This because Henry the II Thought that he could have one system law for all the country. But the Church did not agree. Then, the archbishop of Canterbury (the chief of the Church) died. So Henry the II thought that he could put at the head of the English Church his friend, Thomas Becket, who could help him. So Becket was consecrated as archbishop of Canterbury.

But when he became chief, he decided to defend the Church claims (richieste).

After a long quarrel (litigio) between the king and the archbishop, Thomas Becket was murdered by the knights of Henry the II, in 1179.

The effects of this deed were terrible for the king: all Europe blamed him (accusò) and he felt himself in disagrees with God and with people.

Then he could not carry out the reform of the law system. He had to renounce.

Henry the II was always in trouble with provinces, because his son.

Neither his sons was a wise (saggio) king. The first will be Richard the I (1189-1199). He was above all famous because he was a Crusader (Crociato), known as Richard Lion Heart.

He spent a lot of time in struggles.

After Richard the I became king John Lackland (1199-1216).