The Angevin Empire

1. When and how did Henry II get and begin ruling Normandy?

Henry II got the lands of Normandy in the year 1150, and became Duke of Normandy, from his father Geoffrey who conquered it in 1144. Geoffrey was married to Matilda his mother who was the daughter of Henry I and Edith the sister of Edgar the Aetheling who tried for the English throne in 1066.

2. When and how did Henry II get and begin ruling Anjou?

At the same time Geoffrey took Normandy he held Anjou as well. Henry II then inherited it from him upon Geoffrey’s death in 1151. Though it was on condition that when he became King of England he was to pass the position of count of Anjou on to his younger brother Geoffrey.

3. When and how did Henry II get and begin ruling Aquitaine?

The lands of Aquitaine came into Henry II’s possession when he made a marriage alliance with Eleanor of Aquitaine the divorcee of Louis VII of France. Several weeks after her divorce Henry married her and so become ruler of her lands, Aquitaine. This happened in 1152.

4. When and how did Henry II get and begin ruling England?

England became part of Henry II’s property when in 1153 he travelled to England in the January to continue his invasion of the country. In the November however King Stephen suffered a loss in the form of his son and heir Eustace’s death in august and so Stephen made friends with Henry and invited him to be his new heir and take his place as King of England upon his death. He began ruling in 1154 shortly after Stephen’s death.

In August 1154 Louis VII of France recognised Henry II as ruler of Anjou, Normandy and Aquitaine.

5. Why was Anjou so import to the Angevin Empire that Henry II had put together?

Anjou was important because it shared borders with Aquitaine and various other lands held by Henry II and so it made it near impossible for Louis VII to try and attack Henry’s lands because he himself held only a fraction of France, the parts that covered Paris and Orelans. Anjou was also a vital centre that helped and eased communications from the north lands to the southern lands that Henry held. It had common borders with all continental lands held by Henry II.

6. What was the impact of the absence of King Henry II’s absence?

As rules of so many lands Henry II was frequently absent from them and this meant that pressure was created for each of his holdings to develop a separate administration system that would handle the government and running of each county, dukedom or kingdom.

7. How did the Angevin Empire expand after 1154?

1154 was the year Henry II came to be King of England. Thus being already count of Anjou and Aquitaine, Duke of Normandy and King of England it seemed that there wasn’t much he could do to expand. However Henry’s lands included the major ports in Europe: Bristol, London, Rouen, Nantes, La Rochelle, Bordeaux, Bayonne. His lands also encompassed the river routes of the Seine, Loire and Garonne. He held the whole of Brittany, disputed lands between Anjou and Champagne, Norman Vexin, Cahors and Quercy. He also imposed himself on Ireland , Scotland and Wales.

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The Angevin Empire