Top 5 Greatest Kings of Medieval England

in the Middle Ages England emerged as one of the most influential and Powerful Kingdoms in Europe a far cry from its desolate devastated state after the collapse of the Roman Empire over the centuries England produced many Dynamic and memorable Kings from building Cathedrals to refining law from leading Crusades to cultivating the church from leading intellectual revivals to Leading invasions of France England's Kings shaped The Wider world of medieval Europe and continue to Fascinate students of history today on real Crusades history we'll rank the top five greatest kings in the history of medieval England this list was chosen by our supporters on patreon and channel members on YouTube they voted and the results are in so sit back and enjoy our countdown of the top five Kings of medieval England and remember there's no better teacher than [Music] history [Music] for number five we had a tie in the votes so as a bonus we'll profile both kings in the number five spot number five Alfred the Great 871 to 899 Alfred is widely regarded as a great ruler technically he was never king of all England instead he ruled a portion of England wessix during the age of the anglosaxon kingdoms but it's easy to argue that Alfred saved England from being Swept Away in a tide of Viking aggression no wonder the English even today still remember Alfred as one of their founding figures Alfred probably never expected to be king youngest son of King aolf of the West Saxons Alfred fought alongside his older brother King Aid when the Great heathen Army ravaged England in 865 when aelred died Alfred found himself King Alfred's Kingdom of Wessex on the southern Fringe of England was the sole surviving anglosaxon Kingdom all the others were conquered by the Vikings then when the Viking Chieftain Guam struck in 875 he all but extinguished Wessex as well Alfred retreated to the hidden marshes of athony to Rally the few Anglo-Saxons still ready to resist from there Alfred LED his people at the Battle of Edington and the Anglo-Saxons won an unlikely Victory against Guam's great Viking Army by this narrow Victory Alfred saved England for the Anglo-Saxons after defeating Guam Alfred established a system of protective fortresses that allowed the West Saxons to resist Viking attacks he also fortified his people spiritually and intellectually promoting learning and the translation of great works he commission the Welsh scholar ass her to establish schools throughout the realm and oversee the education of not only the young Nobles but all freeorn young men with the means to apply themselves to study Alfred led by example studying Latin for himself he may have even produced his own transl ations of works by boethus Gregory the Great and St Augustine Alfred Champion education of the mind and body and felt that only learned Anglo-Saxons would have the spirit to defend their lands Alfred took up rule in a time of apocalyptic crisis when all seemed lost he rose to the occasion and led his people to Victory from there he nurtured the kingdom that blossomed into England his children and grandchildren and finish what he started and Forge a United English Kingdom Alfred's memory has long endured in fact it was 16th century writers that dubbed him Alfred the Great all right let's take a brief break from the kings of medieval England and let's delve into World War II enlisted is a World War II multiplayer shooter with high historical authenticity experience actual historical battles like the Normandy invasion or the Battle of Moscow equipment uniforms Vehicles it's all geared toward historical accuracy I love the fact that enlisted is a historical plus gaming Journey personally I love Squad mode it gets you into the espri decor of combat equip your squad and give orders individual soldiers can be controlled with a button my favorite vehicle Harley Davids at WLA it's awesome to see a WW2 military motorcycle in action play on your PC Xbox series xjs PlayStation 5 as well as PS4 for an Xbox one if you use my link you get a bonus 3 days of Premium Time and bonus orders for troops and weapons click on my link in the description below and get enlisted free today tied with Alfred at number five Edward III 1327 to 1377 few Kings followed up a more disastrous Reign than Edward iiii Edward the third's father Edward II is often described as England's worst King Edward II's wife Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer usurped the king's power and nullified Royal Authority but once he was crowned Edward iiii proved his Vigor in 1330 Edward launched a surprise attack on Roger Mortimer and had him executed for treason thus young Edward became king in fact as well as in title Edward's mother Isabella was the sister of King Charles I 6 of France when Charles died without a son or brother to replace him Edward asserted his right to the French throne but the French Nobles rejected this at first Edward relented But ultimately he insisted on his right to rule France so began the Hundred Years War in 1346 Edward III won a key Victory when he defeated the French at the Battle of cresy Ed Ward's careful choice of a battlefield and excellent General ship steered his men to Triumph the port of kalai fell to him the following year in 1356 the King of Scotland surrendered his title to Edward III and Edward's son Edward the black prince achieved another pivotal victory over France at the Battle of potier in which the French King was actually captured amid the Perils of the French War Edward repaired the damage from his father's disastrous Reign he acted through Parliament to restore the Crown's relationship with the English Barons uniting the interests of King and Nobles to reinforce English Unity Edward founded the order of the Garter a chiolic institution that championed the ideals of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table Edward and the other members met solemnly in the chapel of windser Castle reaffirming the unity at court in 13 60 Edwards struck an agreement with the French in which he withdrew his claim to the French Crown while also keeping the duche of gasan the Aging King's Health declined and he fell under the influence of his power hungry mistress Alice and his son John of Gant at his prime Edward III was the consumate monarch of 14th century Europe no other contemporary Court was more vigorous or successful despite the failures of his later years he's rightly called one of England's ablest monarch ARS he brought much needed cooperation between the Barons and the crown some have criticized him for being too LAX with the nobility but the stability and strength of Edward's government demonstrates the wisdom in the king's [Music] policy number four Henry II 1154 to 1189 Henry II looms large as the defining Monarch of the 12th century he was heir to both the duy of Normandy and the English Throne at 18 he became Duke of Normandy after a destructive Civil War the 22-year-old Henry gained England's Crown from the ineffectual King Steven to top it off he married Elanor of aquatan who brought with her the richest lands in the south of France Henry and Eleanor ruled an Empire straddling the English Channel indeed Henry governed more of France than any single ruler since the carolingians in 891 under Henry II England became a worldclass [Music] power the England Henry inherited was in ruin after years of Civil War from private fortresses Rogue Barons terrorized the country side within 2 years Henry corrected the situation he wed wiped out the Rogue Barons and brought the Nobles in line he introduced his own courts and magistrates and aligned the church with royal policy his struggle with the Archbishop Thomas Becket has overshadowed many of his accomplishments Henry's Queen Eleanor was the former wife of the king of France Louis iith Anan and French relations vacillated between tension and outright conflict throughout this period but the most damaging conflict of Henry's Reign split his own family Henry was an infamously distant father the Archbishop of Canterbury once implored the king to find at least some time to spend with his sons and daughters he wasn't close to his children and even his own wife defied him for this the king locked Queen Elanor in a tower until his own death a rebellion led by Henry's son and Heir Henry the young king was near disastrous Henry II had a policy of always keeping those around him in suspense of promising a thing but never actually granting it this was how he dealt with his own Sons deprived of fatherly love his sons resented him and showed him no loyalty Henry's poor relationship with his sons was his undoing his son Richard led a rebellion that finished off the old King who died bitter and wretched nevertheless Henry's achievements are undeniable most important are Henry's legal reforms which established English common law he introduced jury trial and laid the foundation for the Modern English legal system the assis of Clarendon in 1166 implemented procedures and standards for the administration of justice throughout England improving law enforcement and expanding Royal Authority in local courts under this system England flourished and achieved new heights of prosperity and peace number three Athlon 924 to 939 grandson of Alfred the Great Athlon is regarded as the first proper King of England at his coronation Athlon was named King of the Anglo-Saxons he continued his family's work of fighting Vikings in 927 Athlon invaded North Umbria demolished the Viking Forts and seized York from Olaf of the clan Evar as a result Constantine II King of Scotland and Owen the Welsh king of Strath Clyde both submitted to athlon's overlordship coins minted by Athlon bore the inscription rexs todus britania king of all Britain Athlon was the most powerful man to rule in Britain since the Romans the Holy Roman Emperor Otto the great exchanged books with a and even married a West Saxon princess Edith of England athlon's law codes were an important Advance on the Old Testament eye for an eye legislation that existed prior to his Reign his work Advanced Beyond tribal thinking to the enacting of Justice on a wider scale athlon's greatest challenge came in 937 that year Constantine II King of Scotland formed an alliance with the Viking Olaf of the clan Evar and Owen of Strath Clyde Olaf at the head of an army of Vikings from both Ireland and North Umbria raided Mercia Athlon and his brother Edmund assembled a considerable Army and marched North the Anglo-Saxons met Olaf and Constantine's Viking Scottish Welsh Coalition at brunen Boro here took place one of the most memorable battles in the history of the British Isles the brutal hand-to-hand fighting lasted all day the Anglo-Saxons endured serious casualties But ultimately Olaf's Northern Coalition was destroyed the outcome of the battle of Brun andboro meant that England would remain United under Athlon hundreds of years later the 12th century chronicler William of malmsbury would write that no one more just or more learned ever governed the kingdom than Athlon David dumville calls Athlon the father of medieval and modern England when he died in 939 Athlon was recognized as one of the leading Kings of Christian Europe today some even describe Athlon as the English Charlamagne number two Edward I long Shanks 1272 to 1307 popularized by Hollywood as the villain of Braveheart Edward I was far more complicated than a cliche bad guy he was both loved and hated in his time and is remembered as both a capable ruler as well as a brutal oppressor as a young prince Edward led a perilous crusade to the Holy Land holding his own against the mamluk sultan by bars there while he slept One Night in bed Edward was attacked by an assassin with his bare hands Edward fought and slew his wouldbe killer perhaps this was an indication of the prince's future determination young Edward learned that his father had died and he himself was now King of England Edward was heavily involved in legal reform and he put much effort inquiring into his country's feudal structures he issued new regulations regarding criminal and property law but much of Edward's energies were directed toward War he subdued rebellions in Wales solidifying English rule by building new castles across the Welsh Countryside and bringing in English settlers the king also involved himself in a fierce succession dispute in Scotland which led to Edward claiming overlordship of the country during the first Scottish war of independence King Edward battled ruthlessly against Rebels like William Wallace who sought to keep English rule out of Scotland brutally efficient and ever ruthless in battle Edward earned the nickname Hammer of the Scots however Edward's greatest challenge came when the king of France Philip IV seized the english- held duy of gany through tenacious fighting Edward reconquered giny from the French but war with France proved expensive and Edward's taxation was voracious both the church and Edward's subjects complained of Edward's burdensome taxes at 62 and with a domineering disposition Edward's physical presence was as intimidating as his style of rule he was a successful King who enhanced Royal Authority and established the English Parliament those who felt his wrath such as the Scots did not mourn his passing but he was without question one of England's most competent Kings Edward KOAT calls him the English Justinian for his legal accomplishments William stubs credited Edward with shaping English institutions helping to develop constitutional monarchy while Thomas T viewed Edward as more of a ruthless pragmatist ruthlessly exploiting the law to subdue his Rivals among the English Barons modern historians generally agree on the significance of Edward's Reign love him or hate him there is no denying that Edward stands out as a landmark King in England's history number one Richard the lionart 1189 to 1199 of Richard the of England the lion har historian John Gillingham writes unique among the Kings of England Richard the played a leading role in the great events of world history in his case the struggle for control of the Middle East between two world religions from his father and mother Richard inherited not only England but Normandy anju aquatan and the whole of the Anan Empire by his death in 1199 the Anan Empire was the most powerful political entity in Europe and Richard had diplomatically isolated Philip II of France with the counts of Flanders and bolog firmly Allied to Richard but Richard's early death brought Misfortune to the Anan project when Richard became king of England in 1189 Christendom had just lost Jerusalem to saladan Richard considered it his solemn duty to answer the Pope's call to Crusade the lion Hart masterfully organized his Empire's resources toward an overseas Expedition Richard proved himself a more capable manager of people than Henry II the lionheart subtlety in the council chamber settled disputes among his Empire's powerful players and his subjects United around the king's Crusade Richard's overseas expedition was one of the most impressive achievements of the pre-modern era a model of logistics and organization Richard's Army was always well supplied and his troops well cared for War the lionart conquered Cyprus establishing the most valuable Logistics Hub of the Crusader States after he secured the conquest of acre from saladan in 1191 Richard executed an impeccable Advance down the 11 Coast in the face of fierce enemy resistance this culminated in the Battle of arv which saw Richard's Army smash a much larger Force led by saladan himself but Richard's most astounding victory the Battle of jafa Salon launched a surprise attack on the Crusader Port of jafa but Richard rushed by sea to the town the king wielding his axe charged the beach with a small force of knights and crossbowmen wiping out saladin's troops the lionhart then personally stormed jafa and retook the town Saladin attempted a Counterattack with an army of 10,000 but Richard held jafa with a few thousand men securing Victory by personally leading his Cavalry Sal Was Defeated jafa secured The Crusade testifies to Richard's leadership as Christians of every background recognized his wisdom and Allied themselves to him it wasn't just anvan and Englishman under his Banner but Scots Italians Germans Frenchmen hungarians Greeks and syrians while the lionhart traveled home after crusading the German Emperor Heinrich v 6 illegally captured him but even as a captive of the emperor Richard won the admiration of the Imperial Court even the Crooked Emperor Hinrich had to publicly give Richard the kiss of peace and denounce his own accusations against Richard when the lionhart demolished the fraudulent case against him before the German magnates in 1194 Richard returned to England the stability of the Anan Empire during his absence is a testament to the Loyalty of Richard's vassals and allies once back in his realm the initiative was with Richard for the remainder of his life this was not only due to Richard's capability as a ruler but the respect he commanded throughout Christendom historian John Baldwin a specialist in the reign of Philip II of France explains Richard benefited both from his deserved reputation for open-handed generosity and from Philip's unsavory reputation as a violator of the property of Crusaders and a tyrannical husband to spin a web of alliance around the French King Richard's early death condemned England and France to the rule of two cowardly vindictive bitter little men Philip II of France and John of England for centuries Richard the lionhart was regarded as the greatest King in England's history an example of this common attitude is found in the 14th century world history of English chronicler rol Higden who wrote the Britain's boasted of their Arthur just as the Greeks of Alexander the Romans of Augustus the English of Richard and the French of Charlamagne Richard was admired even by his enemies Aubrey the fanten a cian chronicler intensely loyal to the French Crown was critical of Richard as often as possible and yet even he could not refrain from admiring Richard's great Deeds another French chronicler Jean of joinville who served Louis the 9th of France the grandson of King Philip second of France praised Richard's conduct on Crusade and criticized Philip II for breaking his vow and abandoning The Crusade the complaint that Richard neglected England due to war in France could just as easily be directed at Henry II or Edward I or Edward iiii this was a period when English kings held considerable interests in France but like Edward I or Henry II Richard the first often dealt with business of the realm from his War tent SC Scholars who have carefully examined the record of Richard's Charters have demolished the old myth that Richard was an uninvolved King historian James Holt writes that Richard intervened frequently and persistently in the control of English Affairs and that a huge number of Charters were personally witnessed by Richard himself Ralph Turner writes that Richard the despite his almost constant absence from England wielded a strong hand over the English church and that he exercised a stronger influence than either his father or his brother John Gillingham writes that the evidence crediting Henry II with a close personal interest in the Legislation promulgated during his Reign is no better than the evidence for Richard's interest in the legislation issued during his Gillingham concludes that Richard was one of the ablest Kings to ever rule England thanks for watching guys and don't forget to check out enlisted an awesome World War II multiplayer shooter that focuses on period accuracy and intense action click my link in the description to download and listed free and get 3 days premium time plus bonus orders for troops and weapons and that wraps up our list of the top five kings in the history of medieval England we hope you enjoyed this list thanks to all patreon and channel members for voting and helping me rank England's Great medieval kings if you liked this video check out our video on the top five greatest Knights of the Medieval Era linked on your screen right now click on the video to watch watch until next time keep history alive my friends