PHILIP II OF FRANCE: THE CUNNING KING
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August
21, 1165 – July 14, 1223Early Life
It
was said that Philip II’s birth was God-given. Philip was born on
August 21, 1165 to Capetian King Louis VII and his wife, Queen Adela.
At the time of his birth, Louis was 44-45 years old and was on his
third marriage. His prior marriages had only given him daughters.
When Philip was born, he immediately became Louis’s heir.
The
French monarchy was in a precarious state with only one male heir.
When Philip became ill in August 1179, the old king became extremely
upset. Louis VII would go on a pilgrimage to pray for divine
intervention for his son. Fortunately for Louis, Philip would
recover. However, the experience would adversely affect Louis’s
health. He eventually succumbed to an illness on September 18, 1180.
Ascension to the Throne
After
his father’s passing, Philip was crowned King Philip II. At
15-years-old, he was already married to Isabelle of Hainault. During
the early part of his reign, Philip was under the influence of his
mother. Despite Adela’s attempts to guide his rule, Philip was too
strong-willed. They eventually had a falling out, and Adela retreated
to Blois. With his mother gone, Philip was able to begin ruling
independently.
On
September 8, 1187, Isabelle gave birth to Philip II’s firstborn
child and heir, Louis. Although they would have twin sons in 1190,
both twins would die shortly after their birth. The complications of
the births caused Isabelle’s death. Despite her death, Isabelle had
fulfilled her duty to France. By contributing another male to the
line of succession, the Capetians were secured. With the succession
in place, Philip II was able to focus on more important political
matters.
Philip II vs. Henry II of England
Henry
II of England
When
Philip II became king, western France was under English control.
Through birthright and marriage, the Plantagenet King Henry
II ruled
over many French territories. This culminated in the creation of the
Angevin Empire in France. Due to these circumstances, the kings of
England and France had a rocky relationship.
Beginning
between Henry II and Louis VII, the strained relations between both
countries continued with Philip II. Henry initially believed Philip
to be weak like his father. Both Henry and Philip initially sought to
achieve peace. In 1180, both kings conducted multiple meetings.
Unbeknownst to Henry, Philip would prove to be more cunning than he
imagined.
Undermining Henry II
Philip
II sought to break England’s influence over France and establish
Capetian supremacy. To this end, Philip befriended Henry II’s
estranged sons. They were just as determined to undermine their
father as Philip. Philip initially gained the support of Prince
Henry, then Geoffery, and eventually Richard.
After the deaths of his two older brothers, Richard became Philip’s
primary Plantagenet ally.
In
1187, both men invaded Berry. They later attacked English territory
along the Loire. An attempt at peace between Henry II and Philip II
was made the next year but failed. Henry would go on to invade
Mantes, though Philip defended it. When the pair met again, Philip
demanded that Henry confirm his son Richard as his heir. Henry
refused, and Richard left the meeting with Philip in retaliation.
Henry’s health would gradually worsen, culminating in his death
from a stroke on July 6, 1189.
The Third Crusade
During
the late 1180s, Philip II and Richard sought to travel to the Holy
Land to fight against Muslim forces. After Henry II’s death, Philip
and the newly crowned Richard I were able to make a temporary truce.
On their way to the
Third Crusade,
Richard’s actions would gradually cause a rift between him and
Philip. The unresolved issue of marriage between Richard and Philip’s
sister Alice irritated Philip. Although he mostly tolerated Richard’s
rash behavior, their relationship would become permanently damaged.
This breach occurred when Richard decided to snub Alice in favor of
another woman.
Justifying
his decision, Richard I claimed that Alice had been seduced by his
father while in England. Therefore, Alice was no longer fit to be his
wife. Although angry with Richard’s decision, Philip II relented.
Philip asked for both his sister and her dowry to be returned to him
after the crusade. Both men would eventually arrive in Acre, an
important port in the Holy Land that was being besieged. Philip
arrived on April 20, 1191, and began inspecting Acre’s defenses.
When
Richard I finally arrived on June 8th, Philip II was displeased with
his lateness. Both men would see varying degrees of success
throughout the crusade. However, Philip would return home before
Richard. This was due to health concerns and critical political
matters. On July 31st, Philip departed from Acre. Before Philip left,
an agreement was made with Richard not to break their truce while he
was still crusading.
Philip II vs. Richard I of England
Richard
I of England
When
Philip II returned to France, he immediately started working on
taking advantage of Richard I’s absence. Philip began by allying
with Richard’s younger brother John. Philip then set about
reclaiming the lands that were included in his sister’s dowry. Once
they were in his possession, Philip began his assault on the rest of
the Angevin Empire. Due to Richard’s absence, many of these nobles
quickly surrendered. When Richard learned of Philip’s treacherous
actions, he immediately headed back to Europe.
Fortunately
for Philip II, Richard I had made political enemies while in the Holy
Land. While heading home, he was captured by the Holy Roman Empire.
The emperor held Richard hostage for a hefty ransom until February 4,
1194. Upon his return, Richard made peace with his rebellious brother
and turned his attention to France. With Richard’s arrival,
Philip’s territorial gains slowly began to be recovered by the
English. By late 1195, England had regained over half of its lost
lands.
During
the late 1190s, both king’s forces would continue to skirmish
intermittently. Although Richard I was more of a warrior than Philip
II, Philip would be the more fortunate of the two. In 1199, Richard
fought in a battle against a rebellious French noble. While attacking
the noble’s castle, Richard was struck by an arrow. The wound
became infected, and Richard would later die from his injury on April
6, 1199. By a stroke of luck, Philip’s greatest enemy was dead.
Philip II vs. John of England
John
of England
King
John would continue his fight against Philip II, but with much less
success. Unlike Richard I, John was not a warrior. In April 1202,
Philip once more invaded English held lands. Philip would see a new
level of success in capturing Angevin territory that he hadn’t
previously. Not only was he gaining control of Angevin lands, but he
wasn’t facing much English resistance. This was partially due to
Philip’s ability as a military commander and the internal issues
John was facing in England.
As
England struggled to find success against France, John was alienating
his nobles. Hoping to take advantage of John’s unpopularity, Philip
II and his son, Prince Louis, continued to attack Angevin territory.
John made one last effort to push back the invading French forces. He
gathered all his allies and attacked. This coalition was ultimately
defeated at the Battle of Bouvines on July 27th, 1214. With this
crippling loss, the Angevin Empire finally collapsed.
Later Reign
With
the lands reclaimed from the fall of the Angevin Empire, Philip II
was now firmly in control of France. Philip focused on strengthening
the monarchy’s power, maintaining control over his nobles, and
urban development. His son, Prince Louis, would go on to invade
England to overthrow the vulnerable John. Louis almost became king.
However, after the death of John on October 9th, 1214, English nobles
would turn against him.
By
September 1222, Philip II began suffering from an illness. Sensing
his end, Philip prepared his will and met with Prince Louis. After
months of continual suffering, Philip died on July 14th, 1223, at the
age of 58. Philip successfully passed on a reunited France to his
successor, King Louis VIII.
Conclusion
Throughout
his 43-year reign, Philip II proved himself to be a cunning and
capable king. Through his leadership, Philip successfully fought
against three English kings and had overcome each of them. He built
upon his military victories by consolidating power to the monarchy.
Despite Philip’s other successes during his reign, the destruction
of the Angevin Empire was his greatest achievement. This feat alone
rightfully earned Philip the epithet of Augustus, the exalted one.
Sources
Bradbury,
J. (2010). The Capetians: Kings of France, 987-1328. London:
Hambledon Continuum.
Pacaut,
M. (n.d.). Philip II. Retrieved October 5, 2019, from
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Philip-II-king-of-France.
Philip
II. (n.d.). Retrieved October 5, 2019, from
https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/history/french-history-biographies/philip-ii-france.
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