The Power of the Kings of England

The Power of the Kings of England, Church, and State

• King John's reign marked the end of a long struggle between church and state, initiated in 1066 when the Pope claimed William promised to accept him as his feudal lord.

• William refused, creating Norman bishops and giving lands on condition they pay homage to him, leading to unclear loyalties between the Church and the king.

• Kings and popes who wanted to avoid conflict left the ambiguous situation alone, but others sought to increase their authority, resulting in unavoidable trouble.

• The struggle was about power and money; the Church wanted authority over spiritual and earthly affairs, arguing kings were answerable to God.

• Kings chose bishops loyal to them, sparking quarrels like the one between William Rufus and Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury; Anselm, fearing the king, fled England.

• After William's death, Anselm refused homage to Henry I, who had appointed new bishops lacking spiritual authority, creating a difficult situation for the king.

• After seven years, the Church gained the right to appoint bishops, but bishops would pay homage to the king for their lands; kings still significantly influenced bishop appointments.

• Henry I delayed appointing a new archbishop for five years after Anselm's death, benefiting from Canterbury's wealth, showing the struggle continued.

• The crisis escalated when Henry II appointed Thomas Becket as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1162, hoping to control the Church, but Becket initially resisted, then yielded, and later changed his mind and fled to France.

• In 1170, Becket returned to England, determined to resist Henry; four knights, hearing Henry's anger, murdered Becket in Canterbury Cathedral.

• The murder shocked Christian Europe; Thomas Becket became a saint, attracting pilgrims to Canterbury, and Henry was forced to seek the Pope's forgiveness and be whipped by monks.

• The Pope used the event to reclaim Church privileges, but Henry was supported by nobles involved in the argument.

• The Church generally supported the king against nobles, expecting rewards, but King John upset both Church and nobles simultaneously.

Beginnings of Parliament

• King John signed Magna Carta unwillingly and did not keep the agreement, leading the nobles to rebel; civil war was avoided by John's sudden death in 1216.

• John's son, Henry III, was only nine and under noble control for sixteen years, tied by Magna Carta; at twenty-five, he sought independence, spending time with foreign friends and engaging in costly wars supporting the Pope in Sicily and France.

• Henry's spending and foreign advisors upset the nobles, who, led by Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, took over the government and elected a council in 1258.

• De Montfort called the council a

Henry III

• Son of King John

• During first 16 years as king, he was under the control of powerful nobles and tied by Magna Carta.

• Able to rule at age 25

• Spent time with foreign friends and became involved in expensive wars supporting the Pope in Sicily and France.

• His heavy spending and foreign advisors upset the nobles.

• Under the leadership of Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, they took over the government and elected a council of nobles → De Montfort called it a parliament. The parliament took control, and Henry III had to get rid of his foreign advisors. The nobles were supported by the towns, which wished to be free of Henry’s heavy taxes.

• Some nobles remained loyal to Henry III, and with their help, he killed De Montfort.

Edward I

• Son of Henry III

• Brought together the first real parliament

• Created The House of Commons: he demanded each shire and town send 2 representatives to his parliament. These “commoners” would have stayed away if they could to avoid giving money, but few dared risk Edward’s anger.

• In 1284, he united west Wales with England.

• He wanted to get Scotland too

• Two men made homage to him, and later he invaded Scotland and made John de Balliol the King.

• He stole the scared Stone of Destiny from Scone Abbey because legend said all Scottish kings must sit on it. He believed that without it, Scottish coronation would be meaningless and that his possession of the stone would persuade the Scots to see him as the king.

• His treatment of Scots led them to a resistant movement which was led at first by William Wallace.

• Later, Edward killed Wallace - Scottish nationalism was born on the day Wallace died.

• Robert became the new leader of Scots and raised an army.

• Edward gathered an army, but he died on the way north. On his grave were written the words “Edward, the Hammer of the Scots.”

Edward II

• After his father’s death, he turned back to England, and Bruce had time to defeat Scottish enemies and make himself accepted as the king.

• In 1314, Edward invaded, but Bruce’s army destroyed his army.

• Bruce sent a note to the Pope in Rome that Scotland won't remain British.

The 14th Century

• Edward III was more interested in the war with France

• He used the excuse of owning French land to invade.

• His claim was much better than his mother’s was.

• The war with France took resources and focus away from Scotland.

• The war with France also united the English

  • Because it was now clear to everyone that they were English and not Norman or French

  • Lords fought not just because they were obliged to but because they believed in England

• During this time that English began to be used instead of French in law and literature

  • Lords spoke English in parliament

• Black Death → one third of the population died, reduced workers available

• The few who survived demanded higher wages

• Lords passed special laws to keep wages down

• It led to a Peasants’ Revolt

  • Wat Tyler lead the rebels

  • Richard II promised the rebels everything they wanted, but the lords arrested the leaders of the peasants and killed them

Richard II

• Took over the throne when his grandfather died

• Agreed to everything peasants wanted but later had them killed

• Lost the throne because he was thought to be mad to his cousin Henry

The 15th Century

• Henry IV's reign (1399-1413) saw challenges to his legitimacy; his son, Henry V (1413-1422), renewed the war with France, achieving victory at Agincourt in 1415.

• Henry V's success was short-lived; his son, Henry VI (1422-1461), was mentally unstable, and England lost its French territories.

• The Wars of the Roses (1455-1485) were a series of civil wars between the House of Lancaster (Henry VI) and the House of York, devastating the nobility.

• Key battles included the Battle of Wakefield (1460), where the Duke of York was killed, and the Battle of Towton (1461), where Edward IV (York) defeated the Lancastrians.

• Edward IV ruled until 1483, briefly interrupted by Henry VI's re-enthronement in 1470-71; Richard III (1483-1485) seized the throne after Edward IV's death, allegedly murdering his nephews.

• Richard III was defeated and killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 by Henry Tudor, who became Henry VII, ending the Wars of the Roses and establishing the Tudor dynasty.

Henry VII

• Henry VII (1485-1509) strengthened the monarchy by limiting noble power and increasing royal finances through efficient taxation.

• He avoided costly wars and used diplomacy to secure his dynasty, marrying his daughter Margaret to the King of Scotland and his son Arthur to Catherine of Aragon.

• Henry VII's policies laid the foundation for a strong, centralized English state and the Tudor dynasty's success.

Henry VIII

• Henry VIII (1509-1547) initially married Catherine of Aragon but sought an annulment to marry Anne Boleyn, leading to a break with the Catholic Church.

• In 1534, the Act of Supremacy declared Henry VIII the Supreme Head of the Church of England, initiating the English Reformation.

• Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries, seizing their wealth and lands, which increased the Crown's power and resources.

• He married six times: Catherine of Aragon (divorced), Anne Boleyn (executed), Jane Seymour (died), Anne of Cleves (divorced), Catherine Howard (executed), and Catherine Parr (survived him).

Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I

• Edward VI (1547-1553) was a Protestant; his reign saw further religious reforms but was cut short by his early death.

• Mary I (1553-1558), a Catholic, attempted to restore Catholicism, earning the nickname 'Bloody Mary' for persecuting Protestants.

• Elizabeth I (1558-1603) established a moderate Protestant Church of England, navigating religious conflicts and solidifying England’s position as a major European power.

• Elizabeth I faced challenges from Catholic powers, including the Spanish Armada in 1588, which England defeated, marking a significant victory.

  Her reign saw a flourishing of English culture, including the works of William Shakespeare, and the beginning of English exploration and colonization.

• James I (1603-1625) succeeded Elizabeth, uniting the crowns of England and Scotland, and promoted the King James Version of the Bible, which became a significant cultural and religious text.

• Charles I (1625-1649) followed James I and his reign was marked by significant tensions between the monarchy and Parliament, ultimately leading to the English Civil War.The conflict resulted in Charles I's execution and the temporary establishment of the Commonwealth under Oliver Cromwell, which shifted power dynamics and questioned the absolute rule of monarchy. After the Restoration in 1660, Charles II returned to the throne, bringing an era of cultural revival and the reopening of theaters, which had been closed during the Commonwealth. This period also saw the development of new ideas and philosophies that would challenge traditional authority. James II (1685-1688), however, faced opposition for his Catholicism and attempts to assert royal authority over Parliament, resulting in the Glorious Revolution which ultimately led to his abdication and the establishment of constitutional monarchy under William and Mary. The evolution of monarchy during this period not only reflected the changing political landscape but also laid the groundwork for modern democracy and the balance of power between the rulers and the governed. The changes in governance introduced by the Glorious Revolution, including the Bill of Rights in 1689, established key principles such as parliamentary sovereignty and limited monarchical power, fundamentally altering the relationship between the monarchy and the citizens of England. Furthermore, the shift in power dynamics highlighted the importance of individual rights and the rule of law, setting a precedent for future democratic movements and encouraging the development of a more engaged electorate. This transformation marked a pivotal moment in history as it demonstrated that the monarchy could no longer govern without the consent of the governed, leading to a more participatory political system that involved broader segments of the population.