Henry II
Henry II (1133-89). King of England. The grandson of Henry I, he inherited considerable lands in France and enlarged these through his marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine (1152). Having persuaded King Stephen to make him heir to the English throne, he was crowned in 1154 and at once strengthened and restored royal authority. However, his attempt to confine the limits of Church power brought him into conflict with Thomas Becket, and ended with Becket’s murder.
