King John and Richard I: Brothers and Rivals

Page 5 of 10

• 1. An Angevin autocrat
• 2. King John and his contemporaries
• 3. Tragic flaws
• 4. The villainous king
• 5. John's youth
• 6. In his brothers' shadows
• 7. Paranoia and extravagance
• 8. Plots, crusades and banishment
• 9. Key Locations
• 10. Find out more
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John's youth

John was the fourth son of Henry II; the youngest of the 'Devil's Brood'. He grew up in the shadow of his older brothers and once again the comparisons are interesting.

'Stories from his childhood suggest that he was probably bullied and beaten if he complained.'

Warren can't help but point out that at an age when his brothers Richard and Geoffrey were stamping their authority on Aquitaine and Brittany, John had squandered his opportunities in Ireland. The criticism is reasonably justified, but to understand why, we need to look at his upbringing.

In a family so obsessed with its rights and possessions, being the last of four sons was not an enviable position. Henry was clear about his hopes for his first three sons, but until Ireland cropped up, John seems to have been left out of the picture.

Stories from his childhood suggest that he was probably bullied and beaten if he complained of his plight. It may be due to this perceived lack of character that Henry was loath to incorporate John into his schemes.

At various times, John was destined for the Church, for an Italian marriage and for piecemeal lands that belonged to his brothers (and which they refused to give him). His own father gave him the disparaging nickname 'Lackland', and it was not until the death of his oldest brother, Henry the Younger, that John began to figure in King Henry's plans.

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Published: 2001-07-01