SONS:
“KING HENRY III”
(successor)
“RICHARD (1ST EARL OF CORNWALL)”
(1167 – 1216)
(king of england from 1199 – 1216)
(‘john’ was the youngest of five songs of king henry II of england and eleanor (duchess of aquitaine))
(he was their second surviving son to ascend the throne (continuing the plantagenet angevin kings of england). prior to his accession, he was earl of cornwall and earl of gloucester (but this title merged into the crown when he became king))
(his oldest surviving brother richard became king upon the death of their father in 1189 and john was made count of mortain (france))
(when richard refused to honor their father’s wishes and surrender aquitaine to him as well, john staged a rebellion)
(the rebellion failed and john lost all potential claims to lands in france)
(he acceded to the throne upon the death of richard I (who died without an heir))
(during his lifetime, he acquired two epithets. one was “lackland” (because as his father’s youngest son he did not inherit land out of his family’s holdings and because as king he lost significant territory to france))
(the other was “softsword” signifying his supposed lack of prowess in battle)
(he is best known as “king john” (the enemy of robin hood))
(he is also known for letting the barons of english nobility enact the “magna carta” (a document which limited kingly power in england and which is popularly thought of as an early step in the evolution of limited government))