Was King John a Norman

Answer 1

Absolutely not! His family were from Anjou and Aquitane, both dukedoms who saw Normandy as their rival for power. Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henry of Anjou causing something of a scandal as he was somewhat younger than her. They had four sons, Henry, Geoffrey, Richard and John.

Henry of Anjou was the son of Empress Maud, rival to the throne of England and King Stephen, and her second husband Geoffrey of Anjou. Henry was given the kingship of England on the death of Stephen in a compromise to end the civil war that raged across the country. Thus the King of England was Angevin, from Anjou. Normandy came under the control of Anjou as part of the crown of England.

Henry's son Henry died before he was able to inherit anything. Geoffrey also died young leaving a son to rule his lands of Brittany. Richard became king of England on his father's death but himself died ten years later passing the crown of England to his youngest brother John.

Arthur was old enough, just, to contest the succession and had even been named at an earlier date by Richard, but Richard changed his mind on his death bed, probably because John was in England, older and therefore wiser and more able as a ruler when England was at war with the French king. Arthur pressed his claim but went a step too far by imprisoning his grandmother, Eleanor, giving John a cause to capture him and hold him. He was taken to Rouen where, according to the annals of Margam abbey in South Wales, Arthur was strangled in a fit of rage by John, witnessed by William de Braose, patron of Margam abbey. William later fell from favour and was hounded relentlessly by John, his wife and son bricked up in a room in Corfe castle where they starved to death.