The folly of youth?
THOMAS ASBRIDGE commends a biography of a figure who has often been relegated to the margins of medieval history
Henry the Young King, 1155–1183 by Matthew Strickland
This year marks the 800th anniversary of Henry III’s accession to the English throne – but it is often forgotten that another figure had been proclaimed as Henry III almost 50 years earlier. The eldest surviving son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, this Henry – known as the Young King – stood to inherit both the realm of England and a swathe of territory covering much of modern-day France: a vast domain sometimes described as the Angevin empire.
In spite of his startling pedigree and glittering prospects, Young Henry’s short life came to a grim end in 1183 when he succumbed to a bout of dysentery, aged just 28. The Young King’s achievements were soon overshadowed by those of his more (in)famous brothers: Richard the Lionheart and King John. As a result, chroniclers pushed Henry to the margins of history – little more than a footnote in the story of medieval England.
Matthew Strickland’s splendid book offers an insightful reassessment of Henry’s career, while also opening a fresh window onto the world of the Angevin dynasty – perhaps the most fascinating (and dysfunctional) family of the Middle Ages. Until now, scholars have been content to brand Henry an indolent playboy. Making the most of the surviving evidence, Strickland overturns this view by reconstructing the world of the later 12th century from the boy king’s perspective in order to understand the pressures, ambitions and disappointments that shaped his behaviour.
Much of the book is devoted to a detailed narrative and analysis of Young Henry’s two rebellions against his father, with Strickland arguing convincingly that Henry II should shoulder some of the blame, given his stubborn refusal to share power. Towards the end of his life, the Young King also dedicated much of his energy to the pursuit of victory and renown in knightly tournaments. Strickland rightly discards the view that this was idle folly, observing that, due to medieval Europe’s deepening obsession with chivalry, tournament success gave Henry some real political influence.
Strickland’s deeply researched, richly textured work will be of enormous value to specialists, while general readers will also find much to enjoy in a commendably lucid and entertaining book.