All In The Family

If you thought your family had issues, you have nothing on the Plantagenets! Ruling for over 300 years, the Plantagents shaped medieval England and gave us iconic figures such as Richard the Lionheart and Prince John. Because there's so much history to wade through, we decided to keep things brief, sticking to the first two generations of Plantagenets.

Unknown authorUnknown author on Wikimedia

1. A Long Reign

The Plantagenets ruled England longer than any other royal house—331 years! The first Plantagenet king, Henry II, took the throne in 1154. His descendants held onto the throne until Richard III met his end at Bosworth Field in 1485.

Sai Madhav on Unsplash

2. Born Out Of Anarchy

After the only heir to the throne went down with his ship, England was plunged into a 15-year civil war called the Anarchy. While the king wanted his daughter, Matilda, to take the throne, many nobles sided with Matilda's cousin, Stephen. Eventually, Matilda's son was named Stephen's heir, ruling as Henry II.

Joseph Martin Kronheim (1810–96)[1] on Wikimedia

3. Name Origins

Surnames weren't commonly used in the 12th century, especially not for royalty. The name Plantagenet comes from a nickname given to Henry's father, the Count of Anjou, who wore a bright yellow flower in his hat. They were also called the Angevins, meaning "of Anjou".

Topjabot on Wikimedia

4. A Scandalous Divorce

Henry wed Eleanor of Aquitaine in 1155, a match which would have sent tabloid heads spinning. Eleanor had previously been married to the King of France, but annulled the marriage on the grounds that they were too closely related. Eight weeks later, Eleanor and Henry married—though they were just as closely related!

Frederick Sandys on Wikimedia

5. A Match Made In Heaven?

Eleanor and Henry's marriage wasn't just a political match (though both benefited immensely from it), both were charismatic and intelligent, with explosive chemistry. However, things turned sour when Henry put Eleanor under (very luxurious) house arrest for 16 years. Don't worry, he let her out for holidays!

Pal Zuchi on Wikimedia

6. A Crowded Marriage

Cracks began to appear before Eleanor was imprisoned; Henry took up with another woman while his wife was pregnant! Rosamund Clifford was one of the most beautiful women in England, and Henry was not shy about his relationship with her. A common folktale claims that Eleanor poisoned Rosamund, though this has no basis in reality.

Evelyn De Morgan on Wikimedia

7. Famous Offspring

While Henry & Eleanor were fascinating figures in their own right, today, they're less well known that their children. Henry was succeeded by his son, Richard I—better known as Richard the Lionheart. And, if you know Richard the Lionheart, you likely know his younger brother, John.

Merry-Joseph Blondel on Wikimedia

8. Forgotten Offspring

While Richard & John may have been the most famous Plantagenet offspring, they had six other siblings. They were, in order, William, Henry the Young King, Matilda, Geoffrey, Eleanor, and Joanna. Apart from William, who did not survive childhood, they all made excellent political matches.

member mcsquared added text and dates on Wikimedia

9. Fact Or Fiction?

If you've seen any film featuring Richard and John, you likely know that Richard was dashing and heroic, while John was weak and stingy. However, this may not be entirely true. While Richard was an excellent soldier, his kingship left a lot to be desired. John, on the other hand, was petty and cruel, unable to keep his kingdom together.

Jheald on Wikimedia

10. The Magna Carta

Aside from his poor personality, John is best known for signing the Magna Carta, one of the earliest human rights documents. The Magna Carta limited the rights of the monarchy, as well as guaranteed property rights to women and children as well as the right to a fair trial.  Granted, John was forced to sign it, but we'll take what we can get. 

Arthur C. Michael (d. 1945) on Wikimedia

11. A Royal Bargaining Chip

On the other hand, Richard was not above using his own sister as a bargaining chip. Deep in the Third Crusade, he was so desperate to take back the Holy Land, that he offered Joanna's hand in marriage in exchange for joint rule over Jerusalem. Unsurprisingly, Joanna was not consulted in the matter and the marriage never came to a head.

AnonymousUnknown author on Wikimedia

12. Fighting Frenemies

While Henry II is considered one of the best kings of England (at least by medieval standards), his rule was not without controversy. Henry elevated his friend, Thomas Becket, to Archbishop of Canterbury, which prompted a major character shift in Becket. After one too many arguments, Henry's knights got rid of the turbulent priest.

Dguendel on Wikimedia

13. Youth In Revolt

Becket wasn't the only enemy Henry made—his own sons rose up against him! Young Henry, Richard, and Geoffrey took arms against their father when he bequeathed some land to his youngest son. The revolt lasted 18 months and was a failure for the sons, who were forced to reconcile with their father.

Matthew Paris (Historia Anglorum) on Wikimedia

14. French Connections

One of Richard's allies against his father was Philip II of France. The two princes were close in their youth, with some modern historians believing they may have had a romantic relationship. However, much like his father and the "turbulent priest", Richard and Philip had a nasty falling out and loathed each other by the end of their lives.

Unknown authorUnknown author on Wikimedia

15. A Vast Empire

Despite being kings of England, the Plantagenets also controlled large parts of France. At its largest, their empire comprised of England, parts of Wales and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and about half of France. Much of this land was thanks to Eleanor's substantial dowry.

Arpit Rastogi on Unsplash

16. Robin Hood

The Plantagenets frequently make appearances in Robin Hood stories as both enemy and ally to the famed outlaw. Actually, the first reference to Robin Hood comes 200 years after Richard the Lionheart, and early versions of the story name the king Edward. Robin Hood holding down the fort against John while Richard was on Crusade first became popular around the time of Elizabeth I.

John Severin on Wikimedia

17. Four Branches

While we've talked a lot about the Plantagenets, we haven't been very specific. There are actually four branches of the royal family. Depending on who you ask, Henry, Eleanor, Richard & john were either Angevins or Plantagenets. The line split into two more branches, Lancaster and York, during the War of the Roses.

Britannicus the Scot on Wikimedia

18. Fictional Depictions

Robin Hood isn't the only fictional character to brush up against the Plantagenets. Richard and John feature in the Walter Scott novel Ivanhoe, Becket focused on Henry's relationship with the titular priest, and The Lion in Winter featured Christmas with the whole family! Fun fact: Peter O'Toole played Henry both in Becket and The Lion in Winter.

J. W. Wright (see here) on Wikimedia

19. An Oscar-Winning Portrayal

Opposite O'Toole in The Lion in Winter was legendary actress Katharine Hepburn as Eleanor. Hepburn won the third of four Oscars for the role. Not only was this the only time there was a tie for Best Actress, but Hepburn is the only actor to win an Oscar for portraying a relative—she's distantly related to Eleanor on both sides!

Martti Salmi on Unsplash

20. Long-Lasting Lineage

While the Plantagenets may have lost their throne, they're far from gone. Not only can the current royal family trace their lineage back to Henry II, but you might be able to too! Modern DNA testing claims that there are a quarter of a million Plantagenet descendents today.

Illia Panasenko on Unsplash