The Anglo-Norman and Plantagenet Dynasties of England
Anglo-Norman Britain
The King of Denmark, who also held the title of King of Wessex, had the power to elect the King of Wessex. However, the true ruler of Wessex was the Earl of Wessex, who was also under the dominion of the Danish King. Upon King Edward’s death, Edgar, King Edward’s nephew, was not chosen as successor. Instead, Harold Godwinson, son of the Earl of Wessex, was elected King of Wessex by the King of Denmark. Harold Hardrada, King of Norway, allied with Tostig, Harold Godwinson’s brother, forcing Harold Godwinson to fight against his own brother. Simultaneously, Duke William of Normandy, a Viking and vassal of the King of France, also posed a threat. Harold Godwinson defeated his brother, but was then faced with the Norman invasion. In 1066, William, Duke of Normandy and vassal of France, became King of England after a successful invasion by ship, transporting horses while the Anglo-Saxons fought on foot. Following the battle, Anglo-Saxon resistance crumbled. The Normans quelled rebellions by setting fire to homes. As the populace refused to accept William as king, he seized all the land, establishing the feudal system. Land could be granted as fiefs, leased, or rented, and worked by peasants or serfs. The land was divided and passed down paternally. Three legal systems existed in Anglo-Norman Britain: Continental or feudal law, overseen by the King’s supreme court and feudal courts; ecclesiastical or canon law; and common law (Anglo-Saxon). Key aspects of law were: i) Law must be written to exist; ii) Ecclesiastical law applied only to church members; and iii) Common law was based on custom and tradition, with improvements by Henry II, including replacing trial by combat and trial by ordeal.
The Plantagenets
The Plantagenets, a branch of the Angevins, were founded by Geoffrey V of Anjou, father of Henry II of England. Plantagenet kings first ruled England in the 12th century. The House of Lancaster, a Plantagenet branch, ruled for about fifty years before clashing with the House of York in the Wars of the Roses. After three Lancastrian monarchs, three Yorkist monarchs reigned, the last being Richard III, killed in battle in 1485. The legitimate male line ended with the execution of Richard’s nephew, Edward, Earl of Warwick, in 1499. An illegitimate scion, Arthur Plantagenet, Viscount Lisle, was active in Henry VIII’s court. Several illegitimate lines, including the Dukes of Beaufort, continued.
Henry II (1133-1189)
Henry II, great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the first Plantagenet King of England and the first to use the title “King of England.” He married Eleanor of Aquitaine, whose marriage to Louis VII of France had been annulled two months prior. They had eight children: William, Henry, Richard, Geoffrey, John, Matilda, Eleanor, and Joan. William died in infancy. Henry the Young King was crowned joint king but never ruled in his own right. It was expected that he would inherit the throne, while Richard would inherit his mother’s possessions. Henry II clashed with the Church, seeking to restrict its independence in state matters and asserting royal jurisdiction over ecclesiastical courts. Despite Henry II’s power, the Church held significant influence. Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, initially a friend of Henry II, championed the Church’s independence after a trip to Rome. This led to conflict, culminating in Becket’s murder in Canterbury Cathedral by members of Henry II’s court. The Church launched a campaign against Henry II, including excommunication. Henry II submitted to the Church, and Becket was declared a saint. In 1173, Henry II was readmitted to the Church after public penance.
Eleanor of Aquitaine and The Art of Courtly Love
Eleanor and her daughter, Marie de Champagne, presided over courts of love, listening to lovers’ quarrels and acting as a jury on matters of romantic love. Andreas Capellanus’s book, The Art of Courtly Love, records twenty-one such cases, including the famous question of whether true love can exist in marriage (the women decided it was unlikely). Some scholars argue that these courts of love never existed, citing the lack of evidence beyond Capellanus’s book and noting that there is no proof Marie ever stayed with Eleanor in Poitiers, despite being mentioned in the book. Andreas wrote for the French court, where Eleanor was not well-regarded.