Henry III ─ The Son of Magna Carta

Henry III became King of England within days of his ninth birthday. His father, King John, had overseen a disastrous period in English history and the boy king inherited a country embroiled in a bitter, entrenched war with itself. With barons inviting a French prince to take the crown, the young Henry was forced to rely on others to maintain him in his position.

As he grew into adulthood, Henry had to manage the transition to a personal rule, wrenching power from men who had held it almost unchecked for years. With a settled position at home, attention could turn to the recovery of lost territory abroad and the salvaging of Henry’s family reputation. All would not go according to plan.

Failures abroad led to more trouble at home as restless barons became disillusioned and found a figurehead in Simon de Montfort, a man who would transform himself from Henry’s favorite to a de facto king. Imprisoned and stripped of his power, Henry would again have to fight for his kingdom, relying not on older mentors now, but on his immensely capable son.

Henry was handed a poisoned chalice, a crown that was cracked and tarnished. He was given fifty-six years to mend the damage his father had done. It was to be over half a century of highs and lows in a country crying out for stability, and the final measure of Henry’s achievements will lie in understanding the crown that he left to his son, Edward I, and in measuring the impact of tumultuous events on him and his effect on those events.