King John was known as "Lackland" or "Softsword". He was designated Lord of Ireland in 1189 and Earl of Gloucester the same year. He succeeded his brother, King Richard the Lionheart as King of England and Duke of Normandy in 1199. John was a poor king. During his reign he lost most of the continental lands to King Philip of France. His heavy taxation at home to fund his war efforts led to resentment among his people and gave rise to the legend of Robin Hood. In the Robin Hood legend John is remembered as a pretender. While his brother King Richard was away on Crusade to the Holy Land, John styled himself as King of England. Unrest at home eventually led to civil war, finally resulting in the Magna Carta, which stripped John of much of his authority as king and gave greater authority to the barons. John is remembered is vindictive, duplicitous, and untrustworthy; not one of our more glorious ancestors.
English Royalty. He received notoriety for being the King of England from 1199 to 1216. John was the son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, and youngest brother of Richard "the Lionheart". He married twice with the first being a political move to a distant cousin Isabel of Gloucester; this was annulled. Then he married the 12 year-old Isabella of Angouleme, who gave him three daughters and two sons. He was an educated man who loved hunting and traveling. Since Henry II did not award him land as he did his older sons, John was given the name of "Lackland". The name proved to suit him as, during his reign, he lost most of the land England had acquired earlier. John's life was characterized by double-crossing tumultuous relationships: First he allied with his brother Richard to rebel against their father; later he allied with King Philip II of France to fight Richard. He then turned on Phillip, causing England to lose Normandy. And lastly, he battled with his oldest brother's son Arthur over the right to the throne, which he ultimately, after Richard's death, advanced to the throne. Many English barons and clergy thought he had poor judgment, was wicked and could not be trusted. And he was even excommunicated from the Church by Pope Innocent III. Although he did make improvements in military, taxation, and in the justice system, his faults and mistakes overshadowed any achievements. While John was in France and for the first time in history, barons made a national protest against such a bad government. On June 15, 1215, John sealed the "Magna Carta", the Great Charter, which restated the rights of the Church, the barons and all in the land. Within months, John broke all of these promises, causing the Church and the barons to summon aid from France. In the midst of the French invading England, John died of dysentery leaving his nine-year-old son to become Henry III. At this point, his widow, Isabella of Angouleme, was sent back to France without her very young children. King John may also be remembered as the rival of Robin Hood, the heroic outlaw in English folklore. His body is buried at Worcester Cathedral, and his heart at Fontevraud Abbey.
Bio by: Linda Davis