Henry III was King of England from 1216 to 1272 - 56 years in total, reigning from when he was just nine to when he was 65 years old.
He’s the longest serving King of the medieval era - his tenure was only beaten by George III whose reign started 544 years after Henry’s coronation.
Henry was the 4th of 14 Plantagenet Kings who ruled England.He’s perhaps best known for being forced to set up an early version of Parliament and building the Westminster Abbey we know today.
When he was born in 1207 his father John was eight years into his own reign as King of England.
Thanks to his poor leadership John was forced to sign Magna Carta, an attempt to severely limit the King’s power.
John tried to overturn it, causing the Barons to declare war on him but in the midst of this, in 1216 the King died and nine-year-old Henry was crowned kingFor the first part of his reign Henry III was effectively controlled by English nobleman.
When he came of age though, he wanted to prove his worth as a strong King so invaded France in 1230 hoping to reclaim the Angevin lands his father had lost.
The plan failed and though he was defeated at the hands of the French, he was heavily influenced by them and modelled his own royal court on that the French monarchy’s.
He favoured French courtiers and married Eleanor of Provence.