English Monarchs

King John and Henry III

John Lackland

Born around 1166 
Ascended in 1199
Died in 1216, aged 50 
Reigned for 17 years
Married to Isabel of Gloucester the Isabella of Angouleme bearing 2 sons and 3 daughters.

King John lost most of the English possessions in France, giving him the nickname Lackland.  He was unpopular with his barons as he was evasive, unreliable and abusive of his powers. 

The Pope excommunicated him for taking church property and eventually he was held up to account for his doings by his nobility. In order to settle on an agreed law system they drew up the Magna Carta which detailed the rights and powers of every man and nobleman in England. King John was forced to sign it under duress at Runnymede in 1215.

Henry III

Born in 1207 
Ascended in 1216
Died in 1272, aged 65 
Reigned for 56 years
Married to Eleanor of Provence bearing 4 sons and 2 daughters.

Henry III had trouble at home with the ambitious Simon de Montfort, the Earl of Leicester, who had made demands upon the king, which were later broken. Montford attacked the king's troops and defeated them setting up the first ever parliament. The barons argued too much and the whole thing fell into disarray. The heir to the throne, Edward (Henry's son), killed Montford.