John, King of England (24 December 1166-19 October 1216) was King of England from 6 April 1199 to 19 October 1216, succeeding Richard I of England and preceding Henry III of England. John was an incapable ruler and a weakling, and his inability to keep his nobles under control led to the First Barons' War and his forced signing of the Magna Carta in 1212; he was also nicknamed "Lackland" due to Philip II of France seizing almost all of his lands in France, including Normandy.
Biography[]
Prince John in 1189
John was born on 24 December 1166 at Beaumont Palace, England, the son of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. He was the youngest of five sons, and he was not expected to rule any lands; his elder brothers' failed revolt of 1173-1174 led to him becoming the favorite son, as he had not joined the uprising. In 1177, he became Lord of Ireland before beng given lands on the European continent. John failed in an uprising against his brother, King Richard of England, while he was on the Third Crusade; the king's administrators crushed his attempt to seize power for himself. In 1194, his brother returned to England from the crusade and had John arrested, while his co-conspirators George, Sheriff of Nottingham and Guy of Gisbourne were killed. However, he was crowned King of England in 1199 after his brother's death, and his marriage to Isabella of Angouleme in 1200 gave him additional lands in France. In 1202, war broke out with King Philip II of France, but his treatment of the nobles of Normandy, Brittany, and Anjou and his poor military skills led to France seizing almost all of England's lands in France. He raised huge taxes to fund the war with France, leading to a revolt by nobles; he was excommunicated by Pope Innocent III in 1209 after arguing with the pope. The First Barons' War saw John defeat an attempt by the Kingdom of France to seize the crown, but the English nobles force him to sign the Magna Carta in 1212, limiting his powers. He died in 1216, a hated king.