House Of Plantagenet – How Hatred, Revenge And Jealousy Transformed History (Essay Sample)

House Of Plantagenet – How Hatred, Revenge And Jealousy Transformed History The longest reigning kings were French The one family that has put more kings on the throne of England were not natural English citizens. The family descended from the Frankish family the Ingelger. Yet, royal lineage can be a long and winding road. How the Plantagenet became one of the longest reigning families in England started with Geoffrey who married Henry I’s daughter. This marriage united three royal families, the Angevin, the House of Normandy and finally the House of Wessex. British law does allow the royal family to choose their own surname which is why this united family ended up being called the Plantagenet. From this not so humble beginning, started a 300-year reign filled with treachery, intrigue, deception and much more. Let the games begin Henry I originally named his only daughter Matilda as heir to his English and French holdings. Yet, it was right after Henry I’s death, that Matilda’s cousin Stephen made his move and had himself declared the next King. This act prompted Matilda to return to England to wage war with her cousin. Her husband Geoffrey was working to get her French inheritance back, but Matilda preferred England. In the War of anarchy, Matilda captured Stephen in order to trade him for her half-brother. After the trade was done, Stephen was re-crowned as King, although this did not stop the war from continuing. Geoffrey was successful in reacquiring the Duchess of Normandy for his wife. It doesn’t stop there Matilda’s son, through little negotiations of his own, was made the heir to Stephen, and once on the throne he was not free from any intrigue himself. When Henry II tried to give his youngest son some land, his own wife and three older sons rebelled at the idea. This rebellion led to the Revolt of 1173–1174. With help from the Louis VI, the rebels were able to fight a losing battle with Henry II for a year and a half. Unfortunately for Henry II, two of his older sons died and Richard, the second eldest worked with Philip II to force his father to name him sole heir. This Richard was known later as Richard the Lionhearted, the King who led the Third Crusade. It seems he was not as nice as some historians have led everyone to believe. On Richard’s coronation day, Jews were slaughtered. Then later he deposed the King of Cyprus, sold the island among other dirty deeds. Richard was eventually captured and held for ransom. During this time John ascended to the throne and his rule sparked the writing of the Magna Carta. But Richard was not finished. The ransom was paid, and Richard returned to the throne. He did not stay on the throne very long as he was seeking revenge on Phillip II for stealing his French land. Richard never returned to England as he was killed by an arrow at the battle of Château de Châlus-Chabrol. The War of the Roses There is so much intrigue, treachery and double dealing in the House of Plantagenet throughout their dynasty, that it is impossible to cover it all. It was around 400 AD that the House of Plantagenet split into two separate royal houses. Both Houses sought to ascend to be King. This conflict is what led to the War of the Roses. It was given this name simply because both houses used the rose as their family symbol White was for the Yorks and Red for the Lancasters. It was at this time that Ann Neville’s father became the known as the kingmaker. His work led to several people being placed on the throne. The war started when Richard VI was declared insane. Richard, the Duke of York ruled in his place holding the support of the elder Neville. A good turn of events for Henry VI helped him regain his throne the Duke of York liked the power that came with being king and raised an army to retake the throne. The Duke of York was killed but his son beat Richard VI to London and had himself declared king. For ten years Edward ruled England, but Neville had not given up on restoring the throne to Henry VI. He made an alliance with his former enemies and let the York infighting undermine Edward IV’s authority. The new alliance was successful and returned Henry VI to the throne. But t...