Frieda Looser History Ltd

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HENRY I AND THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH

$30.00

Henry I was the youngest son of William the Conqueror. His eldest brother Robert inherited the patrimony - the Duchy of Normandy, and headed off to defend the Holy Land in the First Crusade. William, the next surviving son, became King of England and is remembered for his ruddy complexion. William Rufus met his demise in 1100 in the New Forest. With alacrity, Henry secured the Treasury and was crowned at Westminster. Later defeating Duke Robert and confining him for life, Henry I consolidated England and Normandy under the crown of England, but lost his only legitimate son in the sinking of the White Ship, and then attempted to secure the succession for his daughter Matilda. The early decades of the 12th century saw the beginnings of cathedral building in the Gothic architectural style, providing the context of the award-winning book by Ken Follett The Pillars of the Earth, and the subsequent television miniseries.

Topics

• The early 12th-century political context

• Monastic life and cathedral building

• The Crown and the Anarchy

Item added 2 October 2017