KINGS AND QUEENS OF ENGLAND
The Plantagenets 1154 - 1399
The Plantagenets were a huge powerful family not just in England but throughout Europe. Their name came from planta genista, the Latin for yellow broom flower, which the Counts of Anjou wore as an emblem on their helmets. The first Plantagenet kings were the Angevins, from Anjou, and later followed related familes of Lancaster and of York.
King Henry II 1154 - 1189
King Richard I the Lionheart 1189 - 1199
King John 1 1199 - 1216
King Henry III 1216 - 1272
King Edward I 1272 - 1307
King Edward II 1307 - 1327
King Edward III 1327 - 1377
Richard II 1377 - 1399
King Henry II 1154 - 1189
Age 21-56
Son of Matilda
Grandson of Henry I
Married Eleanor (French)
Eight children
Buried at Fontevrault (France)
Came to the throne at just 21. He ruled for thirty-four years, but spent only fourteen of them in England. He controlled more of France than the King of France.
Thomas Becket was Henry II's Chancellor before the king made him Archbishop of Canterbury, even though he had never been a priest. Henry is mostly remembered for his quarrel with Thomas A Becket, and Becket's subsequent murder in Canterbury Cathedral on 29th December 1170.
Henry's eldest son, also called Henry, died before his father so in 1189 his second son, Richard, succeeded to the throne.
King Richard I the Lionheart 1189 - 1199
Age 32 - 42
Son of Henry II
Married Berengaria (French)
No children
Killed in battle
Buried at Fontevrault (France)
Third and eldest surviving son of Henry II. He was in England for only ten months, spending the other time fighting in the *Crusades. He spoke very little English. He is usually depicted as a brave, warrior king, and was given the nickname 'Lionheart'.Richard had no children, so the next king was his brother John.
*The Crusades were a series of nine religious wars waged from 1095 to liberate Jerusalem and the Holy Land from Islamic rule.
King John 1 1199 - 1216
Age about 32-49
Son of Henry II
Married Isabel (English) then Isabella (French)
Five children
Buried at Worcester.
Fourth child of Henry II and brother of Richard l. Responsible for the Magna Carta (Great Charter) giving justice to all.
Interesting FactFor a Christmas feast in 1206 at Winchester Castle, King John's orders to the sheriff included 1,500 chickens, 5,000 eggs, 20 oxen, 100 pigs, and 100 sheep.
King Henry III 1216 - 1272
Age 9 - 65
Eldest son of John I
Married Eleanor (French)
Six children
Bburied in Westminster Abbey.
Henry was 9 years old when he became king. His reign lasted fifty-six years, making it the longest of any English monarch (NB not British monarch)
In 1264 Henry was captured during a civil war and was forced to set up a 'Parlement' (from the French "parler", to talk) at Westminster, the start of the House of Commons.
He rebuilt Westminster Abbey.
King Edward I 1272 - 1307
Age 33-68
Eldest son of Henry III
Married Eleanor (Spanish) then Margaret (French)
Eleven children
Buried in Westminster Abbey.
Edward 'Longshanks' (so called because he was over 6ft tall) fought wars against the Scots King Robert the Bruce and was called 'the hammer of the Scots'. Edward formed the Model Parliament in 1295, bringing together the knights, clergy, nobility and burgesses of the cities, bringing Lords and Commons together for the first time.
King Edward II 1307 - 1327
Age 23-43
Son of Edward I
Married Isabella (French)
Four children
Murdered
Buried in Glucester Cathedral.
He was called Edward of Carnarvon after his birthplace in Wales. Edward's wife raised an army to take over the Kingdom. He was murdered in gaol.
King Edward III 1327 - 1377
Age 15-65
Son of Edward II
Married Philippa (Flemish)
Eleven children
Buried in Westminster Abbey.
Edward fought many battles against the Scots and the French. Set up the Order of the Garter. The outbreak of bubonic plague, the 'Black Death' in 1348-1350 killed half the population of England.
The Black PrinceEdward's lll's eldest son was also called Edward. He was known as the Black Prince because of the colour of his armour.
Richard II 1377 - 1399
Age 10-32
Son of Edward the Black Prince
Grandson of Edward III
Married Anne (Bohemian) then Isabella (French)
No children
Murdered
Buried in Westminster Abbey.
Richard ruled at the time of Chaucer the poet.His cousin, Henry IV, had him murdered in prison to take over the throne


1066 - 1154 The Normans
1154 - 1399 Plantagenets
1399 - 1461 The House of Lancaster
1461 - 1485 The House of York
1485 -1603 The Tudors
1603 - 1649 and 1660 - 1714 The Stuarts
1714 -1901 The House of Hanovarians
1901 -1910 and 1910 - Today Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and The Windsors