Henry II

noun

1. king of France from 1547 to 1559; regained Calais from the English; husband of Catherine de Medicis and father of Charles IX (1519-1559)

• Instance Hypernyms: ↑King of France

• Member Holonyms: ↑Valois

2. first Plantagenet King of England; instituted judicial and financial reforms; quarreled with archbishop Becket concerning the authority of the Crown over the church (1133-1189)

• Instance Hypernyms: ↑King of England, ↑King of Great Britain

• Member Holonyms: ↑Plantagenet, ↑Plantagenet line

* * *

1. ("Henry the Saint") 973-1024, king of Germany 1002-24 and emperor of the Holy Roman Empire 1014-24.

2. ("Curtmantle") 1133-89, king of England 1154-89: first king of the Plantagenet line (grandson of Henry I of England).

3. 1519-59, king of France 1547-59 (son of Francis I).

* * *

Henry II [Henry II]

(1133–89) king of England (1154–89). He was the ↑grandson of ↑Henry I, succeeded King ↑Stephen, and was the first ↑Plantagenet king. He reduced the power of the ↑barons and increased the power of the state. He wanted to reduce the power of the Church, which led to his dispute with the ↑Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket, which ended in Becket’s murder. During his rule England established control over Ireland. Henry also introduced various systems of justice which can be seen as the beginning of ↑common law.