Henry I

Henry I of England ascended to the throne in 1100, following the death of his brother William II, who had no legitimate heirs. Henry's ascension to the throne was marked by political opportunism, as he seized the throne while his brother Robert was away on the First Crusade. Henry inherited the kingdom of England from William Rufus, giving him a claim of suzerainty over Wales and Scotland, and acquired the Duchy of Normandy, a territory in France. However, for the first twenty years of his reign, Henry's uncle and others governed for him in England and France, which he had inherited under the Treaty of Alton. Despite this, Henry's reign was characterized by notable accomplishments and reforms.

Henry I's reign was marked by significant accomplishments and reforms. He was a skillful and intelligent monarch who achieved peace in England and relative stability in Normandy, as well as notable administrative and legal reforms. Henry encouraged ecclesiastical reform, but he became embroiled in a serious dispute in 1101 with Archbishop Anselm of Canterbury, which was resolved through a compromise. The rest of Henry's reign was filled with judicial and financial reforms, including the establishment of the biannual Exchequer to reform the treasury. These legal and political reforms have endured to the present day and form the basis of Britain's modern justice system.

Henry I's legacy and historical significance are notable. He ruled through the barons and lords in England and Normandy, whom he manipulated skillfully for political effect. Henry I was the fourth son of William the Conqueror and the first born in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Plantagenet dynasty that he founded occupied the throne of England through to 1399 and the eighth successive generation. Henry I issued a charter of liberties at his coronation, which contained a series of promises to his barons and other parties. It was Henry who set England on a path to becoming one of the world's most dominant nations, and his reign was littered with continuing disputes with his main rivals in Europe.