England and Europe in the Reign of Henry III (1216–1272)

The close political, economic and cultural ties that developed between England and its neighbours were a defining feature of the rule of Henry III, which permeated nearly all levels of society from the king and his barons to the Church and merchants, artisans and fortune hunters. They were evident both in the high politics of Henry III, as well as in the more general cultural developments, as can be seen in the French architecture, Italian masonry and German goldwork of Westminster Abbey. They can likewise be traced with regard to individuals such as Simon de Montfort, whose family was active in the Holy Land, Languedoc, Northern France and England. In short, thirteenth century England formed part of a broader European cultural, political and economic commonwealth. The essays that form this volume demonstrate the variety and strength of these contacts between England and her neighbours during Henry's reign, and by seeking to place Henry's England within a broader geographical and thematic range, will contribute to a broader understanding of England's place within thirteenth century Europe.

Contents: Preface; Introduction, Björn Weiler; Negotiating Anglo-Welsh relations: Llywelyn the Great and Henry III, Huw Pryce; Reconfiguring the Angevin Empire, 1224-1259, Robin Studd; Henry the Peaceable: Henry III, Alexander III and Royal Lordship in the British Isles, 1249-1272, Michael Brown; England and the Albigensian Crusade, Nicholas Vincent; Henry III (1216-1272), Alfonso X of Castile (1252-1284) and the crusading plans of the 13th century (1245-1272), José Manuel Rodríguez García; The monastic world, Janet Burton; Henry III through foreign eyes - communication and historical writing in 13th-century Europe, Björn Weiler; Royal women of England and France in the mid-13th century: a gendered perspective, Margaret Howell; Roger of Wendover and the Wars of Henry III, 1216-1234, Sean McGlynn; How to get on in England in the 13th century? - Dietrich of Cologne, burgess of Stamford, Natalie Fryde; Henry III’s England and the Curia, Christoph Egger; Index.