Why Did Henry III of England Marry So Late?

As it says on the tin. Henry III married in 1236 to a wife who was considerably younger than he was (her 1223 (13yo) to his 1207 (29yo)). The only betrothal before this I can find is to Yolande of Brittany (b.1218), but that it was cancelled by 1226. So, why did Hal marry as late as he did? It wasn't as though the succession was bursting with other boys - he only had a younger brother (who married in 1231). So surely this should've been an incentive for him to marry sooner not later?

Any thoughts?
 
Well, Henry was under a regency and the kingdom suffered from rebellion and French occupation for a large portion of that recency.
I suspect once things settled down a bit finding a bride suitable for a king, that wouldn't break potential treaties with France, were what took so long.
 
Well, Henry was under a regency and the kingdom suffered from rebellion and French occupation for a large portion of that recency.
I suspect once things settled down a bit finding a bride suitable for a king, that wouldn't break potential treaties with France, were what took so long.

I guess the fact that he was first cousin/in-law to a lot of the more powerful players on the European scene didn't help much either? Since his father's sisters wed to Saxony, Sicily and Castile, and their children wed into Portugal, Léon, France...

Would the pope grant a dispensation for a closer marriage than usual? Or would it be the same as his dad and Isabella of Gloucester - they can marry, but can't have sex...
 
I just found that the Emperor Friedrich II stood in the way of an attempted marriage between St. Agnes of Bohemia (b.1211) and Henry III. It was a complicated saga in that Agnes was intended for Friedrich's son, Heinrich (VII), and was sent to the court of the Babenberg duke to be raised. The Babenberg duke pushed the agenda of his own daughter, Margarethe, to marry Heinrich (which later happened); since I imagine he wanted Agnes to marry one of his own sons (Leopold (b.1207); Heinrich (b.1208) or Friedrich (b.1211)). And the imperial betrothal was finally cancelled in 1226 (same year as Henry III's Breton engagement). Agnes' dad went to war against the Babenbergs for this, and attempted to betrothe Agnes to Henry III of England, but the emperor blocked this, since he [Friedrich] wanted to marry Agnes himself. Agnes told them to shove it and she removed herself from the equation.

So, should Friedrich's second wife still be alive and kicking (I have it that the Queen of Jerusalem only died in 1228, so I'm not sure why Friedrich would want to marry Agnes in 1226 - unless he wanted to marry Agnes instead of his second wife?), would the emperor block said betrothal? And what might the difference of said marriage be? Where would Eleanor of Provence marry instead? To Richard of Cornwall (instead of her younger sister Sancha?), or, the Count of Toulouse (who asked Blanca of Castile, Regent of France to help him win one of the Provencal princesses' hands, but she cock-blocked him and married them to her sons instead)?
 
What about Margaret of Flanders, she is a potential heiress and 2nd cousin of Henry III, she was slated for an English match by her sister but Philippe prevented it by debouching her by Avesnes.
 
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What about Margaret of Flanders, she is a potential heiress and 2nd cousin of Henry III, she was slated for an English match by her sister but Philippe prevented it by debouching her by Avesnes.

Wouldn't Marguerite suffer from the same problem as most of the other "decent" matches in western Europe - consanguinity. It was only later that some pope/council pushed the forbidden degrees upwards from what they were at the beginning of the 12th century.
 
Wouldn't Marguerite suffer from the same problem as most of the other "decent" matches in western Europe - consanguinity. It was only later that some pope/council pushed the forbidden degrees upwards from what they were at the beginning of the 12th century.
Anyone within 4 degrees still required dispensation, often a local bishop was enough but politics would require the Pope. Considering the Church was opposed to Henry III for his early reign, he's not going to get this easily. That may be another reason for the delay OTL since all his prospects need dispensation.
 
Anyone within 4 degrees still required dispensation, often a local bishop was enough but politics would require the Pope. Considering the Church was opposed to Henry III for his early reign, he's not going to get this easily. That may be another reason for the delay OTL since all his prospects need dispensation.

Why was the Church opposed to Henry? I get that they took issue with John at the end of his reign, but was this transferred to Henry when he became king too? Or were there separate reasons?
 
What about having Henry III marrying Isabel(Beatriz) of Swabia

Philipp of Swabia's daughter? Interesting. Why do suggest her? I guess it would probably butterfly Henry's sister's marriage to Friedrich II, or at least be part of a double marriage - Isabella to Friedrich II (although she was originally betrothed to Freddie's son, Heinrich) and Elisabeth to Henry. I can't seem to find any common ancestors in the last three generations. So she might work - but wasn't her dad/uncle excommunicated for a while? Might that not make things difficult?
 
Philipp of Swabia's daughter? Interesting. Why do suggest her? I guess it would probably butterfly Henry's sister's marriage to Friedrich II, or at least be part of a double marriage - Isabella to Friedrich II (although she was originally betrothed to Freddie's son, Heinrich) and Elisabeth to Henry. I can't seem to find any common ancestors in the last three generations. So she might work - but wasn't her dad/uncle excommunicated for a while? Might that not make things difficult?
Isabel did marry Henry III's cousin IOTL...so no need for dispensation.
 
Isabel did marry Henry III's cousin IOTL...so no need for dispensation.

Could make for an interesting time. Especially if the Hohenstaufens continue on their OTL trajectory. We might see an alt-Edmund Crouchback claiming the crown of Sicily (in the way the pope wanted him to OTL) as well as/rather than Richard of Cornwall claiming the imperial title.
 
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