The grief of the kings of England, 1154-1216

Abstract

At the end of May 1183, Henry the Young King, Henry II’s eldest surviving son and heir, contracted dysentery in the midst of a rebellion against his father. It quickly became clear that his illness was serious and, aged twenty-eight, the Young King died. Accounts of Henry II’s response differ widely. According to Roger of Howden, the king’s first reaction to the news was disbelief. Then, once he was certain of his son’s death, he ‘collapsed in a faint’ three times, and ‘with a great howling and a horrible weeping he let out mournful laments, and he overstepped the acceptable measure of grieving more than one could believe.’

This description of Henry II is not the only account of the Angevin kings expressing profound, visceral, and often public grief. Intense displays of mourning were attributed to Henry II, Richard I and John, as they were all variously confronted by death, defeat, and dishonour. At times, they were criticised for excess and absence of feeling. At others, their grief met with approval, played a crucial role in political rituals, or redeemed them from sin. These instances have gone largely unexamined.

In this thesis, I analyse accounts of the grief of the kings of England, uncovering what they tell us about the characteristics of grief and kingship from 1154 to 1216. I argue that lack of attention has led us to misunderstand medieval grief and its relationship to kingship. By re-examining the meaning and significance of grief at that time, I uncover the cultural norms that shaped the way grief was experienced, managed, and described. Grief is revealed as a political tool central to the practice of Angevin rule and the operation of power. Rather than being an inherent weakness, grief – in the right hands – could be a symbol of strength.