Who Is King Henry I Rise To Power

Born on March 5th, 1133, Henry II was the eldest son of Geoffrey IV, Count of Anjou, and Matilda, daughter of Henry I. During his lifetime he ruled thrice as Count, twice as Duke, and once as King. He first became active in politics at age fourteen, while his mother was striving to seize the English throne. By eighteen he inherited his father’s estate. A bit later, he married Eleanor of Aquitaine. Together they had eight children: William, Young Henry, Richard, Matilda, Geoffrey, Eleanor, Joan, and John. Strife over the inheritance of the empire swiftly emerged, for each son wanted the most power. The tension materialized in “The Great Revolt”, followed by a final rebellion in 1189. Defeated by his own sons and suffering from a bleeding ulcer, the fifty-six-year-old monarch withdrew to a castle and died. He had reigned for thirty-four years. Henry’s was a harsh rule with little structure or coherence in the empire; his primary goal was victorious conquest. …show more content…
After he was additionally canonized by Pope Alexander III, Henry II accepted his part as the one responsible for the murder (even though his participation was indirect). Submitting to the punishment specified by the pope, he walked to Canterbury Cathedral clothed in sackcloth and ashes and allowed himself be whipped by the monks there. To recover his popular image, he built extra monasteries in France. For a time he even neglected the court authority problem. Since the author of The Golden Legend is aiming to convince us that Thomas Becket should be considered a saint of the Catholic Church, he pictures him in a good light and his opponents, including Henry II, in a dark light. In general however, The Golden Legend seems to depict an accurate view of King Henry that is supported by historical records. Both sources present him as a sinister personage, an unpopular ruler, and a hindrance to the Catholic