Biography of Archbishop Geoffrey Plantagenet 1152-1212

Around 1152 Archbishop Geoffrey Plantagenet was born illegitimately to [his father] King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England [aged 18] and [his mother] Ykenai.

In April 1156 [his half-brother] William Plantagenet IX Count Poitiers [aged 2] died at Wallingford Castle [Map]. He was buried at Reading Abbey, Berkshire [Map] at the feet of his great-grandfather King Henry I "Beauclerc" England.

On 30th January 1164 [his uncle] William Longsword [aged 27] died. He was buried at Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral [Map]. His death said to have been of a broken heart since he was unable to marry Isabella Warenne Countess Boulogne 4th Countess of Surrey [aged 27] as a result of Archbishop Thomas Becket [aged 44] refusing to grant the necessary dispensation. His death may have been the start of the rift between his elder brother [his father] King Henry II [aged 30] and Becket.

On 1st February 1168 [his brother-in-law] Henry "Lion" Welf XII Duke Saxony III Duke Bavaria [aged 39] and [his half-sister] Matilda Plantagenet Duchess Saxony [aged 12] were married. She by marriage Duchess Bavaria, Duchess Saxony. The difference in their ages was 27 years. She the daughter of [his father] King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England [aged 34] and Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen Consort Franks and England [aged 46]. He the son of Henry "Proud" Welf X Duke Bavaria and Gertrude Süpplingenburg Duchess Bavaria. They were half third cousin twice removed.

Before 1170 Archbishop Geoffrey Plantagenet [aged 17] was appointed Archdeacon of Lincoln.

In 1173 Archbishop Geoffrey Plantagenet [aged 21] was appointed Bishop of Lincoln.

In 1176 Bishop Peter de Leia was appointed Bishop of St David's by [his father] King Henry II [aged 42] despite the cathedral chapter preferring Gerald of Wales aka Cambrensis [aged 29] aka Giraldus Cambrensis.

In February 1177 [his brother-in-law] William "Good" II King Sicily [aged 22] and [his half-sister] Joan Plantagenet Queen Consort Sicily [aged 11] were married. She by marriage Queen Sicily. She the daughter of [his father] King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England [aged 43] and Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen Consort Franks and England [aged 55]. They were half sixth cousins.

Before 17th September 1177 [his brother-in-law] Alfonso VIII King Castile [aged 21] and [his half-sister] Eleanor Plantagenet Queen Consort Castile [aged 15] were married. She by marriage Queen Consort Castile. She the daughter of [his father] King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England [aged 44] and Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen Consort Franks and England [aged 55]. He the son of Sancho III King Castile and Blanche Ramirez Queen Consort Castile. They were half fourth cousins.

In July 1181 [his half-brother] Geoffrey Plantagenet 2nd Duke Brittany [aged 22] and [his sister-in-law] Constance Penthièvre Duchess Brittany [aged 20] were married. She by marriage Duchess Brittany. He by marriage Duke Brittany. She the daughter of Conan "The Young" Penthièvre IV Duke Brittany and Margaret Dunkeld Duchess Brittany [aged 36]. He the son of [his father] King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England [aged 48] and Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen Consort Franks and England [aged 59]. They were half second cousin once removed. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England.

On 11th May 1183 Archbishop Walter de Coutances was elected Bishop of Lincoln being selected by [his father] King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England [aged 50] over three other candidates.

On 19th August 1186 [his half-brother] Geoffrey Plantagenet 2nd Duke Brittany [aged 27] died at Paris [Map].

Chronicum Anglicanum by Ralph Coggeshall. King Richard, once raised up to the throne of the kingdom, gave the archbishopric of York to his illegitimate brother Geoffrey [aged 37]; to Geoffrey [Godfrey] de Lucy, son of Richard de Lucy, he gave the bishopric of Winchester; to Richard [aged 59], archdeacon of Ely, he gave the bishopric of London; to Hubert Walter [aged 29], clerk of Ranulf de Glanville, he gave the bishopric of Salisbury; and to William de Longchamp¹, he gave the bishopric of Ely, who also was made chancellor of the lord king, and to whose industry the kingdom of England and the affairs of the realm were entrusted when King Richard set out for Jerusalem.

Rex autem Ricardus in regni solio sublimatus, fratri suo notho Galfrido Eboracensem dedit archiepiscopatum; Godefrido de Luci, filio Ricardi de Luci, Wintoniensem dedit episcopatum; Ricardo archidiacono Helyensi, Londoniensem; Huberto Waltero, clerico Ranulfi de Glanvilla, Salesberiensem; Willelmo de Longocampo, Helyensem, qui et cancellarius domini regis effectus est, cujus etiam industriæ regnum Angliæ et negotia regni commissa sunt, rege Ricardo Hierosolymam proficiscente.

Note 1. William de Longchamp, died 1191. He was appointed, or bought, the office of Lord Chancellor and Bishop of Ely. He became Regent whilst King Richard was on crusade. He was forced from power in 1191.

In 1189 Archbishop Geoffrey Plantagenet [aged 37] was ordained.

On 28th June 1189 [his half-sister] Matilda Plantagenet Duchess Saxony [aged 33] died. She was buried at Brunswick Cathedral [Map].

On 29th August 1189 [his half-brother] King John of England [aged 22] and [his sister-in-law] Isabella Fitzrobert 3rd Countess Gloucester and Essex [aged 16] were married at Marlborough Castle [Map]. He by marriage Earl Gloucester. See Gesta Regis Henrici and Gesta Regis Henrici by Benedict of Peterborough. She the daughter of William Fitzrobert 2nd Earl Gloucester and Hawise Beaumont Countess Gloucester. He the son of [his father] King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen Consort Franks and England [aged 67]. They were half second cousins. She a great granddaughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England.

In 1191 Archbishop Geoffrey Plantagenet [aged 39] was appointed Archbishop of York.

After 1191 Archbishop Geoffrey Plantagenet [aged 39] was imprisoned by Bishop William Longchamp at Dover Castle [Map].

In 1194 [his future brother-in-law] Raymond Count of Toulouse [aged 37] succeeded Marquess Provence. [his half-sister] Joan Plantagenet Queen Consort Sicily [aged 28] by marriage Marchioness Provence.

Chronicle of Roger de Hoveden. [25th March 1194] On the same day, Hubert [aged 34], Archbishop of Canterbury, arrived there and had his cross carried before him. However, Geoffrey [aged 42], Archbishop of York, did not have his cross carried before him. Instead, he complained to the king about the Archbishop of Canterbury, who had ordered his cross to be carried within the diocese of York. When the Archbishop of Canterbury heard this and saw that the Archbishop of York had not carried his own cross, he said: "I carry my cross throughout all of England, and I have the right to carry it, as I am the Primate of all England. But you do not carry your cross, and perhaps you do not even have the right to carry it. Therefore, in this matter, I appeal to the Lord Pope."

Eodem die venit illuc Hubertus Cantuariensis archiepiscopus, et crucem suam ante se portari fecit. Gaufridus vero Eboracensis archiepiscopus crucem suam non portavit; sed conquestus est regi de archiepiscopo, qui crucem suam portare fecit in Eboracensi diocesi. Quod cum Cantuariensis archiepiscopus audisset, et vidisset quod Eboracensis archiepiscopus crucem suam non portasset, dixit, "Ego crucem meam per totam Angliam porto, et portare debeo, sicut totius Angliæ primas; tu autem crucem tuam non portas, et forsitan portare non debes: et ideo rebus sic existentibus appello ad dominum papam."

Chronicle of Roger de Hoveden. 30th March 1194. On the thirtieth day of March, a Wednesday, Richard, King of England, held the first day of his council at Nottingham. Present at this council were: Queen Eleanor [aged 72], his mother, Hubert [aged 34], Archbishop of Canterbury, who sat on the king's right, Geoffrey [aged 42], Archbishop of York, who sat on the king's left, Hugh [aged 69], Bishop of Durham, Hugh [aged 54], Bishop of Lincoln, William, Bishop of Ely, the king's chancellor, William, Bishop of Hereford, Henry, Bishop of Worcester, Henry [aged 46], Bishop of Exeter, John, Bishop of Whithorn (Candida Casa), Count David [aged 42], brother of the King of Scotland, [his uncle] Hamelin [aged 65], Earl of Warenne, Ranulf [aged 24], Earl of Chester, William [aged 26], Earl of Ferrers, [his illegitimate half-brother] William [aged 18], Earl of Salisbury, Roger Bigod [aged 50].

Tricesima die mensis Martii, feria quarta, Ricardus rex Angiiæ celebravit primum conciJii sui diem apud Notingliam; cui interfueiunt Alienor regina mater ejus, et Hubertus Cantuariensis arcbiepiscopus, qui in dextris regis sedebat in concilio illo, et Gaufridus Eboracensis arcbiepiscopus, qui a sinistris ejus sedebat, et Hugo Dunelmensis, et Hugo Lincolniensis, et Willelmus Eliensis regis cancellarius, et Willelmus Herefordensis, et Henriecus Wigornensis, et Henricus Exoniensis, et Johannes Candidæ Casæ episcopi; et comes David frater regis, Scotiæ, et Hamelinus comes de Warenna, et Ranulfus comes Cestriæ, et Willelmus comes de Ferreres, et Willelmus comes de Salesbiria, et Rogerus Bigot.

Chronicle of Roger de Hoveden. 16th April 1194. On the sixteenth day of April, after dinner, the [his half-brother] King of England [aged 36] moved from Winchester Castle to the Priory of St. Swithun [Map]¹, where he spent the night and had himself bathed. That evening, he ordered Geoffrey [aged 42], Archbishop of York, not to bring his cross to his coronation the next day, lest a tumult arise between him and the Archbishop of Canterbury. Because he was forbidden from carrying his cross, Geoffrey refused to attend the king's coronation.

Sextadecima die mensis Aprilis, post prandium, transtulit se rex Angliæ de castello Wintoniæ ad prioratum Sancti Swithuni, et ibi nocte illa jacuit, et se balneari fecit; et mandavit Gaufrido Eboracensi archiepiscopo, ne ipse in crastino ad coronationem suam accederet cum cruce sua, ne forte tumultus fieret inter ipsum et Cantuariensem archiepiscopum. Et quia prohibitum erat ei crucem suam portare, noluit coronationi regis interesse.

Note 1. The Priory of St Swithun was a cathedral monastery attached to Winchester Cathedral, providing the clergy for the church.

In 1196 [his illegitimate half-brother] William Longespée Earl Salisbury [aged 20] and [his sister-in-law] Ela of Salisbury 3rd Countess of Salisbury [aged 9] were married. He by marriage Earl Salisbury. She the daughter of William of Salisbury 2nd Earl Salisbury [aged 46] and Eleanor Vitre Countess of Salisbury [aged 38]. He the illegitmate son of [his father] King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England and Ida Tosny Countess Norfolk [aged 40]. They were fifth cousin once removed.

In October 1196 [his brother-in-law] Raymond Count of Toulouse [aged 39] and [his half-sister] Joan Plantagenet Queen Consort Sicily [aged 31] were married at Rouen, France [Map]. She by marriage Countess Toulouse. She the daughter of [his father] King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen Consort Franks and England [aged 74]. He the son of Raymond Rouerge V Count Toulouse and Constance Capet Countess Boulogne and Toulouse. They were third cousin once removed.

On 4th September 1199 [his half-sister] Joan Plantagenet Queen Consort Sicily [aged 33] died at Rouen, France [Map]. She was buried at Fontevraud Abbey [Map].

Chronicle of Roger de Hoveden. [1200] In the meantime, by command of the said king, Geoffrey [aged 48], archbishop of York, his brother, was deprived of all the manors and property of his archbishopric. On this occasion, James de Poterne, who was the then sheriff of York, violently entering upon the manors of the said archbishop, made waste of his property; on which the archbishop excommunicated the said sheriff, and all the authors and abettors of the said violence, with candles lighted and with bells ringing. He also excommunicated all who had excited or wished to excite his brother John to wrath or indignation against him without any fault on his own part. He also excommunicated the burgesses of Beverley, and suspended that town from the celebration of Divine service, and from the ringing of bells, because the said burgesses had broken into his park, and had disturbed and lessened his other possessions, which Roger, archbishop of York, his predecessor, and he himself, for some time, had held without molestation.

Around April 1200 [his half-brother] King John of England [aged 33] and [his sister-in-law] Isabella Fitzrobert 3rd Countess Gloucester and Essex [aged 27] marriage annulled due to consanuinity but more likely because John's new status as heir to the English throne mean't he had better prospects. He may have already decided to marry Isabella of Angoulême Queen Consort England [aged 12] who he married on 24th August 1200.

On 24th August 1200 [his half-brother] King John of England [aged 33] and [his sister-in-law] Isabella of Angoulême Queen Consort England [aged 12] were married. She had been engaged to Hugh IX of Lusignan IV Count of La Marche [aged 37] who subsequently appealed to King Philip II of France [aged 35], their feudal overlord, who used the position to justify a war against John. The difference in their ages was 21 years. She the daughter of Aymer Angoulême I Count Angoulême [aged 40] and Alice Courtenay Countess Angoulême. He the son of [his father] King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen Consort Franks and England [aged 78]. They were fourth cousin once removed.

In 1207 Archbishop Geoffrey Plantagenet [aged 55] exiled.

On 12th December 1212 Archbishop Geoffrey Plantagenet [aged 60] died at Normandy [Map]. He was buried at Notre Dame du Parc, Rouen.