Henry II of England

NAME Henry II (Henry Plantagenet), King of England

WHAT FAMOUS FOR Henry II was the first Plantagenet King of England and one of the most dynamic rulers of the medieval world. He rebuilt royal authority after the chaos of King Stephen’s reign, reformed English law and government, and ruled over an empire stretching from Scotland to the Pyrenees. He is also remembered for his turbulent marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine and his legendary clashes with Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury.

BIRTH Henry was born on March 5, 1133 at Le Mans in Maine, France. His birth occurred on Mid-Lent Sunday. From his very birth, according to contemporary writers, "many peoples looked to him as their future master".

FAMILY BACKGROUND Henry was the eldest son of Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou (known as Geoffrey the Fair), and Matilda (also called the Empress Matilda), daughter of King Henry I of England. His father represented the powerful Angevin family, which had risen from defenders of the Angevin march to lords of three important counties: Anjou, Touraine, and Maine. His mother was the legitimate daughter of Henry I and had previously been married to Holy Roman Emperor Henry V, earning her the title "Empress". 

Henry was baptized with his grandfather's name, emphasizing his destiny as Henry I's chosen successor. 

He also had an illegitimate half-brother, Hamelin, from his father's side.​

Empress Matilda was designated as Henry 's heir, but her cousin Stephen usurped the throne, leading to a civil war known as The Anarchy.

CHILDHOOD Henry's childhood was dominated by war and intrigue. When he was only two years old, his grandfather Henry I died, and his mother's claim to the English throne was usurped by her cousin Stephen, plunging England into civil war—a period known as "The Anarchy". 

Henry probably spent part of his early childhood in his mother's household and accompanied her to Normandy in the late 1130s. 

The responsibility of reclaiming his inheritance fell on Henry from the age of nine, making him mature beyond his years and obsessed with restoring his ancestral rights. During this turbulent period, his mother Matilda fought for years to claim the throne, leaving an indelible mark on Henry's character and ambitions.​

EDUCATION Henry received an excellent education befitting his noble status. His early education in Anjou was provided by Peter of Saintes, a well-known classical scholar and noted grammarian.

In 1142, at age nine, his father Geoffrey sent him to Bristol, England, the center of Angevin opposition to King Stephen. While in England, Henry lived in the household of his uncle Robert of Gloucester and was tutored alongside Roger of Worcester, one of Robert's sons, by a magister, Master Matthew. The canons of St Augustine's in Bristol also participated in his education, and Henry remembered them with affection in later years. 

He returned to Anjou in either 1143 or 1144, resuming his education under William of Conches, another famous academic. 

Henry spoke French and Latin fluently and understood Provençal, Italian, and English, though he spoke only Latin and French. 

His sharp intellect and remarkable memory would later serve him well as king, particularly in his legal reforms and his ability to recall obscure facts and names — a trait his courtiers found both impressive and unnerving.

CAREER RECORD 1150: Became Duke of Normandy 

1151: Became Count of Anjou, Maine, and Touraine upon his father’s death 

1152: Became Duke of Aquitaine through his marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine

1154: Ascended the English throne after King Stephen’s death, as stipulated by the Treaty of Wallingford

APPEARANCE Henry II cut an unlikely figure for a king. He was thick-set and short, with a strong, square chest, broad shoulders, and legs slightly bowed from a lifetime on horseback — a body built for the saddle rather than the throne. His head was large and round, topped with reddish-auburn hair he kept closely cropped, and his freckled, ruddy face gave him a look of perpetual exertion. His eyes were a striking blue-grey, “dove-like” when he was calm, but capable of flashing “like lightning” when anger flared — a detail that made his courtiers tread carefully. (1)

Peter of Blois, writing in 1177, called him “a man strong, agile, and bold... with a horseman’s shins and a boxer’s arms,” and noted his piercing stare. (2)

As the years wore on, Henry grew bulkier and less handsome, but his presence remained commanding. He cared little for appearance, often dressing in scruffy, practical hunting clothes instead of royal robes — a king who looked more at home in the stables than on a throne.

Contemporary miniature from the Topographia Hibernica, c. 1186–1188

FASHION Henry was notably uninterested in elaborate dress and fashion. He dressed simply and carelessly, usually appearing in practical hunting clothes. He was rarely seen either out of the saddle or without a hawk on his arm. His preference for the short Angevin cloak earned him the nickname "Curtmantle" (short cloak). This casual approach to dress was unusual for a monarch of his stature and stood in stark contrast to the elaborate court fashions of the period.​

His family name, Plantagenet, came from his habit of wearing a sprig of broom (planta genista) in his cap — an early example of personal branding. (2)

CHARACTER Henry II was a bundle of contradictions: brilliant yet impulsive, coarse yet cultured, ferocious yet capable of tenderness. His energy was legendary — he seemed almost incapable of rest. He slept little, ate quickly, and spent most of his life on horseback, always in motion, as though standing still might undo him. One chronicler described him as “a human chariot dragging all after him,” and indeed, few could keep pace with his relentless drive.

He possessed a volcanic temper that could explode without warning, terrifying courtiers and bishops alike. Yet many suspected that some of his tirades were at least partly theatrical — a king’s performance designed to assert dominance. When not shouting, he could be just as formidable in silence, retreating into moody, stony refusals to speak. His piercing stare was famous, capable of reducing even seasoned nobles to uneasy fidgeting.

But beneath the fury was an extraordinary mind. Henry was a shrewd administrator and strategist, meticulous to the point of obsession — a micromanager before the term existed. He could be ruthless, though rarely vindictive; betrayal, rather than opposition, was what he could not forgive. His interests ranged from law and language to poetry and philosophy. He relished intellectual debate as much as the thrill of the hunt or the clash of arms.

For all his ferocity, Henry was not without compassion. He ordered that shipwrecked sailors be protected and punished those who looted their goods. During the famine in Anjou and Maine in 1176, he opened his private granaries to feed the poor. Yet he remained an intensely private man — one who preferred the quiet company of a book or the solitude of the forest to the pageantry of courtly life.

SPEAKING VOICE Chroniclers suggest Henry spoke rapidly and forcefully, with a commanding tone that brooked no contradiction. His speeches were said to be full of wit and quick reasoning, delivered with the intensity of a man always in motion.

He was multilingual, speaking French and Latin fluently, and understanding Provençal, Italian, and English, though he spoke only Latin and French by preference.​

SENSE OF HUMOUR Henry II was known for his use of laughter and wit as tools of power. Contemporary writers noted that "Henry laughed while negotiating political compromises, wittily forced enemies into compliance, and joked while overturning operations of the law". He especially laughed and joked when he felt that abstract ideas of authority had produced injustices he wanted to overturn. By joking, Henry could supplement the mechanisms of government, reinforcing his charismatic authority without explicitly undermining official procedure.

Henry could be a good companion with ready repartee in a jostling crowd.  He enjoyed teasing his courtiers and could use humour to defuse tension — or to humiliate an opponent. His wit was as quick as his temper, which made him both entertaining and dangerous company.

RELATIONSHIPS Henry’s marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the great political and romantic dramas of the Middle Ages — equal parts love story, land grab, and power struggle.

Eleanor was ten years older than the nineteen-year-old Henry, but age, as always, mattered less than acreage. With her hand came the vast and glittering duchy of Aquitaine, stretching across much of western and southern France — enough land to make any young prince look twice. 

The marriage took place on May 18, 1152, at Bordeaux Cathedral, just two months after Eleanor’s annulment from Louis VII of France, a union that had soured spectacularly. Louis, a pious and passionless man, was said to be “more monk than monarch,” and Eleanor, famously vivacious, complained of his indifference. 

A 14th-century representation of the wedding of Louis and Eleanor; right, Louis leaving on Crusade

When she proposed marriage to Henry, it was as much an alliance of ambition as attraction. Together, they formed a dynasty that controlled more of France than the French king himself. Yet the marriage was as fiery as it was fruitful. Eleanor bore Henry eight children — five sons and three daughters — among them the future kings Richard the Lionheart and John. A German poet once wrote longingly,

“Were all the world all mine,

From the sea to the Rhine,

I’d give it all away,

If the English Queen

Would be mine for a day.”

But life with Henry was no poem. He dominated Eleanor, and their marriage was marked by tempests of jealousy, betrayal, and simmering resentment. His infidelities were numerous and blatant. The most famous was Rosamund Clifford, the “Fair Rosamund,” whom legend places in a secret bower within the labyrinth at Woodstock — until the wronged queen discovered her and, according to legend, forced her rival to drink poison. Whether true or not, it captures the mood of the age: passion and vengeance in equal measure.

By 1167, the royal couple had all but separated. Eleanor returned to her duchy and began encouraging her sons to rebel against their father. In 1173–74, her influence helped ignite the infamous Revolt of the Young Kings, a civil war that pitted Henry against his own sons — Henry the Young King, Richard, Geoffrey, and John. When the rebellion failed, Henry imprisoned Eleanor in Winchester Castle, where she remained under guard for over fifteen years.

14th-century representation of Henry and Eleanor

Tragedy and treachery followed. Henry the Young King died in 1183, Geoffrey was trampled to death in 1186, and Richard — aided by Philip II of France — ultimately turned on his father. On July 4, 1189, Richard’s forces defeated him, and Henry, heartbroken and exhausted, died two days later.

Gerald of Wales relates that King Henry had a curious painting in a chamber of Winchester Castle, depicting an eagle being attacked by three of it's chicks, while a fourth chick crouched, waiting for it's chance to strike. When asked the meaning of this picture, King Henry said:

"The four young ones of the eagle are my four sons, who will not cease persecuting me even unto death. And the youngest, whom I now embrace with such tender affection, will someday afflict me more grievously and perilously than all the others."

MONEY AND FAME Henry II died one of the richest and most formidable monarchs in Europe. Chronicler William of Newburgh claimed he left behind an astonishing £80,000—stored in the royal vaults of Chinon, Tours, and Falaise—an immense sum for the 12th century. His dominion stretched from the borders of Scotland to the Pyrenees, encompassing England, Normandy, Anjou, Maine, Aquitaine, and parts of Wales and Ireland—territories that dwarfed those of the French crown.

A meticulous steward of money, Henry revived his grandfather Henry I’s financial systems, instituted new taxes, and tightened control over currency. He also tapped into the wealth of Jewish financiers like Aaron of Lincoln, whose vast network of loans underpinned much of the English economy. When Aaron died in 1186, Henry seized his estate and discovered debts from 430 people totaling £15,000—a window into the financial machinery of his realm. The king sent the recovered cash to fund his campaigns against Philip Augustus, but fate intervened: the ship carrying it sank in the English Channel.

He was crowned at Westminster Abbey on December 19, 1154. When Henry became king, his holdings in France stretched from the English Channel to the Pyrenees—territory roughly ten times greater than that ruled directly by the French king himself. This vast “Angevin Empire” made Henry one of the most powerful rulers of his age.

By the end of his reign, Henry’s fame reached across Christendom. Through his wife and daughters, he was linked to nearly every major royal house in Europe. To his contemporaries, he was a legal reformer and an empire builder; to history, he remains the restless architect of a dynasty that reshaped medieval kingship.

FOOD AND DRINK A man of simple tastes, Henry preferred plain food and was a moderate drinker. When monks at St Swithun’s, Winchester, complained that their bishop had limited them to three courses, Henry told them that he, too, was satisfied with three—and they should be as well.

A notable detail of elite medieval cuisine that occurred during his time was the elaborate preparation and serving of the boar's head as a centerpiece . In 1170, Henry II proudly served the boar's head to his son as sewer (ceremonial server), indicating the importance of this tradition in his court. (4)

Through his marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry gained control of the Bordeaux region, introducing England to the wines of Aquitaine. These were shipped in barrels and had to be consumed quickly, as proper sealing techniques did not exist. Even noble drinkers suffered poor vintages. One batch served at Henry’s court was so sour and mouldy that the nobles reportedly had to clench their teeth and close their eyes to swallow it. (2)

MUSIC AND ARTS Eleanor of Aquitaine was instrumental in turning the court of Poitiers into a center of poetry and a model of courtly life and manners during her childbearing years. Eleanor was the great patron of two dominant poetic movements: the courtly love tradition conveyed in romantic songs of troubadours, and the historical "matière de Bretagne" or legends of Brittany, which originated in Celtic traditions. 

While Henry himself may not have been as passionate about music and poetry as Eleanor, his court benefited from her cultural patronage. The period saw music and the arts as important markers of educated nobility, though evidence suggests Henry's personal interests leaned more toward hunting, reading, and administrative matters than courtly entertainments.​

Henry invested heavily in the construction and renovation of royal buildings, demonstrating an appreciation for architecture and luxury. His domestic residences were embellished and decorated, using materials like polished limestone to mimic marble at Clarendon.

LITERATURE Henry II was remarkably learned and intellectually curious for a medieval monarch. He was an avid reader who preferred the quiet company of books to the diversions of courtly life, often retreating to his chamber with a volume in hand. Educated in classical learning under distinguished scholars such as Peter of Saintes and William of Conches, Henry acquired a solid grounding in philosophy, law, and the liberal arts. He spoke French and Latin fluently and could understand several other languages, an impressive accomplishment in an age when few rulers were literate.

Among modern historians, W. L. Warren’s Henry II (Yale University Press) remains a definitive and highly regarded scholarly study of his life and reign. The king’s dramatic family struggles and towering presence have also inspired popular culture: Sharon Kay Penman’s historical novel Time and Chance and James Goldman’s celebrated play The Lion in Winter both bring to life the restless brilliance of one of England’s most formidable rulers.

NATURE Henry II had a deep and abiding connection with nature, most famously expressed through his passion for hunting. His royal treasurer, Richard fitz Nigel, observed that the king’s forests were “the king’s retreats and their greatest delights,” noting that the monarch would enter them “to hunt, leaving their cares behind, to refresh themselves with a little rest.” Henry claimed vast tracts of land as Royal Forests, taking great pleasure in the seclusion and expansiveness of his hunting grounds.

His favorite residences, including Clarendon and Woodstock, were deliberately situated amid these great forests. At Woodstock in the 1170s, he commissioned the luxurious retreat of Everswell for his mistress Rosamund Clifford, built around a spring and three interconnected pools. By the end of his reign, Henry’s expansion of Royal Forests had transformed roughly one-third of southern England into royal hunting grounds. Upon his accession, he declared all of Huntingdonshire a royal forest.

These forests encompassed far more than wooded areas; they included heaths, moorlands, fields, villages, and towns, all governed by strict Forest Law to protect game and preserve vegetation for royal sport. Among his favorite hunting sites was the Gillingham Royal Forest in Dorset, where he regularly visited a hunting lodge. 

Medieval forest scene, from the Livre de chasse (1387)

PETS Henry II lived much of his life in the saddle, rarely seen without a hawk perched on his gloved arm. Hunting was not merely a pastime for him—it was a consuming passion. Falcons, prized above most hounds in the medieval world, were symbols of status and skill, gifted between kings, and even used to pay ransoms. Henry’s own birds were treated with the utmost care: he brought a high-born Norway hawk to Pembroke Castle in Wales, and after losing it in a clash with a wild falcon, he made a point of replenishing his collection with young falcons from the same South Wales cliffs.

Falconers were indispensable members of his household, tasked with the delicate training and maintenance of these temperamental birds, while Henry oversaw a sprawling hunting establishment filled with dogs, deer parks, and specialized lodges. For him, hunting was both sport and ceremony—a blend of strategy, skill, and pleasure. The bonds he formed with his hawks and hounds went beyond utility; these animals were constant companions, as central to daily life as advisors or courtiers, reflecting a deep and personal investment in the art of the chase.

Henry II kept a menagerie—effectively a private zoo—at his palace at Woodstock, which contained exotic animals that were rare in medieval England. Chroniclers report that Henry II’s menagerie included lions, leopards, camels, and a porcupine at Woodstock Palace. These animals were potent symbols of royal wealth and international influence, paralleling similar collections kept by earlier rulers such as Charlemagne and Henry I.

HOBBIES AND SPORTS Hunting was Henry II's overwhelming passion and primary recreational activity. Henry practiced both mounted hunting with hounds for deer and other large game, and hawking for birds.  When in Ireland in 1171-1172, Henry combined hawking with business during his six-month stay. 

Beyond hunting, Henry was intensely active physically—he could ride long and hard, making journeys in one day that others took twice or thrice as long to complete. He surprised both friends and enemies with his rapid movements across his territories. 

Unlike many medieval nobles, Henry was not particularly interested in tournaments or the entertainments of troubadours, preferring the solitude of hunting or reading.​

SCIENCE AND MATHS Henry lived during a period when mathematical and scientific knowledge was limited in England. In 1167, Henry banned English students from attending the University of Paris, which led to the rapid growth of Oxford and Cambridge as worthy universities. This decision had significant long-term implications for English education and scholarship.

 Henry's administrative innovations demonstrated sophisticated organizational thinking—his reforms to the Exchequer and financial management systems showed practical application of accounting principles. 

PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Henry II’s relationship with religion is a puzzle that scholars still debate. While he was far from a devout or saintly king, he was a steady, if not particularly enthusiastic, supporter of monasteries and religious houses. Modern analysis suggests that his piety—or lack thereof—was secondary to his ambition: Henry was first and foremost a ruler determined to assert control over both Church and State. Deeply superstitious, he was more concerned with duty, tradition, and political advantage than personal faith.

Notably, neither the murder of Thomas Becket in 1170 nor the approach of his own death seems to have altered his pattern of monastic patronage. He confirmed the benefactions of his predecessors and occasionally founded new religious houses, but never with the fervor of earlier kings. His infamous clash with Becket revolved around the scope of ecclesiastical authority, particularly whether clergy accused of secular crimes should answer to royal courts. Through the Constitutions of Clarendon, Henry sought to assert that the king’s law should hold sway over even the most senior clerics, reflecting his belief that royal authority—personal, charismatic, and absolute—could override bureaucratic or clerical procedure.

Perhaps the most striking illustration of his unconventional approach came in 1168, when he wrote to Pope Alexander III threatening to convert to Islam if pressed too hard—a dramatic gesture that was either bombastic diplomacy or a glimpse of his genuinely questioning attitude toward religious orthodoxy. Either way, Henry’s engagement with faith was pragmatic, sometimes theatrical, and always subordinated to the business of power.

REIGN Henry II’s reign (1154–1189) was one of those glorious stretches of history when everything seemed to be happening at once—wars, reforms, family rebellions, and the occasional act of divine exasperation. He came to the throne at 21, inherited half of France before breakfast, and married the most remarkable woman in Europe, Eleanor of Aquitaine, by lunch. Between the two of them, they ruled a patchwork of lands stretching from the Scottish borders to the Pyrenees—so vast it later earned the rather grand title of the Angevin Empire. You can almost hear his courtiers sighing as he added yet another province to his collection.

Henry was not just a conqueror with good taste in real estate—he was also a bureaucrat of almost alarming enthusiasm. After years of civil chaos under King Stephen, he rolled up his sleeves and set about reinventing English government. His legal reforms—especially the Assize of Clarendon—gave us the seeds of the jury system and the idea that the king’s law applied to everyone, which was nothing short of revolutionary in a time when most disputes were settled by sword or superstition. He managed to centralize royal justice, curb the barons, and make himself the indispensable heart of government—all while barely sitting still long enough to enjoy it.

Of course, it wasn’t all paperwork and progress. Henry’s reign was famously punctuated by his feud with Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. Becket started as the king’s drinking buddy and ended as his most inconvenient martyr. When Becket resisted Henry’s attempts to limit church power, the quarrel turned into a full-blown crisis that culminated in Becket’s grisly murder in 1170—an event that shocked Europe and forced Henry to do public penance. (Not his best week.)

Then came the family drama—more than enough to fuel several seasons of a medieval soap opera. His sons, prodded along by their indomitable mother Eleanor, rebelled repeatedly. Henry, in a fit of royal frustration, locked Eleanor up for more than a decade. His children—Richard, Geoffrey, and John—spent much of their time plotting against him, and the king died in 1189 feeling, one suspects, rather underappreciated.

POLITICS Henry’s governance reshaped England. He reasserted royal authority after years of civil war, curbing the power of rebellious barons and restoring order to the kingdom. His reforms of law and justice were far-reaching: he established royal judges, itinerant courts, and the system of trial by jury. These measures formed the bedrock of English common law.

SCANDAL The defining scandal of Henry II's reign was the murder of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, in Canterbury Cathedral on December 29, 1170. Henry and Becket had initially been the closest of friends, with Henry appointing Becket as his chancellor and relying on him to improve the king's finances and bring rebellious barons to heel. When Henry made Becket Archbishop of Canterbury in 1162, he expected his friend would help assert royal authority over the Church. Instead, Becket became a fierce defender of Church privileges, leading to bitter conflict. The dispute centered on whether clergy accused of crimes should be tried in Church or royal courts. 

Their relationship deteriorated over years of quarrels, with Becket fleeing to France at one point. In 1170, when Henry had his son Henry the Young King crowned by the Archbishop of York instead of by Becket (traditionally the Archbishop of Canterbury's role), Becket excommunicated the bishops involved. Furious at this action, Henry was said to have shouted "Who will rid me of this turbulent priest?" (though the exact words are disputed). Four knights heard Henry's outburst, rode to Canterbury, and murdered Becket by striking him three times with their swords, spilling his blood and brains on the cathedral floor. 

13th-century depiction of the murder of Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral

The murder shocked Christendom. Henry insisted he never intended for Becket to be murdered. In 1174, facing rebellion from his sons and supported by the French, Henry traveled to Becket's tomb at Canterbury and declared the uprising was his punishment for what happened to Becket. He allowed himself to be whipped by bishops while praying for forgiveness in an extraordinary act of public penance. 

Beyond Becket, Henry's extramarital affairs caused scandal—his relationship with Rosamund Clifford became known by 1166 and was openly acknowledged by 1174. He had a reputation for philandering, fathering at least 12 illegitimate children by five or more women throughout his marriage to Eleanor. 

His treatment of Welsh hostages after his failed 1165 campaign was brutal—he had many blinded and possibly castrated, and cut the noses and ears from female hostages, with some hostages possibly killed. This admission of failure and cruel retaliation damaged his reputation. 

Finally, the family scandals of his later years—his sons' repeated rebellions supported by Eleanor, his imprisonment of his wife for 15 years, and the bitter warfare between father and sons—were public humiliations that ultimately broke Henry's spirit.​

MILITARY RECORD Henry II was a formidable military commander whose campaigns secured and maintained one of the largest empires in medieval Europe. Remarkably, he led his first military expedition at just 14, commanding a band of mercenaries to raid England’s east coast. As a teenager, he attempted two invasions of England in 1147 and 1149, though both were unsuccessful. By 1153, at the age of 20, Henry successfully invaded England, pressuring King Stephen to recognize him as heir.

Upon ascending the throne in 1154, Henry swiftly moved to curb baronial power, dismantling illegal castles and subduing rebellious nobles. He reasserted English control over territories seized by the Scots and Welsh during the Anarchy. His campaigns in Scotland between 1157 and 1158 reestablished English authority over northern counties, with the Anglo-Scottish War ending in Scottish territorial concessions. 

In Wales, Henry led multiple campaigns in 1157, 1158, 1163, and 1165. The 1165 campaign, the largest of his reign, required extensive preparations and innovative financing but was ultimately thwarted by severe weather, resulting in heavy losses. Following the defeat, Henry displayed ruthless severity, mutilating Welsh hostages, including the sons of princes.

Henry’s most enduring military achievement was the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland between 1169 and 1171. In 1171, he personally traveled to Dublin to assert authority, laying the foundation for centuries of English presence in Ireland. 

On the continent, he waged numerous campaigns against Louis VII and, later, Philip Augustus of France, seizing cities such as Blois in a notable 1161 siege. His expeditions into semi-independent Brittany and Toulouse met with success, demonstrating his skill in both offensive and strategic operations.

Beyond his battlefield victories, Henry revolutionized military organization. His Welsh campaigns provide a window into how twelfth-century armies were raised, financed, provisioned, and transported. He became known for rapid, decisive maneuvers, earning the admiration of contemporaries for his speed and efficiency.

However, his final campaigns were tragic. In 1189, already in ill health and prematurely aged, Henry faced the combined forces of his son Richard and King Philip Augustus of France, with even his son John turning against him. Broken in spirit and body, he accepted humiliating peace terms at Colombières on July 4, 1189, and died two days later.

Empire of Plantagenet Henry II of England by Cartedaos

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS In his youth and middle years, Henry II possessed exceptional physical fitness and stamina. He had great physical strength and was accustomed to riding long and hard. In one day he could make journeys for which others took twice or thrice as long, surprising both friends and enemies with his rapid movements. His restless, impetuous nature kept him constantly on the move, and his energy was overwhelming to those around him. 

By 1189, when facing rebellion from his sons, Henry was ailing and could reportedly barely mount a horse. The strain of constant warfare, political betrayals, and administrative burdens took their toll. His death came after a sudden sickness that struck him down during his conflict with Richard and Philip Augustus. 

HOMES Henry II maintained an extensive and sophisticated network of residences that reflected his authority as ruler of the vast Angevin Empire. A perpetually itinerant monarch, he required many houses and castles to be kept in a state of near-constant readiness, as his travel plans were often made at the last moment.

His crowning achievement in castle-building was Dover Castle, which he transformed between 1165 and 1179 from a wooden fortification into one of Europe’s most formidable stone fortresses. At its heart was the Great Tower, a spacious two-story royal residence that remains one of the few surviving interiors of a twelfth-century royal home. 

Windsor Castle was another significant residence where Henry undertook major construction, replacing timber with stone, particularly in the Round Tower and North Walls. In London, Westminster Palace was enhanced during his reign with a new chamber designed for comfort.

Among his personal favorites were Clarendon and Woodstock, both nestled amid vast hunting grounds. Clarendon featured polished limestone designed to resemble marble, along with a Purbeck marble fountain and lavabo near the king’s private lodgings. At Woodstock, originally established by his grandfather Henry I, Henry expanded the hunting lodge into a true palace, increasing the number of chapels from one to six, including a distinctive round chapel. In the 1170s, he commissioned Everswell, a luxurious retreat for his mistress Rosamund Clifford, organized around a spring and three interconnecting pools.

In France, Henry maintained numerous residences, including Chinon Castle in Anjou, where he would ultimately die. He also spent significant time at residences throughout Normandy, Anjou, Maine, and Aquitaine, spending less than half of his reign in England. In Dorset, the Gillingham Royal Forest featured a hunting lodge that he visited regularly.

TRAVEL Henry II was one of the most peripatetic monarchs of medieval Europe, constantly traversing his vast Angevin Empire. His itinerant lifestyle was legendary—Louis VII of France once remarked that the King of England “seemed to be here, there and everywhere all at the same time.” While physically impossible, Henry moved with extraordinary speed, often completing journeys in a single day that would take others two or three times as long. His restlessness was infamous; he shunned regular hours and frequently changed his plans at the last minute, necessitating that many houses and castles be kept in permanent readiness for his arrival.

Over his 34-year reign, Henry spent only around 13–14 years in England. The remainder of his time was devoted to his French territories—Normandy, Anjou, Maine, and Aquitaine—and traveling between them. His empire stretched from Scotland to the Pyrenees, requiring constant movement to assert and maintain authority. Travel in the medieval period was arduous, particularly for an itinerant court that could number hundreds or even thousands, including nobility, knights, bodyguards, servants, and administrators. Organizing such an entourage was a major logistical challenge, involving transportation, lodging, and food arrangements. On average, the court could move about 12 miles per day, though Henry’s personal journeys were often faster.

Henry’s travels extended beyond routine movements within his empire. He undertook major expeditions, including a six-month journey to Ireland in 1171–1172, numerous campaigns in Wales, and frequent crossings between England and France. His energy for travel remained undiminished until his final illness; even in his fifties, he was continually on the move, personally supervising his territories and addressing crises. This extraordinary mobility was both a strategic strength, allowing him to maintain control over a sprawling empire, and a practical necessity, as medieval rule depended on the sovereign’s personal presence.

DEATH Henry II died on July 6, 1189 at Chinon Castle in Anjou, France, at age 56. 

Tomb effigies of Henry and Eleanor in Fontevraud Abbey in central France

His death came after a prolonged period of conflict with his sons Richard and Geoffrey (later John), supported by King Philip Augustus of France. By the summer of 1189, Henry's health was failing and he could barely mount a horse. He had been forced to accept humiliating peace terms at Colombières on July 4, 1189. The final devastating blow came when Henry was given a list of those who had fought against him and discovered his beloved youngest son John's name among the traitors. According to chroniclers, Henry "turned his face away" and said, "Enough; now let things go as they may; I care no more for myself or for the world... Shame, shame on a conquered king". 

Two days later, he died. Gerald of Wales recorded that Henry's health worsened rapidly on Thursday, and taking to his bed "on the seventh day, on that day which physicians call critical, he was lethally struck down, repeating, indeed multiplying, these words, which the intensity of his thoughts, both of the illness and of the pain as well as indignation, extorted from him... 'Oh, the shame of a defeated king! Oh, the shame!' he struggled in his final moments". The chronicler concluded that Henry was "overwhelmed and oppressed more than ended by natural death"—suggesting his spirit was broken as much as his body. 

Some sources indicate a massive hemorrhage caused his death. 

On the day after his death, Henry's body was carried to burial dressed in royal attire, wearing a golden crown, gloves, a golden ring, holding a scepter, with shoes woven with gold and spurs, girded with a sword, his face uncovered. When his son Richard came to view the body, "immediately blood flowed from the nostrils of the dead king, as if his spirit were angered at his coming". Richard then accompanied his father's body to Fontevraud Abbey in France, where Henry was buried. The location was fitting—Fontevraud would also become the resting place of Eleanor of Aquitaine and their son Richard. 

He was succeeded by his son Richard I, known as Richard the Lionheart.​

APPEARANCES IN MEDIA Henry II has been portrayed numerous times in film, television, and theater, most memorably by Peter O'Toole, who played the king twice in major films only four years apart. In Becket (1964), O'Toole portrayed Henry as a young, vibrant monarch opposite Richard Burton's Thomas Becket, covering the period from approximately 1165-1171. Four years later, O'Toole reprised the role in The Lion in Winter (1968), showing Henry as an older, more powerful but troubled monarch in 1183, surrounded by his scheming family. 

The Lion in Winter, directed by Anthony Harvey, garnered multiple Oscar nominations and featured Katharine Hepburn as Eleanor of Aquitaine (who won her third Academy Award for the role), Anthony Hopkins in his screen debut as Richard, Timothy Dalton in his screen debut as Philip II of France, John Castle as Geoffrey, and Nigel Terry in his first film role as John. The film was based on James Goldman's acclaimed play and showcased the verbal warfare and psychological manipulation within Henry's family. 

The Lion in Winter was remade for television in 2003 by Andrei Konchalovsky with Patrick Stewart as Henry II and Glenn Close as Eleanor of Aquitaine, though this version was considered inferior to the original. 

Beyond these major productions, Henry II appears in various historical documentaries and educational programs. 

ACHIEVEMENTS  Laid the foundation for English Common Law through the assizes of Clarendon and Northampton, establishing the system of writs, juries, and travelling justices.

Restored law and order and revitalized the royal administration and finances after the civil war 

Established the Angevin Empire, consolidating England, Normandy, Anjou, and Aquitaine, and securing dominance over Ireland, Wales, and Scotland 

Transformed military architecture and built or expanded major strongholds like Dover Castle

Sources: (1) Spartacus (2) Encyclopaedia of Trivia (3) Oxford Academic (4) English Heritage (5) History Extra