House of Plantagenet - King Henry III
Name: King Henry III
Father: King John
Mother: Isabella of Angouleme
Born: October 1, 1207 at Winchester
Ascended to the throne: October 18, 1216 aged 9 years
Crowned: October 28, 1216 at Gloucester and May 17, 1220 at Westminster Abbey
Married: Eleanor of Provence, Daughter of Raymond Berenger
Children: Six sons including Edward I, and three daughters
Died: November 16, 1272 at Westminster, aged 65 years, 1 month, and 16 days
Buried at: Westminster Abbey
King of England from 1216, when he succeeded John, but the royal powers were exercised by a regency until 1232, and by two French nobles, Peter des Roches and Peter des Rivaux, until the barons forced their expulsion in 1234, marking the start of Henry's personal rule. His financial commitments to the papacy and his foreign favourites antagonized the barons who issued the Provisions of Oxford in 1258, limiting the king's power. Henry's refusal to accept the provisions led to the second Barons' War in 1264, a revolt of nobles led by his brother-in-law Simon de Montfort. Henry was defeated at Lewes, Sussex, and imprisoned, but restored to the throne after the royalist victory at Evesham in 1265. He was succeeded by his son Edward I.
On his release Henry was weak and senile and his eldest son, Edward, took charge of the government.
Timeline for King Henry III
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1216 | Henry III is crowned King at the age of nine. England is ruled temporarily by two regents, Hubert de Burgh and William the Marshal |
| 1217 | The French lose the battles of Lincoln and Dover and are driven back to France |
| 1220 | Building of Salisbury cathedral begun |
| 1222 | De Burgh successfully puts down an insurrection supporting the French king Louis Vlll’s claim to the throne |
| 1227 | Henry takes full control of the government of England, but retains de Burgh as his main adviser |
| 1232 | Hubert de Burgh is dismissed as adviser |
| 1236 | Henry marries Eleanor of Provence |
| 1237 | The Treaty of York with Alexander II of Scotland agrees the border between England and Scotland |
| 1238 | Simon de Montfort marries Henry’s sister, Eleanor |
| 1240 | Henry's Great Council is called 'Parliament' for the first time |
| 1245 | Henry lays the foundation stone for the rebuilding of Westminster Abbey |
| 1258 | The English barons, led by de Montfort, rebel against Henry’s misgovernment. They present a list of grievances to Henry, who signs the Provisions of Oxford, which limit royal power |
| 1261 | Henry repudiates the Provisions of Oxford |
| 1264 | The Baron’s War breaks out. De Montfort defeats Henry at Lewes. Henry is captured. |
| 1265 | Simon de Montfort summons the first directly elected English Parliament |
| 1265 | Some of the barons break their alliance with de Montfort and, led by Prince Edward, kill him at the Battle of Evesham |
| 1266 | The Dictum of Kenilworth restores Henry's authority and annuls the Provisions of Oxford |
| 1267 | In the Treaty of Montgomery, Henry recognizes Llewellyn ap Gruffydd as ruler of Wales |
| 1272 | Henry III dies in the Palace of Westminster |