Henry III of England(1207-1272)
Young Henry (1207-1272) became King Henry III of England at just the age of nine in 1216, and reigned until his death in 1272.
King Henry III of England. – Illustration from Cassell’s History of England. © Historic UK
John Lackland ('John without land')
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Henry was the first child of John (the infamous 'bad' King John, villain from every Robin Hood tale) and Isabella of Angouléme.
John lost his continental control in 1202 and lost the lands that had provided him with the income he relied upon (Carpenter, D. 2020).
King John of England. – Illustration from Cassell’s History of England. © Historic UK
Rebellion!
John spent the next ten years extorting huge sums of money from his English subjects to fund his campaigns to regain control of his lost lands in France.
In the rebellions of 1215, barons and their knights came together to repel John's exploitative governance. The baron's uprising led to the creation of the 1215 Magna Carta (Turner, R. 2003).
An engraving of King John signing the Magna Carta on June 15, 1215, at Runnymede, England. © Brittanica.com
What did that mean for young Henry?
Once Henry was of age to take personal responsibility for his kingdom’s rule, he experienced strained relations with the barons – though less so than what his father had experienced. (Turner, R. 2003)
The coronation of King Henry III. © Historic UK
Eleanor of Provence ('Regina') and Henry ('Rex') returning to England from Poitou in 1243, by Matthew Paris © Wikipedia
Henry's courtly problems.
Henry's relationship with his subjects was beginning to strain. At court, his most influential courtiers enjoyed royal privileges and protections. Among those in favour were the king’s foreign relatives – his uncles and half-brothers of his wife, Eleanor of Provence.
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Henry’s denial of justice to a long time royal official, that complained of an unprovoked attack on his servant by retainers of one of the king’s foreign relatives, would become a major factor in igniting the 1258 revolution (Turner, R. 2003).
Foreign suspicions.
The feeling that England was in danger of being corrupted by the greedy and lawless “foreigners” (Carpenter, D. 2020).
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A list of grievances against King Henry that was submitted to St Louis of France in 1264 states - ‘Although in the charter it is laid down that to no one shall the king sell, deny, or delay right or justice… after the arrival of certain aliens whom the king, scorning his native subjects, drew to his counsels, no justice could be obtained in his court against these men or against certain courtiers’ (Turner, R. 2003).
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Early chronology showing Henry (top) and his children, Edward, Margaret, Edmund, Beatrice and Katherine. © Wikipedia
Rebellion! Again!
Between 1258-1265, a band of reforming barons known as the ‘le commun de Engleterre’ insisted a political alliance to reform the government (Turner, R. 2003).
Louis IX of France mediating between King Henry III and the barons
© Historic UK
What does that mean for the 1262 charter?
Through understanding the political and economical plight of Henry III's reign, we can begin to contextualise the historical significance of the 1262 charter.
King Henry III of England's 1262 charter to the citizens of Lincoln.
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