Those brilliant Archaeologists at Leicester University (along with the determination of an eccentric enthusiastic named Philippa) revealed at a press conference on 4th February that the human remains found beneath a city centre car park are ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ those of the last Plantagenet, King Richard III.
For a royal dynasty who ruled for almost four centuries and transformed both England and the kingship, we civilians seem to know very little.
The Plantagenet’s rose to prominence in the High Middle Ages (early 12th Century) and endured until the end of the Late Middle Ages (late 15th century). It is fair to say they were set in their ways when it came to names and went through a grand total of six Henry’s, five Edwards, three Richards and to mix it up, one John.
A Man Named Geoffrey
A man named Geoffrey V of Anjou is said to have founded the dynasty with his marriage to Matilda; the daughter of Henry I of England. The English crown passed to their son Henry II under the Treaty of Winchester, bringing an end to decades of civil war.
Henry II married Eleanor of Aquitaine and accumulated a vast and complex feudal holding called the Angevin Empire. This empire stretched from the Pyrenees to Ireland and the borders of Scotland.
Geoffrey V of Anjou
Source: gordonbanks.com
Founding England
Before the Plantagenet’s came along England was little more than a colonised realm, ruled from abroad. The dynasty transformed it into one of the most united and well-established kingdoms in Europe.
Limiting the Kings Power
In 1215, the Magna Carta was signed by King John which transformed the role of the kingship. The charter was an attempt to limit the powers of the King of England and protect the privileges of the Baron’s. The charter led to the rule of constitutional law and the justice system in the English speaking world, and was used as the model legal system during the colonisation of America.
In reality, John neither liked or abided by the Magna Carta very much al all. However, by the time the English Civil War rolled around, it had become an important symbol for those who wished to show that the King was bound by the law.
Spanning the centuries, the many conflicts with the French, Scots, Welsh and Irish helped shape the distinct national identity we have today.
The document King John definitely didn’t want to sign: The Magna Carta
Source: bl.uk
We Can All Speak English
In 1362, English was re-adopted as the official language – so you can thank Edward III for that!
The times of the Plantagenet’s were a golden age of cathedral building in the gothic style. The buildings which stand today, such as Westminster Abbey and Windsor are testament to their craftsmanship.
Living in Brick Houses
If you live in Portsmouth then you have Richard I to thank as its founder; King John for Liverpool and Henry III for Harwich. You also have the Plantagenet’s to thank if your London house is made of brick (brick buildings were reintroduced for the first time since the Romans).
The Most Successful Dynasty in History
The Plantagenet’s were the most successful dynasty to pass down the crown (1189-1377). However, in 1399, the dynasty split into two competing branches; the House of York and the House of Lancaster (that is a story for another time!). Trouble ensued and sporadic battles were fought between 1455 and 1485, named wholly as the War of the Roses. The decisive battle came at Bosworth Field, where our newly found king met his end, and Henry VII (or as we like to call him, Henry VIII’s Dad) took the crown and founded the Tudor dynasty.
Left: The House of Lancaster. Right: The House of York.
Source: medievalworlda.blogspot.com
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