King John (1199-1216) Heeere’s Johnny! John Lackland becomes John ‘Loads of Land’.
King John.
1166-1216.
Richard’s decision to name John as his successor was not greeted with unanimous approval. The word on the street was:
‘Richard left everything, you mean, the entire outfit to John, his kid brother?’
The only living son of Queen Eleanor, the royal mother!
‘You got to be kidding!’
‘There’s more than a few who will be reluctant to do his bidding!’
The Lionheart had died without leaving a legitimate male heir so with his dying breath he named John as his successor. Some said that the son of Richard’s and John’s brother Geoffrey, Arthur Duke of Brittany had a stronger claim to the Angevin empire. No matter, Richard bequeathed all to his younger brother. Upon hearing of the Lionheart’s demise, John immediately proceeded to his father’s favourite palace, Chateau Chinon, not for reasons of nostalgia, but with a view to taking possession of the treasury there.
So the youngest of Henry II’s and Queen Eleanor’s five sons who was expected to inherit very little, hence the nickname, ‘sans terre’ is now the master of the entire empire. A domain that he had coveted for so very long and one that he would lose in an exceedingly short space of time.
However, this was all in the future, and John’s jubilation at his own coronation at Westminster in May of 1199 can only be imagined. He! Yes he, John, who had grown up in the shadow of his illustrious older brethren, Henry the Young King and of course the Lionheart, Richard, had at last come into his own!
‘His four older brothers had all suffered from things that seriously affected their health!
‘Leaving kid brother, now King John with all of the family wealth!’
Scant attention had ever been paid to John, the youngest son of this right royal brood of brothers. He, who had been expected to be no more than the overlord of a territory located in the inconsequential island of Ireland, was now ruler of the entire Angevin empire.
The French territories of the Angevin empire. Only the southern tip of England, the veritable jewel in the crown is shown. The booby prize, the eastern area of Ireland is not depicted at all.
The eyes of Christendom were upon John as he walked in solemn, but joyful, procession into Westminster Abbey to be anointed and crowned as king.
Westminster Abbey in King John’s time.
He must have been thinking of his ancestor, William the Conqueror who had been crowned there more than one hundred and thirty years before, and of course Richard, who had been anointed as king a mere ten years earlier. It really was a case of:
Heeere’s Johnny!!!
The youngest brother of a brood who was never considered as someone destined to rule!
John will now sit upon the throne of England truly regal and cool!
However storm clouds were appearing upon the horizon. Arthur’s mother, Constance of Brittany, was indignant at what she regarded as her son’s disinheritance, and decided to contest the succession. In this, Constance was supported by powerful interests in France not least, the king, Philip II (disgusting) Augustus. Not for the first time, Philip (disgusting) Augustus pursued a policy of sowing discord within the Angevin empire. When it came to political sweet talk, King Philip Augustus was in a class of his own:
King Philip Augustus (L) saying to Duke Arthur of Brittany (R):
‘Artie, I couldn’t stand your grandpa or your uncles, but I was fond of Geoffrey, your dad!’
‘John has taken what is rightfully yours and that makes me feel real sad!’
‘Art, when your dad was killed after been thrown from his horse!’
‘I was so upset, that for days on end, I cried myself completely and totally hoarse!’
Philip went on to say:
‘Art, in your attempt to regain what is rightfully yours!
I humbly request to take part!’.
Arty! Yes honestly, Arty!
My greatest wish is to be the guest of honour at your coronation party!’
King John’s treatment of his nephew, Duke Arthur, attracted considerable attention at the time and remains an indelible stain on John’s reputation. The young Duke was never to attain what he considered to be his birthright, and he would die in obscure circumstances at a very early age as a guest of uncle John.
There were to be three monarchs who would rule England during the course of the 13th century. Two of whom would be king for a considerable length of time. John’s reign would be by far the shortest of the three and its ending certainly the most ignominious.
Why so?
Well to find out,yes to get in the know!
Further along we must go!