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A Short History of the Plantagenets
The Plantagenet family titles included:
□
Counts of:
Anjou, Maine, Nantes, Poitou
□
Dukes of:
Normandy, Brittany, Aquitaine
□
Princes of:
Wales
□
Lords of:
Ireland, Cyprus
□
Kings of:
England, Jerusalem
They also claimed: France, Sicily, Rome and Castile
The Plantagenets are a branch of the Angevines, who originated in the French province
of Gâtinais and later merged with Anjou through marriage in the 11th century. The
family acquired other lands and it emerged as the Angevin Empire with holdings from
the Pyrenees to Ireland.
Ingelgerius Fulk (858-900) was Archbishop of Reims. He succeeded Archbishop
Huncmar in 883 and was soon forced to defend his territory against the invading
Normans. Fulk attempted to make his kinsman, Guy, Duke of Spoleto, King of France
after Charles the Fat was deposed in 887. This failed and Fulk reluctantly
accepted Eudes as king, because of Charles the Simple's youth. France needed a
strong king to defend against the Normans. After Charles became king. Fulk served
as Chancellor and Baldwin assassinated him for his attempt to keep church
property out of the hands of the nobles.
Fulk’s son succeeded as Fulk I (888-942), Count of Anjou. There were five Fulk
counts of Anjou in a row. Count Fulk V of Anjou (1092-1143) was a crusader. He
visited Palestine in 1120 and again in 1129, when he married Melisend, daughter of
Baldwin II, King of Jerusalem. In 1131, after Baldwin died, Fulk became King of
Jerusalem. In the same year he settled a dispute in Antioch (now in Turkey) and
defeated a revolt by his wife's lover, Hugh of le Puiset. In 1137 as an ally of
Byzantines he fought the Turkish leader 'Imad ad-Din Zangi, of Mosul (now in
Iraq) and in 1140 he helped defend the Muslims of Damascus against Zangi. He
built a series of fortresses in the south, including Krak of Moab, to defend
Jerusalem.
Matilda, daughter of King Henry I of England was married to the Holy Roman
Emperor Henry V of Lorraine. When he died she married Count Geoffrey of Anjou
and Maine, son of King Fulk of Jerusalem. After her marriage to Geoffrey, Matilda
was still referred to as Empress Matilda.
Geoffrey wore a sprig of a plant called plantar genista in his cap. It is said this is
why he was called Plantagenet.
Matilda’s brother died in the “White Ship Wreck”, leaving King Henry I of England
with no male heir. Matilda claimed the throne as Henry’s only surviving legitimate
child. The Kings of England were also the Dukes of Normandy, since William the
Conqueror was crowned king in 1066. When King Henry died in 1135, Geoffrey V
Plantagenet claimed the Duchy of Normandy and conquered it in 1144. He held
Anjou and Normandy until he granted them to his son Henry.
The Anglo-Norman nobility supported Matilda's cousin, Stephen Blois, and Stephen
succeeded in having himself crowned King of England. Matilda was supported by her
illegitimate half-brother Robert 1st Earl of Gloucester and they waged a war
against King Stephen. Matilda did gain control, but Stephen besieged her in Oxford
Castle and she was forced to flee to Anjou.
Stephen's reign was plagued by turmoil and was not a success. By an agreement with
Matilda, Matilda’s son succeeded Stephen as King Henry II Curtmantel Plantagenet of
England in 1154. This was the beginning of the Plantagenet Dynasty that produced
fifteen kings of England.
The War of the Roses between the houses of York and Lancaster divided the
Plantagenet Dynasty. Henry IV Bolingbroke of the House of Lancaster ruled from
1399 to 1413 and was succeeded by Henry V and Henry VI of the House of
Lancaster.
The House of York came to power in 1461 with Edward IV who ruled to 1483. He
was succeeded by Edward V and Richard III of the House of York. The
Plantagenet Dynasty ended with Richard’s death in 1485.
The House of Tudor came to power when King Henry Tudor was crowned in 1485.
He was of Welsh origin descended from the rulers of the Welsh Kingdom of
Deheubarth. His mother was from a legitimized branch of the House of Lancaster.
Home
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A Short History of the Plantagenets
The Plantagenet family titles included:
□
Counts of:
Anjou, Maine, Nantes, Poitou
□
Dukes of:
Normandy, Brittany, Aquitaine
□
Princes of:
Wales
□
Lords of:
Ireland, Cyprus
□
Kings of:
England, Jerusalem
They also claimed: France, Sicily, Rome and Castile
The Plantagenets are a branch of the Angevines, who originated in the French province
of Gâtinais and later merged with Anjou through marriage in the 11th century. The
family acquired other lands and it emerged as the Angevin Empire with holdings from
the Pyrenees to Ireland.
Ingelgerius Fulk (858-900) was Archbishop of Reims. He succeeded Archbishop
Huncmar in 883 and was soon forced to defend his territory against the invading
Normans. Fulk attempted to make his kinsman, Guy, Duke of Spoleto, King of France
after Charles the Fat was deposed in 887. This failed and Fulk reluctantly
accepted Eudes as king, because of Charles the Simple's youth. France needed a
strong king to defend against the Normans. After Charles became king. Fulk served
as Chancellor and Baldwin assassinated him for his attempt to keep church
property out of the hands of the nobles.
Fulk’s son succeeded as Fulk I (888-942), Count of Anjou. There were five Fulk
counts of Anjou in a row. Count Fulk V of Anjou (1092-1143) was a crusader. He
visited Palestine in 1120 and again in 1129, when he married Melisend, daughter of
Baldwin II, King of Jerusalem. In 1131, after Baldwin died, Fulk became King of
Jerusalem. In the same year he settled a dispute in Antioch (now in Turkey) and
defeated a revolt by his wife's lover, Hugh of le Puiset. In 1137 as an ally of
Byzantines he fought the Turkish leader 'Imad ad-Din Zangi, of Mosul (now in
Iraq) and in 1140 he helped defend the Muslims of Damascus against Zangi. He
built a series of fortresses in the south, including Krak of Moab, to defend
Jerusalem.
Matilda, daughter of King Henry I of England was married to the Holy Roman
Emperor Henry V of Lorraine. When he died she married Count Geoffrey of Anjou
and Maine, son of King Fulk of Jerusalem. After her marriage to Geoffrey, Matilda
was still referred to as Empress Matilda.
Geoffrey wore a sprig of a plant called plantar genista in his cap. It is said this is
why he was called Plantagenet.
Matilda’s brother died in the “White Ship Wreck”, leaving King Henry I of England
with no male heir. Matilda claimed the throne as Henry’s only surviving legitimate
child. The Kings of England were also the Dukes of Normandy, since William the
Conqueror was crowned king in 1066. When King Henry died in 1135, Geoffrey V
Plantagenet claimed the Duchy of Normandy and conquered it in 1144. He held
Anjou and Normandy until he granted them to his son Henry.
The Anglo-Norman nobility supported Matilda's cousin, Stephen Blois, and Stephen
succeeded in having himself crowned King of England. Matilda was supported by her
illegitimate half-brother Robert 1st Earl of Gloucester and they waged a war
against King Stephen. Matilda did gain control, but Stephen besieged her in Oxford
Castle and she was forced to flee to Anjou.
Stephen's reign was plagued by turmoil and was not a success. By an agreement with
Matilda, Matilda’s son succeeded Stephen as King Henry II Curtmantel Plantagenet of
England in 1154. This was the beginning of the Plantagenet Dynasty that produced
fifteen kings of England.
The War of the Roses between the houses of York and Lancaster divided the
Plantagenet Dynasty. Henry IV Bolingbroke of the House of Lancaster ruled from
1399 to 1413 and was succeeded by Henry V and Henry VI of the House of
Lancaster.
The House of York came to power in 1461 with Edward IV who ruled to 1483. He
was succeeded by Edward V and Richard III of the House of York. The
Plantagenet Dynasty ended with Richard’s death in 1485.
The House of Tudor came to power when King Henry Tudor was crowned in 1485.
He was of Welsh origin descended from the rulers of the Welsh Kingdom of
Deheubarth. His mother was from a legitimized branch of the House of Lancaster.
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