Today the 1st of October marks the birth of Henry III in 1207. Born in Winchester, he had just turned nine when his father King John died amidst a baronial revolt. As the first king of England to rule in the age of Magna Carta and Parliament, Henry’s attempts to maintain a cosmopolitan court with strong links to the continent met with fierce resistance from churchmen and younger barons. They found a champion in Simon de Montfort, whose personal sense of grievance and failure led him to rebel against his brother-in-law the king. Making “England for the English” their rallying cry, the Montfortians were determined to expel all foreigners from the kingdom. It took four years of war to stamp them out, after which Henry concentrated on dedicating the new Westminster Abbey built under his supervision. His reign of 56 years came to an end when he died in his bed in 1272.
Henry’s birthday
