From The Battle of Hastings (1066) to the Battle of Bosworth Field (1485)

 William the Conquerer (William I) ◦  William II (called Rufus) ◦ ◦ William I’s second son – the eldest got Normandy  Henry I ◦ ◦ William I’s third son ◦ Great ruler who consolidates powere ◦ Leaves a daughter (Matilda), a nephew (Stephen), and an illegitimate son (Robert, Earl of Gloucester)

 Matilda claims throne but never crowned – Civil War ◦ Marries Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor, and Geoffrey Plantagenet, count of Anjou ◦ Brother Robert, husband Geoffrey, and son Henry lead her armies  Stephen ◦ ◦ Passes throne to Matilda’s son Henry Plantagenet rather than to his own son

 Henry II ◦ Son of Geoffrey and Matilda ◦ ◦ Marries of Eleanor of Acquitaine ◦ “Lion in Winter”  Richard I ◦ ◦ “Lion-hearted” Crusader king  John (nicknamed Lackland) ◦ ◦ Richard’s brother – never popular – forced to sign Magna Carta

 Henry III ◦ ◦ Rules at a time when England becomes the center of Plantagenet power and holdings in France become less important to the English  Edward I (nicknamed “longshanks”) ◦ ◦ Conquers Scotland – called “Hammer of the Scots” – remember the “Braveheart” film  Edward II ◦ ◦ Loses power b/c promotes not from the upper class

 Edward III ◦ ◦ Has seven sons! ◦ Succeeded by his grandson b/c he outlives his sons ◦ Rivalries between his sons’ descendants leads to War of Roses in next century ◦ Lancasters (red roses) ◦ Yorks (white roses)  Richard II ◦ ◦ deposed and murdered by his Lancaster cousin

 Henry IV ◦ ◦ Plagued by the murder that puts him on throne  Henry V ◦ ◦ Battle of Agincourt – 1415 (revolutionizes medieval warfare b/c of invention of longbow) ◦ Sir John Falstaff character from Shakespeare’s histories  Henry VI ◦

 2 nd Battle of St Albans (1461) – York victory  Edward IV ◦ ◦ Secret first marriage discovered after death, de- legitimizes all his children by Elizabeth Woodville, complete disarray  Richard III ◦ ◦ Believe nothing written about him by a Tudor source, including Shakespeare ◦ Killed at Bosworth Field by French army led by Henry Tutor (who will become Henry VII)