The Crisis of Royal Authority, 1166-1174

Question 1

When was and what happened at the Council of Woodstock

Answer 1

July 1163, Becket objected to tax proposals and refused to pay the taxes for which the archbishopric of Canterbury was liable

Question 2

How did the case of Philip of Brois increase hostility between Henry and Becket

Answer 2

Philip, a clergyman, had been accused of murdering a knight. Henry ordered Philip be tried in a secular court in 1163 for murder and later abuse toward a royal official. However, Becket acquitted Philip of homicide which Henry interpreted as further defiance

Question 3

When was and what happened at the Council of Westminster

Answer 3

October 1163
Henry demanded criminous clerks be handed over to crown offices for sentencing. Becket rejected this, claiming clerks should not be treated as the lay population. Henry then asked if Becket was willing to honour English customs, to which Becket responded he would do nothing to hinder ecclesiastical jurisdiction

Question 4

When was and what occurred at the Meeting at Northampton

Answer 4

In Autumn 1163, subsequent to the disaster at Westminster, Henry summoned Becket to Northampton. Henry reinforced his demand that Becket cede him the right to punish criminous clerks, and Becket reinforced his rejection. Consequently, Henry confiscated Becket’s estates of Berkhamstead and Eye and withdrew young Henry from Becket’s household

Question 5

When was and what happened at the Council of Clarendon

Answer 5

January 1164
Henry presented Becket with the Constitutions of Clarendon. Despite his initial promise to comply, Becket refused to fix his seal. Henry then presented Becket with a chirograph and Becket accepted (later claiming only to evidence Henry’s aggression toward the Church)

Question 6

What happened when Becket was in exile in 1164?

Answer 6

In November, following Becket’s arrival at France, Henry’s envoys arrived at Sens seeking the deposition of Becket as archbishop of Canterbury. Pope Alexander III faced a dilemma and tried to act as mediator between Becket and Henry, refusing to depose Becket and suggesting he should instead be archbishop in exile.
Louis VII gave Becket patronage, to which Henry responded by confiscating all properties held by Becket in England and deported his associates to France - 0ver 400 people made destitute

Question 7

What occurred in 1166, unintentionally instigated by Alexander III

Answer 7

Alexander appointed Becket papal legate with the hope that Becket would reconcile with the King. Yet in June Becket travelled to the Cluniac abbey at Vezelay and denounced the Constitutions of Clarendon and excommunicated some royalist magnates and bishops

Question 8

When was and what occurred at the conference at Montmirail with regard to Henry and Becket

Answer 8

Jan 1169
Despite having agreed to submit to the king, Becket mirrored his defiance at Westminster in 1163 using the phrase ‘saving God’s honour’ in his submission, exacerbating tensions instead of resolving them

Question 9

What did Becket do in April 1169

Answer 9

Excommunicated more of Henry’s supporters, such as Gilbert Foliot, Jocelin, bishop of Salisbury and seven members of the royal household

Question 10

3 ways Henry retaliated against the Becket defiance from 1165-69

Answer 10

He threatened to expel Cistercians from England unless Alexander suspended Becket’s position as papal legate, which he did in 1167 until spring of 1169
Henry retaliated against Louis VII’s aid of Becket by prohibiting English students from enrolling at University of Paris
When Becket carried out the further excommunications in April 1169, Henry issued the Autumn Decrees, restating aspects of Clarendon and requiring all English abroad clergy to return to England

Question 11

Outline the role of Alexander III in the dispute 1165-69

Answer 11

Through the period he attempted a neutral stance, understanding the necessity of royal support but also wary of his duties as pope. He favours shifted throughout the period

Question 12

Outline the role of Gilbert Foliot in the dispute 1165-69

Answer 12

Bishop of Hereford from 1148-63, Gilbert likely resented the fact that Becket was made archbishop instead of him in 1162. However, he had initially supported Becket over the argument of criminous clerks, yet from 1165 he opposed Becket strongly. In 1166 he attacked his character in a letter to the pope. His opposition certainly encouraged Henry’s adversarial stance

Question 13

Outline the role of Louis VII in the dispute 1165-69

Answer 13

Patronage granted to Becket through the period perpetuated hostilities. In 1167, hostility between Henry and Louis escalated into armed conflict on the borders of Angevin and Capetian territory

Question 14

Why did the conference at Montmartre fail to bring peace between Henry and Becket?

Answer 14

In Nov 1169, the two met at Montmartre, hosted by Louis VII. Henry initially conceded that Becket would retain his archbishopric and Louis convinced Becket to set aside any monetary claims against Henry. Yet the meeting broke down when Henry refused to give Becket the kiss of peace

Question 15

2 consequences of the failure of Montmartre

Answer 15

Louis suspected that Henry would not honour the terms of the Peace of Montmirail, where young Henry would marry Margaret of France and be crowned King Designate of England, if he would not make peace with Becket
Alexander III, emboldened by improved relations with Frederick Barbarossa, lost patience with Henry and threatened to place Henry’s continental lands under papal interdiction (yet he also revoked Becket’s excommunications of Gilbert Foliot and Jocelin of Salisbury)

Question 16

What did Henry to in summer 1170 to provoke Becket

Answer 16

He instructed Roger of Pont L’Eveque, archbishop of York, to carry out the coronation of young Henry on 14 June 1170

Question 17

What happened during and in the aftermath of the meeting at Freteval in Touraine

Answer 17

During the meeting on 22 July 1170, an agreement was made where Becket would return to Canterbury, and Henry would set aside the Constitutions of Clarendon and allow Becket a re-crown young Henry
However, once Becket’s return to Canterbury became imminent, he announced the excommunication of Roger of Pont L’Eveque, and re-excommunicated Gilbert and Jocelin for assisting Roger

Question 18

How did Thomas Becket die?

Answer 18

Arriving in Canterbury on 1 Dec 1170, Becket upheld his excommunications. Henry’s anger at this provocation seems to have influenced four knights - Reginald FitzUrse, William of Tracy, Hugh of Morville and Richard Brito - to travel to Canterbury
They arrived on 29 Dec 1170 and confronted Becket. He refused to recognise their authority to arrest him, prompting a physical struggle where Becket sustained fatal injuries and died almost instantly in the Cathedral

Question 19

How did the papacy respond to the murder of Becket

Answer 19

The four knights responsible were excommunicated
Excommunications against Gilbert, Jocelin and Roger were all upheld
An interdict on Henry’s continental lands by William, archbishop of Sens, was upheld
Henry himself was subject to a papal interdict
Yet Alexander made it clear that such sanctions would be of limited duration according to Henry’s conciliatory actions

Question 20

Give some context re Ireland in the 12th century

Answer 20

Was divided into several petty kingdoms, each presided over by a regional monarch. These leaders historically fought for the right to be the ‘High King’
The papacy made it clear it would endorse an invasion of Ireland by Henry, seeking to align the Irish church with western Catholicism

Question 21

3 main reasons why Henry decided to invade Ireland in 1171

Answer 21

Richard Strongbow’s rise to power in Leinster, who Henry opposed
John was born in 1166, thus Henry sought territory for John to inherit
Political fallout of Becket’s murder meant Henry could temporarily withdraw from European politics, and Alexander shared his predecessors intent to extend papal authority to Irish church

Question 22

What occurred in October 1170

Answer 22

Henry, with a force of 4000 men at arms and 500 knights, landed at Waterford in the Kingdom of Munster. Strongbow and the Cambro-Norman lords submitted to Henry

Question 23

How did Henry consolidate his position in Ireland over winter of 1171-72

Answer 23

He initially dispossessed Strongbow of the land he had gained save for the lordship of Kildare in Leinster, which was to be held as a fief
He instructed Hugh of Lacy to subdue the kingdom of Meath, where Tiernan O’Rourke refused Henry’s overlordship
Henry seized key towns for himself, establishing royal administration at Dublin

Question 24

What was the Compromise of Avranches

Answer 24

On 21 May 1172, Henry performed ceremony of penance at Avranches Cathedral, agreeing to revoke the Constitutions of Clarendon, restore property belonging to the bishopric of Canterbury and to go on Crusade. In return, Henry retained authority over the English church

Question 25

What occurred at the Conference at Montmirail with regard to Henry and Louis

Answer 25

In Jan 1169, Henry met Louis at Montmirail, where he signalled his intentions to divide his empire between his sons upon his death. This was attractive to Louis, especially as his heir Philip had been born in 1165.

Question 26

Outline 3 of Young Henry’s motivations in revolting

Answer 26

August 1172 he was re-crowned king designate yet Henry refused to permit his son power or even independent income - entrusting governance of england to Richard of Luci
February 1173 Henry lessened his inheritance to accommodate John - 3 French castles
March 1173 Henry refused his son’s demand for autonomy over England or Normandy - he subsequently fled to Paris

Question 27

Outline 2 motivations of Eleanor in revolting

Answer 27

1168 Eleanor departed from Henry’s court to establish her own in Poitiers yet Henry did not cede control to Aquitaine to Eleanor
1173 conference at Limoges saw Raymond V of Toulouse acknowledged Henry rather than Eleanor as his overlord

Question 28

Outline the motivation of Richard in revolting

Answer 28

June 1172 Richard was invested with ducal title of Aquitaine yet Henry retained the use of the title for himself, allowing Richard to be referred to only as Count of Poitiers

Question 29

Outline 2 principal motivations of Louis VII in inciting rebellion against Henry

Answer 29

Peace at Montmirail in 1169 did not alter their adversarial stance
Louis was 13 years older than Henry so wanted him deposed so his son Philip would be less contested as king

Question 30

How did Young Henry appeal to English barons

Answer 30

He appealed to their resentments to Henry following reduction of baronial power post-civil war, offering them land and titles
Hugh Bigod, Earl of Norfolk, opposed Henry over intro of scutage tax

Question 31

Why was William ‘the Lion’ of Scotland willing to assist the rebellion

Answer 31

His elder brother Malcolm IV was poorly treated by Henry and he resented how Henry had seized Northumbria from him in 1157 - rebellion offered him a chance to avenge humiliations and regain land

Question 32

How did Young Henry secure support of Philip I of Flanders

Answer 32

Promised him Kent as well as £1000 per annum once Henry was deposed. His brother Matthew of Boulogne also agreed for the comital title of Mortain in Normandy

Question 33

Outline 4 of Henry’s advantages from the outset of the rebellion

Answer 33

Henry had unitary forces with central command and good communications, whereas the rebel forces were disparate and lacked coordination
Richard of Luci was extremely competent and allowed Henry to focus on enemies in France whilst he defended England
Normandy was key to Henry’s power in north France and majority of Norman barons remained loyal
Henry’s financial advantage allowed him to outbid the rebels for mercenary armies from Brabant