Fact File

Born: December 1167 AD

Died: 19 October 1216 AD

From: England

Coronated: 27 May 1999

Children: Henry III

Fact File

Born: December 1167 AD

Died: 19 October 1216 AD

From: England

Coronated: 27 May 1999

Children: Henry III

Early Life

King John had only was the youngest out of all his four siblings but he was favoured the most by his father King Henry II. He was nicknamed John Lackland, probably because, as the youngest of Henry II’s five sons it would be probably be given a small portion of his parents prized possessions when they have passed away. His family life was turbulent, as his older brothers all became involved in rebellions against Henry his father. His mother, Eleanor, was imprisoned by Henry in 1173, when John was about five years old. During John’s early years, He vowed to himself that he would claim a position on the throne of England. King Henry the Young had been crowned King of England in 1170, but was not given any formal powers by his father; he was also promised to have authority Normandy and Anjou. Richard was to be appointed the Count of Poitou with control of Aquitaine

and Geoffrey was to become the Duke of Brittany. At this time it seemed unlikely that John would ever inherit any lands, and he was nicknamed John of Lackland by his father and the Nobles.

How Was He Successful

In 1191, Richard left England.  He left John in charge of the country. John’s reputation as a leader had been severely dented as far back as 1185 when Henry II sent him to Ireland to rule. John proved to be a disaster and within six months he was sent home. In 1192, Richard was imprisoned by Duke Leopold of Austria as he returned from the Crusades. John tried to seize the crown from his brother but failed. In 1194, when Richard finally returned to England, John was forgiven by his brother. In 1199, Richard was killed in France and John became the king of England. His reign started in an unfortunate way. In 1202, John’s nephew, Arthur of Brittany, was murdered. Many in Brittany believed that John was responsible for his murder and they rebelled against John. In 1204,

John’s army was defeated in Brittany and John had no choice but to retreat. His military standing among the nobles fell and he was given a new nickname  John Softsword. The defeat in north France was a major blow for John and a costly one. To pay for the defeat, John increased taxes which was not popular with anybody other than John.

How Did He Die

Retreating from the French invasion, John took a safe route around the marshy area of The Wash to avoid the rebel held area of East Anglia. His slow baggage train (including the Crown Jewels), took a direct route across it and was lost to the incoming tide. This dealt John a terrible blow, which affected his health and state of mind. Succumbing to dysentery and moving from place to place, he died at Newark Castle.He was buried in Worcester Cathedral.         When King John died on 18 October, 1216 his nine year old son, Henry was too young to rule the kingdom.  William Marshal was appointed as appointed as king and made decisions on Henry’s behalf until he came of age.