1261 Henry’s basic grievance was that the barons had gone beyond the intentions of the Provisions. They had met and […]
Tag: Simon
Edward joins the movement
1259 – 1260 At the opening of parliament in October, a group calling itself the ‘community of the bachelors of […]
The king’s privations
1258 – 1259 At this point all eyes turned to Rome and Paris. The pope had threatened to excommunicate Henry […]
The new faith
1258 Henry’s years of misrule were seemingly at an end. The provisions adopted at Oxford were akin to an unwritten […]
Eleanor’s parliament
1254 Before leaving, Henry appointed his wife Eleanor to rule in his stead with Richard serving as her adviser. Their […]
The third Eleanor
1254 It had been Henry’s intention to come to Gascony and show that it could be ruled with peace and […]
One crusading disaster after another
1250-1254 Meanwhile Louis was having a worse time of it overseas. He had carefully prepared for his crusade, amassing a […]
Maker and lover of strife
1252 A humiliated and insulted Henry called his governor a “maker and lover of strife” and ordered him to observe […]
An absolute mess
1250 Henry’s policy in Gascony was an absolute mess. The province was nominally Richard’s, but now, at the queen’s insistence, […]
The king should be locked up
1242 Henry’s expedition to recover Poitou was a spectacular failure. Caught off guard by Louis’ aggressiveness at the Charente River […]
The unholy struggle
1240 Crusading was all the rage among the nobility of the 13th century. Simon returned to England alone in the […]
The king’s wrath
1239 True to character, Henry’s break with Simon was abrupt and unseemly. He waited for the occasion of the queen’s […]
Another royal wedding
1238 It was into this atmosphere of ill-will and hostility that Simon strode on another cold January day two years […]
Courtly intrigue
1231 The Leicester holdings, it turned out, generated little income to cover the debts Simon had incurred to recover them. […]
Always the Jews
1231 The expedition was a total failure. Young Henry looked splendid in his armor until dysentery took hold of him […]
Arriving in England
1230 When the middle brother died during another siege, the oldest brother Amaury had only Simon to contend with for […]
Simon and Henry
Next door to the cathedral is the Palace of Westminster with its iconic clock tower. It’s home to the houses […]