Henry the Young King (1155-1183)

Henry the Young King

MONARCH (ENGLAND)

BORN 28 Feb 1155, London - DIED 11 Jun 1183, Martel (castle), Dordogne
GRAVE LOCATION Rouen, Seine-Maritime: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen

Henry was the second of the five sons of King Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. His older brother died when he was young. He was raised by William Marshall and Thomas Becket. In 1170 he was crowned king while his father was still alive, not uncommon at that time. From then on he was known as The Young King.

He married Margaret of France in 1172, a marriage that had been planned while they were still small children. In 1172 he was crowned again, this time together with Margaret. In 1173 he rebelled against his father and he was joint by many parties. He almost succeeded in winning this civil war, but his father won, capturing the king of Scotland.

Young Henry reconciled with his father and he spent most of his next years with tournaments. In 1182 he quarreled with his tournament leader William Marshall for unknown reasons. The charge of adultery of Marshall with queen Margaret is dubious and came from a later time.

In 1183 he sent Margaret to the French court, preparing a war against his brother Richard. During the campaign against his gather and his brother he caught dysentery. He was taken to Martel in Limoges, where on his deathbed he asked to see his father. But Henri refused because he feared that it was a trap. Henry died there on 11 Jun 1183.

Images

The grave monument of Henry the Young King at the Cathedral in Rouen.
Picture by Androom (29 Aug 2001)