King Henry III

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Henry III (October 1, 1207 ? November 16, 1272) is one of the least-known British monarchs, considering the great length of his reign. He was also the first child monarch in English royal history.

He was born in 1207, the son of King John of England and Isabella of Angouleme. According to Nicholas Trevet, Henry was a thickset man of medium height, with a narrow forehead and a drooping left eyelid (inherited by his son, Edward I).

On John?s death, Henry, aged nine, was hastily crowned in Gloucester, as the barons who had been supporting the invasion of Prince Louis of France in order to ensure John's deposition quickly saw the young prince as a safer option. Henry's regents immediately declared their intention to rule by Magna Carta which they did during Henry?s minority. Magna Carta was reissued in 1217 as a sign of goodwill to the barons. The country was ruled by regents until 1227.

When Henry reached majority, however, he was keen to restore royal authority, looking towards the autocratic model of the French monarchy. Henry married Eleanor of Provence and he promoted many of his French relatives to power and wealth. For instance, one Poitevin, Peter des Riveaux, held the offices of treasurer of the household, keeper of the king's wardrobe, keeper of the privy seal, and the sheriffdoms of twenty-one English counties simultaneously. Henry's tendency to govern for long periods with no publicly appointed ministers who could be held accountable for their actions and decisions did not make matters any easier. Many English barons came to see his method of governing as foreign.

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