HENRY III PLANTAGENET ap JOHN I LACKLAND PLANTAGENET

By the Grace of God, King of England,
Lord of Ireland and Duke of Aquitaine

BIRTH: 1207 in Winchester Castle, Winchester, Hampshire, England
DEATH: 16 Nov 1272 in Westminster, London, England
BURIAL: Westminster Abbey, Westminster, London, England
FATHER: John I LACKLAND PLANTAGENET - BIRTH: 24 Dec 1166 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England
MOTHER: Isabella TAILLEFER of Angouleme - BIRTH: Abt 1170 in Angouleme, Charente, France
MARRIAGE: 1236 - Eleanor of Provence verch RAYMOND V in Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury, Kent, England
BIRTH: 1223 in St. Maime, Aix-en-Provence, France
CHILDREN:
1. Edward I PLANTAGENET ap HENRY III
BIRTH: 17 Jun 1239 in Westminster, Middlesex, England
2. Margaret verch HENRY III PLANTAGENET
BIRTH: 1240 in ? Westminster, Middlesex, England
3. Beatrice of England verch HENRY III PLANTAGENET
BIRTH: 25 Jun 1242 in Bordeaux, Gascogne, France
4. Edmund Crouchback ap HENRY III PLANTAGENET
BIRTH: 16 Jan 1244 in London, England
5. Katherine verch HENRY III PLANTAGENET
BIRTH: 1253 DEATH: 3 May 1257

Henry III was a member of the house of Anjou or Plantagenet. He was only 9 years of age when he ascended the throne after his father's death in 1216. He was the first child monarch in English royal history after the 1066 Conquest.
The kingdom was ruled by William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, during Henry's minority years. However the Earl died in 1219 at which time the Justiciar Hubert de Burgh became the chief power in the government. The French were expelled from eastern England and the rebellious barons were brought under control. They ruled the country according to the Magna Carta until 1227.
Nicholas Trevet describes the man Henry as 'a thickset man of medium height, with a narrow forehead and a dreeping left eyelid (inherited by his son Edward I).
When Henry reached a mature age he restored royal authority modeled after the French monarchy. Eleanor of Provence became his wife and then put many of his French relative in places of power and wealth. However, he began to be drawn to the Anglo-Saxon way of saint King Edward the Confessor. He began to dress as King Edward had, wearing simple robes. He named his first son after Saint Edward. Henry also designated St. Edward's Abbey as Westminster the seat of power in England. Henry became extremely pious and often delayed his travels in order to hear mass several times a day.
Henry had to deal with civil strife as the English barons led by De Montfort demanded more say in running the kingdom. They wanted to reassert Magna Carta and force Henry to give more power to the Baronical council. In 1258 they forced Henry to agree to the Provisions of Oxford which abolished the absolutist Anglo-Norman monarchy and gave power to a council of 15 barons. This council would deal with the business of government and have 3 meetings yearly of parliament to monitor their perfomance.
In 1261 Henry obtained a papal bull which exempted him from his oath to the Provisions of Oxford which resulted in the second Baron's war. On 14 May 1264, Henry was defeated by De Montfort's forces at the Battle of Lewes. He was taken prisoner and his power was reduced to him just being a figurehead. His son, Edward 'Longshanks' had also been taken prisoner. Many of the barons began to think that De Montfort had gone to far.
Edward escaped captivity 15 months later and led the royalists into battle again and defeated De Montfort at the Battle of Evesham in 1265. This victory brought savage retribution on the Barons.
Henry built a shrine at Westminster for Edward the Confessor. It was finished in 1269.
Henry III died 12 Nov 1272 in Westminster, London, England.
He is buried at Wesminster Abbey.

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