Angevins

By Crusader1307

From The French meaning “of Anjou” - The Angevins were two family Dynasties that at one point ruled England and France. The first “Anjou” was Fulk, Duke of Anjou (around 900 A.D.) He controlled parts of France and England. His descendant, Fulk V, reigned as King of Jerusalem in 1131. It was his younger son – Baldwin III, that in turn inherited it. Baldwin's bloodline would continue to rule Jerusalem until 1186, when the linage ran out. Fulk V had an older Son. Geoffrey IV (taking the dynastic name of Plantagenet). The Angevin and The Normans had long endured a feud between the two dynasties (born out of a power struggle for control).

Notwithstanding, this did not stop Geoffrey's marriage to Matilda (daughter of King Henry I of England). This paved the way for the union of Norman-Anjou-English linage. Their Son, Henry II was the first Angevin King of England. His successors would span down to Richard II (who was the last of the line with his removal from the throne in 1399). With Richard deposed, the Angevin bloodline split. One side became The House of York and the other, The House of Lancaster. The two “sub lines” would battle it out for supremacy with The War of The Roses. The English line would officially end with the marriage of Anne of Brittany to The King of France.As for the French line of Angevin, they not only ruled over France, but parts of Hungary Naples and Poland (with Jerusalem, as stated).

The younger brother of the French King Louis IX – Charles, was made Count of Anjou. By the early 1200s, most of Anjou territory had been lost to French Royalty. However Charles, wisely married into a political (and land wealthy) family. He expanded his current holdings (again in the name of The Angevin). In 1226, The Pope invested Charles with even more holdings (by allowing Charles to invade and conquer Sicily and Naples). Unable to maintain all of his lands (due to the cost of to maintain a standing Army) – some of his line would continue to rule Naples until 1435 (while other were Kings of Poland and Hungary). The French line of The Angevin lasted until the 1480s – when The Kings of France once again (and for the last time), took their territories.