Henry II - The First Plantagenet King Documentary 

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Whew! This man hit the ground running and never stopped for a breath

The lion in winter! If only he had raised some loyal children, his reign would have amounted to a golden age. Still my all time favourite English king.

Henry II is England's greatest king, and the first ruler since the Normal Conquest to actually try to build a functioning state.

"Who will rid me of this turbulent algorithm!?" - Henry II (probably)

Henry II is my favorite Plantagenet and among my top 3 favorite English royals. Truly a great man from a great time in history!

You had me at “he employed the services of a flatulist.” (Who apparently was so adept at his job as to earn himself a manor house-well played.)

I love how he defeated his sons+ his wife and wife's ex husband in the 1170s.

In many ways one of England’s greatest kings. But his need for total control and habit of alienating people really caused him a lot of problems.

Henry II is often cited as the founder of the modern legal system in England and America

Thankyou for this. Henry the second A Great and Noble King.

The series on this dynasty is quite intriguing.

Henry II and Eleanor are my 28th set of great grandparents. Glad Eleanor had John before she started plotting against Henry or I wouldn’t exist

I love this fast paced, info packed overview!😃

Love this. But also, this narrator makes the entire 50 minutes sound like a single paragraph 😂🤷‍♂️

Suggestion: A more detailed documentary about the life of Edward III

I just started researching this incredible king perfect timing ♥️

I think he was pretty awesome! For him to bring order to a country that had been torn apart by a civil war that had lasted 20 years was pretty remarkable. From what I've read, Stephen was not a very strong king. There didn't seem to be any semblance of order. Barons had free rein to do whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. For him to come in, quell the war, bring the barons to heel, create a centralized court system, tax system, etc. - all the while taking care of the other provinces in his empire - was really extraordinary. I'm sure those barons resented the curtailing of their power and having to adopt to a new system of law and order; so I'm sure they didn't make it easy!

Superb images (bar that of Henry II), insightful analysis, and dramatic tension. Great!

I find English History fascinating. Power, intrigue, bloody battles, marriages, claims to the crown, blood witted barons, linage, occasionally some total madness, mercilessness, and conspiratorial.

Stephen of Blois be the Grandson, if he is the son of the daughter, of William of Normandy . Not his nephew. Many Norman nobles chose Stephen over Matilda

I believe that Beckett is getting off too lightly. His role should be put under a very strong microscope.

This video was awesome. Very well made. I have one critique. At 53:40, technically Saladin was a Kurd, not an Arab. Other than that, this was an excellent video. I enjoyed it very much!

Love your voice. So clear and concise. This was very interesting.

My god, I love this channel.

This was a splendid video! I been interested in Henry II ever since A Lion in Winter. Never had much sympathy for Beckett.

Great work - clear and detailed. Minor point - those aren't the cliffs of Dover, that is Beachy Head by Eastbourne:)

Loved this so much. Brilliant work.

Great information has always.Thank you

Henry had such an incredible political mind. To go into that fight in Ireland, invited with his men to fight, and he ends up taking over Ireland. Henry probably even told the French King that he should divorce Elenore. And then the two of them immediately got married. And to be smart enough to fight his son's and Elenore plus half the Kingdoms in Europe, and some of it through diplomacy was quite the feat.

Lovely!! Thank you :)

I've seen that you focus mostly on Europe and US. Is there a chance that you might someday cover east Asian history

Some beautiful scenery.

my favourite English king and the star in my favourite play lion in winter

Wow just learning about my 14th great grandfather. This is crazy

Truly enjoy ur documentary impressive details keep it up with different historical details.

Great biopic on Henry II!

Le Mans is absolutely not in Normandy. Le Mans was located in Le Maine (currently Sarthe, Pays de la Loire).

He was a great king !

Thank you

I was pretty close with my prediction, but i doubt next middle age biography will be about Richard the Lionheart. Father and then son? Too easy. My prediction for the next middle age figure: Cnut the Great.

Compliments to the commentator. Absolutely perfect. Nov. 2022.

Hope to know more about him.

Very good

Thanks!

I love how they hadn’t quite got a handle on art during that period, either that or they were just some very funny looking people back then. Anyway, could you do a video on Henry I?

In medieval terms he was an amazing leader to my mind: He had to try to lead, deceive and influence many people with different agenda including England based Barons, France based Barons, numerous other European rulers and his family who all had their own personal interests at heart: None of whom seemed to want to keep the Angevin Empire as a single entity, unlike Henry. He juggled all these interests and diplomacies throughout his kingship but his family did not seem to want to understand and support the project. Most of all he brought some peace to England which the peasant society must have valued; however like today the general population don't know when they are on to a good thing and IMO the Barons couldn't see the wood for the trees. I do understand that warfare was a way of life in those times but it destroyed national economies and killed off the young peasants who otherwise would have been building up their country. His regulation of the legal system is still valued today in English Common Law. He was a leader with many medieval leadership skills but no one wanted such a large empire for their own reasons. He was a great king but his project was not wanted by anyone.

I love Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine! Amen!

Great documentary. Good to see real historical research overcoming the biased views of the historians of the period.

Very interesting fakts. Thx

A most underrated monarch.

I think Henry II is undoubtedly one of the greatest English kings ever. He ended the anarchy, stabilised the kingdom by establishing the rule of law, produced many children and married them off well. His failings are incredibly tragic in that they are so personal: he came into conflict with his best friend, his wife and his children and it ultimately brought him down. His legacy though is to be seen in Magna Carta: during John's quite disastrous rule, the English barons sought to use the rule of law, rather than anarchy, to restrain him and accept limits on his power. The barons obviously realised they preferred law and order to chaos and thought it was possible because of the changes Henry II had instigated. One of the great questions, I think, is this: Henry II's youngest son, John, was born on Christmas Eve, 1166 (almost 100 years to the day that William the Conqueror was crowned as King of England); as such, given that the shock of John's betrayal is quite possibly what finished Henry II off, was John the most dubious Christmas present ever received by a king of England or a kingdom? John's misrule is such a watershed moment in English history too, that it's hard not to argue that it was ultimately A Good Thing (to borrow a term from Sellar and Yeatman).

Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine were my 22nd great grandparents. John I was my 21st great grandparent. Lost France. Lost absolute monarchy.

The People’s Profiles : Here’s Henry II Me(Who was expecting William II) : A Surprise to be sure but a welcome one.

Y’all should do documentaries on all the French kings

Im a direct descendent of King Henry the II on my mothers fathers side. Exciting!!

If the throne can’t go thru women, Stephen shouldn’t claim the throne either. No matter which way we cut it, he’s taking advantage of the rightful heirs. Funny that he would pay 💰 for someone to fart 💨 at him. One book 📚 claims Eleanor rebellion was linked to Henry’s infidelity, but he’s definitely one of England’s best kings Et tu John!!

Can you guys make videos about Anglo-Saxon English kings? That would be great to see.

If you like this you must read David Mitchell's 'Unruly'....simply brilliant...and funny!

During the 12th century monarchs like Henry II and Richard the Lionheart were influential figures in England. Henry II, known for his legal reforms and expansion of royal authority, established the foundation for the common law system. Richard the Lionheart, on the other hand, gained fame for his military prowess and leadership during the Third Crusade. Together, these monarchs played significant roles in shaping England's political and military landscape during this period. These assholes hurt the country's economy and caused social unrest with their heavy taxation policies. Additionally, their constant conflicts with neighboring kingdoms strained diplomatic relations and hindered England's overall stability.

Video Suggestion: Philip Augustus of France, one of the Greatest Medieval Kings of France who played the Plantagenets like a fiddle.

Please do a video on Edward the Confessor

Terrific video. I like Henry II. I think his children were horrid.

A suggestion. Otto I “The Great.” Holy Roman Emperor.

He was indeed one of the greatest Kings of England

The fact that I’m his ancestor makes me so happy

I think it’s anachronistic to call Henri FitzEmpress Plantagenet ‘King of England’ in the way one would give that title to Henry 8th Tudor, for example. In 12th Century, most of the territory we now call England was ruled by dynasts who did not speak English, but some variety of French (first in the Norman, later in the Parisian dialect) who were part of a wider feudal structure that it might be more accurate to describe as ‘French’. They certainly wouldn’t have thought of themselves as ‘English’. The territories ruled by Plantagenet kings started to become more ‘English’ when Henri’s son Jean Sans Terre (aka ‘John Lackland’) lost control of more of the possessions that he held in fief to the King of France.

No Stephen was empress Matilda’s cousin. William the conqueror was his mothers father. She was Henry I (father of empress Matilda’s) sister who is Henry II grandfather.

Roland the Farter... a true medieval legend.

My favourite king

History ❤

Does Hugh Laurie know that you have him playing King Henry II on yoir thumbnail?

Love Henry11nd I soak up everything I can on him , I read somewhere that he used to go on the floor and bite a rug in temper like a dog 😂😂😂

Why isn't the doc about Eleanor of Aquitaine in this playlist?! 😢

I think the answer to your question is a question that is easier to answer. Did the good outweigh the bad?

Am I the only one wondering how the king could possibly do spot of riding with that flaturist firmly attached to the Royal butt😄😂😂😅

Thomas Beckett was nothing but trouble. But, his murder was even greater trouble. Henry ll's biggest problem was, he didn't know how to handle his wife, and children.

He was a king of the times.

I wish I could say "the handsome" and "the fair" were the epithets people use for me

Just found out he was my 25th Great Grandfather, who would have thought!

Where is the video about Eleanor?

I’m a descendants king Henry the second

My granny princess Marianna Cottone she was born in the County of Naso city in Sicily on February 13 , 1912 and me on February 6 , 1983

I wonder if Louis VII ever wondered if he could’ve had a son like Henry with Eleanor

My granny princess Marianna Cottone she descents from king Henry II of England but also from Charlemagne and from all the Kings of Wessex too

The shield 🛡️ masks are incredible 🙌.... Are they period or reproduction??? Replicas....the 🗡️ swords... scenery are beautiful 😍 beyond words

One of our greatest kings.

A great King...my grandfather!

If Stephen was born to "The Conquerors daughter" as asserted here, that would make Stephen his grandson not his nephew. Adela (Stephen's Mother) and Matilda (Henry's Mother) were sister or at least half sisters. Stephen would be Matilda's nephew not her cousin. That would make Henery I and Stephen Blois first cousins. From an argument of decent, it would seem both would have a claim to Grandaddy William's throne.

Henri Fitz-Empress, or Henri Fitzempress?

Long live the British Roayl Family 👑🇬🇧

You seemed to confuse alot of people so here William the conqueror and Matilda of Flanders had children: Robert II Duke of Normandy Richard Adeliza Cecilia William II who was supposed to be king and died during the white ship crisis. Constance Duchess of Brittany Adela countess of Blois (who married Stephen of Blois and they had a son Stephen of Blois who is the one that came to claim the throne) Henry I king of England Empress Matilda was Henry I daughter. Matilda married Geoffrey Plantagenet. Henry II was there son. So Henry I was Henry II grandfather. Henry I had no living male heirs to take the throne upon his death. He wished for Matilda to be regent until Henry II was of age to take the throne. But Stephen Matilda’s 1st cousin came to take the throne as his mother was Adela Williams daughter and he was Williams grandson. Henry I was his uncle but he was Henry II grandfather. So Henry II and Stephen were second cousins. Adela was Matilda’s aunt and Henry II great aunt. Matilda and Stephen were 1st cousins. William was stephens grandfather and Henry II great grandfather. William was Matilda’s grandfather. If still confused: ok look at your own family tree if you have an aunt her kids are your 1st cousins, and your 1st cousins children are your second cousins so on and so on…

"Stomach" ailment. Yeah right. Poisoned for sure.

King Henry III was very handsome from looking at his portrait What can I say🤫

And you hear things names of Earls that go on for years. Buchingham, Oxford, Richmond…it’s confusing! I have to hear dates.

another of my ancestors on my mother’s side of the family

18:08 Nice gig!

No mention of the Treaty Henry signed with the Pope to resolve the matter of Beckets murder? Nor the annual stipend Henry was forced to pay to the Pope? Nor the gauntlet he was forced to walk while being beaten by 2 rows of 40 friars? Both were concessions Henry made to the Pope in the addition to the Treaty before the Pope was satisfied. The murder of Becket is the most important event in English history because it led to the Treaty, breached by King John (when he signed the Magna Carta) and subsequent forfeiture of the Crown. The Templars were sent by the Pope to collect his compensation for the breach of the Treaty and the Crown Corporation was created. The Crown Corporation is located in what is now known as the City of London - where the monarch requires permission to access…

The adverts and music are so annoying 😬

I am a great X 25 grandson of Roland the Farter