Henry III of Winchester (oct 31, 1216 – nov 30, 1272)

Description:

son of John and Isabella of Angouleme. Considered first "Plantagenet king" as he was the first ruler who was more centered in England after the loss of the French lands. He came to the throne at 9 years old in the middle of the First Barons' War. He married Eleanor of Provence and was known for his piety. He tried twice to recover the lost French lands--in 1230 and 1242. By 1258, Henry's rule was increasingly unpopular, the result of the failure of his expensive foreign policies and the notoriety of his wife's Savoyard relatives and his own Poitevin half-brothers, the Lusignans. In 1263, one of the more radical barons, Simon de Montfort, seized power, resulting in the Second Barons' War. Henry persuaded Louis IX to support his cause and mobilised an army. The Battle of Lewes occurred in 1264, where Henry was defeated and taken prisoner. Henry's eldest son, Edward, escaped from captivity to defeat de Montfort at the Battle of Evesham the following year and freed his father.

Added to timeline:

Date: