Stephen’s Final Campaign Against the Northern Castles
Gathering his failing strength, Stephen launched a campaign against rebellious northern castles, with youthful valor still partially intact.…
Stephen’s Meeting with the Count of Flanders
Stephen traveled south to Dover to hold another meeting with the count of Flanders.
The Death of King Stephen
Stephen’s health finally collapsed at Dover, and he died peacefully eight days before the feast of All Saints, ending nineteen troubled years of reign marked by blunders, failures…
The Burial at Feversham Abbey
The archbishop and nobles laid Stephen to rest in Feversham Abbey beside his wife and son.
The Message to Henry, King-Elect
The primate and nobles dispatched a message to Henry, the king-elect, urging him to come and receive his crown without delay.
Disturbances in Normandy
The message reached Henry as he was suppressing disturbances in Normandy. French attacks during his 1153 absence had encouraged turbulence among the Norman barons, who relapsed to…
Peace with the King of France
After a hurried visit to Aquitaine, Henry made peace with King Louis of France in August 1154; Louis at last recognized that his opposition was as futile as Stephen’s had been.
Henry’s Illness
Shortly after the peace with France, the young duke was struck down by a severe illness.
The Campaign in the Vexin
By October, Henry had sufficiently recovered to join Louis in a campaign to settle disturbances in the Vexin.
The Siege of Torigni
From the Vexin, Henry moved to besiege his rebellious cousin and vassal Richard Fitz-Count at Torigni, which had apparently just surrendered.
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