Who was Henry II of England?
Q: Who was Henry II of England?
A: Henry II of England, also known as Henry II Curtmantle, was a Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. He was the son of Geoffrey V and Empress Matilda.
Q: When did he marry Eleanor?
A: He married Eleanor in 1152.
Q: What language did he speak?
A: His family had come over from Normandy in 1066 so they spoke Norman French. However he was intelligent and well educated so he could speak Latin fluently which was the language used by educated people in Europe at that time.
Q: How did he come to the throne?
A: His succession to the English throne was agreed in 1153 and he finally came to the throne upon Stephen I's death in 1154.
Q: What battles did his children fight?
A: His children included future kings Richard who would later lead many battles and John.
Q: What power did Henry reduce during his reign? A: During his reign Henry reduced the power of the barons who had become very powerful under Stephen's reign.
Q: What law did Henry introduce during his reign? A: In 1166 Henry introduced trial by jury as a law during his reign.
