In the late 12th and early 13th centuries, several English rulers and nobles became figures of lasting historical importance and legend. One of the more prominent figures that falls into both categories was King John of England.
Why Did King John Become King of England?
John was the youngest of the four legitimate sons of King Henry II. The eldest, Henry the Young King, was crowned co-king alongside Henry II (but had little actual power). Richard I, “the Lionheart,” would eventually become king in his own right. Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany, inherited and obtained substantial lands. But John, nicknamed “Lackland,” received little, yet may have become the most influential of all his brothers and was left with the title of king after Richard died.
King John’s Family and Plantagenet Origins
At this time, the French and English nobility were so intertwined that the English court was more French than English. William of Normandy—the Conqueror—had invaded England less than a century previously and had established his rule there. John’s mother was Eleanor of Aquitaine, former Queen of France as wife of Louis VII and Queen of England as wife of Henry II, John’s father. John technically inherited some parts of France and was often at war to obtain more holdings.
John’s French holdings made him a vassal to the King of France (only for those parts of France he inherited, not in England), and he was a member of the Plantagenet-Angevine Dynasty, which had French roots.
What Notable Things Did King John Do?
Although John had few celebrated achievements, his reign was central to several events that profoundly influenced Western history. John’s signing of the Magna Carta was probably the most significant moment of his entire rule, but he was not happy doing it. John was dealing with open revolt from the English nobles in the early 1200s and was forced to the negotiating table by the nobility, who forced him to allow them more rights over their own property and limit the power of royalty.
While both King John and the nobility did not fully keep to the terms laid out in the Magna Carta, it became one of the most influential documents of English law, and it challenged the predominant medieval idea of the divine right of kings.
John was not as capable in war as his brother Richard. He had several military victories in France; however, he ultimately ended up losing most of his French lands to King Philip II.
At home, John was a decent administrator, which was probably his greatest gift as king. He spent more time in England dealing with English matters than engaging in war when compared to his predecessors, and the legal system was developed with John at the helm.
Because he needed money to operate the government and engage in military actions, John also found various innovative ways to raise taxes on both the nobility and populace… which may be the reason he became part of the Robin Hood legend.
Was King John Really the Villain He is Depicted as in Robin Hood?
While John’s policies of taxation were, at times, overbearing, the legend of Robin Hood is likely mostly fiction. The earliest references to the Robin Hood legend did not appear until after John’s reign, sometime in the 13th century.
Whether or not John or his subordinates had any dealings with a figure who even inspired some of the Robin Hood legends is not, and may never be, known.
