Henry II: A Prince Among Princes

98 Pages·2016·5.81 MB·English

by  Richard Barber

Richard Barber

HENRY II
A Prince Among Princes
Contents
Genealogical Table
Map
HENRY II
1. The Man
2. His Story
3. His Achievements
Illustrations
Picture Credits
Further Reading
Notes
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Penguin Monarchs
THE HOUSES OF WESSEX AND DENMARK
Athelstan Tom Holland
Aethelred the Unready Richard Abels
Cnut Ryan Lavelle
Edward the Confessor James Campbell
THE HOUSES OF NORMANDY, BLOIS AND ANJOU
William I Marc Morris
William II John Gillingham
Henry I Edmund King
Stephen Carl Watkins
Henry II Richard Barber
Richard I Thomas Asbridge
John Nicholas Vincent
THE HOUSE OF PLANTAGENET
Henry III Stephen Church
Edward I Andy King
Edward II Christopher Given-Wilson
Edward III Jonathan Sumption
Richard II Laura Ashe
THE HOUSES OF LANCASTER AND YORK
Henry IV Catherine Nall
Henry V Anne Curry
Henry VI James Ross
Edward IV A. J. Pollard
Edward V Thomas Penn
Richard III Rosemary Horrox
THE HOUSE OF TUDOR
Henry VII Sean Cunningham
Henry VIII John Guy
Edward VI Stephen Alford
Mary I John Edwards
Helen Castor
Helen Castor
Elizabeth I
THE HOUSE OF STUART
James I Thomas Cogswell
Charles I Mark Kishlansky
[Cromwell David Horspool]
Charles II Clare Jackson
James II David Womersley
William III & Mary II Jonathan Keates
Anne Richard Hewlings
THE HOUSE OF HANOVER
George I Tim Blanning
George II Norman Davies
George III Amanda Foreman
George IV Stella Tillyard
William IV Roger Knight
Victoria Jane Ridley
THE HOUSES OF SAXE-COBURG & GOTHA AND WINDSOR
Edward VII Richard Davenport-Hines
George V David Cannadine
Edward VIII Piers Brendon
George VI Philip Ziegler
Elizabeth II Douglas Hurd
For Gay

1
The Man
‘I saw King Henry, many times. Yet I still remember the first time I encountered
him and looked at him: and I knew at once this was a man I would not forget. He
was very handsome, with a face that men and women never tired of looking at,
however often they had already seen him; his complexion was freckled, and his
grey eyes were set off by his close-cropped tawny hair. He was usually calm, but
if something angered him, his look would suddenly become fierce; his face
flushed red, while his eyes became bloodshot. His head was large and round,
with a short neck. He was only of middling height, and yet seemed taller than he
was, for he always wore a short cloak, unlike other Normans – hence his
nickname “Curtmantle”. He was well built, of good proportions, and sound in
wind and limb, agile and energetic, with broad shoulders and sturdy limbs: he
had extraordinary stamina. He was bow-legged from riding, and had the
powerful shins of a man who spent his life in the saddle. Naturally corpulent, he
had a large stomach; to avoid becoming too fat, he was careful to eat and drink
in moderation. To keep himself fit, he adopted a harsh physical regime for the
same reason.
‘As he grew older, his hair began to turn grey, and his habit of riding all day
and then standing whenever he was in public – whether at Mass, in council or
transacting the business of the kingdom – caused his legs to swell, and he
suffered badly from an ingrowing toenail. His endless life on horseback meant
that he was often kicked by horses and injured himself by frequently spurring on
recalcitrant animals. In fact, although he kept himself fit, he did not trouble
about the care of his body in other ways: he only wore gloves when hawking,
and his hands were rough as a result. He dressed simply, without any regard to
fashion: his boots were plain, his caps had no decoration, and his clothes were