Henry II of England

Henry II ruled England from 1154 to 1189 and built a cross-Channel dominion through inheritance, marriage, and conquest. His reforms strengthened royal justice, while conflict with Thomas Becket and his sons marked his reign.

Assize of Clarendon: A 1166 royal ordinance that expanded the use of juries to report suspected criminals in England. It shows how Henry used royal procedure to strengthen criminal justice.
Eleanor of Aquitaine: Duchess of Aquitaine and queen consort of France and England during the twelfth century. Her inheritance brought vast French territories into Henry's dynastic lands.
Geoffrey of Anjou: Count of Anjou and father of Henry II, who inherited his continental lands. Geoffrey's territories formed the Angevins' power base before Henry became king.
Murder of Thomas Becket: The 1170 killing of Archbishop Thomas Becket by knights associated with Henry II's court. It damaged Henry's standing and made Becket a revered martyr.
Stephen, King of England: King of England from 1135 to 1154, whose contested rule was marked by civil war. Stephen's reign preceded Henry's and ended with a settlement recognizing Henry as heir.
Common law: A legal system built from court decisions and customs applied across a jurisdiction. Henry's itinerant judges helped establish common royal law across England.
Thomas Becket: Archbishop of Canterbury whose conflict with Henry II ended in his murder in 1170. Their clash over church jurisdiction became the defining crisis of Henry's reign.
Matilda, Duchess of Normandy: Daughter of Henry I of England and mother of Henry II, who contested the English succession. Henry's claim to England descended from Matilda's unsuccessful struggle for the throne.
Pilgrimage of Henry II to Canterbury: Henry II's public penance at Canterbury Cathedral after Becket's murder in 1170. The penance showed the political and religious cost of the archbishop's death.
Louis VII of France: King of France from 1137 to 1180 and the former husband of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Louis was Henry's liege lord for French lands and a recurring rival for influence.

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