Arthur, King of England, Jerusalem, Duke of Brittany 1187 - 1260
The Early life of Arthur of Brittany
Arthur was born in 1187, the son of Constance of Brittany and Geoffrey II of Brittany, who died before he was born. As an infant, Arthur was second in line to the succession of his grandfather King Henry II, after his uncle Richard. King Henry II died when Arthur was 2 years old, and Richard became the new king in his place.
While Richard I was away on the Third Crusade, Arthur's mother Constance made actions to make the Duchy of Brittany more independent. On November 11, 1190, Richard betrothed Arthur to a daughter of Tancred of Sicily as part of their treaty. However, Emperor Henry VI conquered the Kingdom of Sicily in 1194, so the betrothal of Arthur came to nothing.
A marriage plan, originally aiming to establish an alliance between Richard and Philip II Augustus of France, to marry Arthur's elder sister Eleanor to Philip's son Louis also failed. In 1196, Constance had the young Arthur proclaimed its duke as a child of nine years. The same year, Richard again nominated Arthur as his heir and summoned him, as well as his mother Constance, to Normandy, but Ranulf de Blondeville, 6th Earl of Chester, stepfather of Arthur, abducted Constance. Richard marched to Brittany to rescue Arthur, who was then secretly carried to France to be brought up with Louis.
On his youth, the Duke of Brittany, Arthur seen the wars between Philippe Auguste and his uncle Richard the Lionhearted, the newly powerful Plantagenets and the old house of Capetians are battling for the dominance of the Kingdom of France.
He learned skills from his mentors, his uncle Richard I of England who was also the Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Poitiers, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, Overlord of Brittany, Wales and Ireland and the King of France, Philippe Auguste, so he had a headstart as a King but the fact that he is fatherless made his ascension very difficult.
The Early life of Arthur of Brittany
Arthur was born in 1187, the son of Constance of Brittany and Geoffrey II of Brittany, who died before he was born. As an infant, Arthur was second in line to the succession of his grandfather King Henry II, after his uncle Richard. King Henry II died when Arthur was 2 years old, and Richard became the new king in his place.
While Richard I was away on the Third Crusade, Arthur's mother Constance made actions to make the Duchy of Brittany more independent. On November 11, 1190, Richard betrothed Arthur to a daughter of Tancred of Sicily as part of their treaty. However, Emperor Henry VI conquered the Kingdom of Sicily in 1194, so the betrothal of Arthur came to nothing.
A marriage plan, originally aiming to establish an alliance between Richard and Philip II Augustus of France, to marry Arthur's elder sister Eleanor to Philip's son Louis also failed. In 1196, Constance had the young Arthur proclaimed its duke as a child of nine years. The same year, Richard again nominated Arthur as his heir and summoned him, as well as his mother Constance, to Normandy, but Ranulf de Blondeville, 6th Earl of Chester, stepfather of Arthur, abducted Constance. Richard marched to Brittany to rescue Arthur, who was then secretly carried to France to be brought up with Louis.
On his youth, the Duke of Brittany, Arthur seen the wars between Philippe Auguste and his uncle Richard the Lionhearted, the newly powerful Plantagenets and the old house of Capetians are battling for the dominance of the Kingdom of France.
He learned skills from his mentors, his uncle Richard I of England who was also the Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Poitiers, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, Overlord of Brittany, Wales and Ireland and the King of France, Philippe Auguste, so he had a headstart as a King but the fact that he is fatherless made his ascension very difficult.