A Medieval King As You've Never Seen Him Before

The inner workings of Henry III’s mind are laid bare in a unique collection of letters that have survived from the 13th century. David Carpenter, who has written a major new biography on Henry, presents seven insights that these documents give us into the king

- David Carpenter

King Henry III of England, the son of King John, was a monarch in a new age. He was the first to confront the restrictions of Magna Carta, the power of parliament and a rising tide of English national feeling. He also began his reign bereft of Normandy and Anjou. His predecessors first held it since 1066, and the second since 1154.

If Henry’s situation was different from his ancestors, so was his reaction. The depth of his piety, centring on his devotion to Saint Edward the Confessor, sets him apart from all his predecessors. Fortunately, thanks to the richness of the source material, we know more about his daily conduct than that of any other medieval monarch.

Henry was nine years old in 1216 when he came to the throne. He was 65 on his death in 1272. His reign totalled 56 years. In some ways, he was the ideal king for the Magna Carta age: warm-hearted and accessible. His rule was totally unlike that of his hard-driving, spiky father. John’s conduct had provoked a barons’ rebellion in 1215 and the concession of Magna Carta. Henry’s brought years of peace, a blessing for which he was widely praised.

BUILDING ON THE PEACE