First, let me say I'm sorry for the delay in a new post--technology is wonderful when it works, but the last few days of dealing with a crashed computer have left me yearning for, well, something else.
But now that I've (mostly) resolved my computer issues, I was able to read an interesting little article from my friends at Medievalists.net about William Marshal, a man who interests me greatly. For not ever actually being a king, he played a large role in British history.
He was born in 1146, probably at Hamstead Marshall Castle in Berkshire, or possibly at Marlborough Castle in Wiltshire. He was the son of John the Marshal, and nephew through his mother to the Earl of Wiltshire. He married Isabel de Clare, daughter of Richard de Clare, the 2nd Earl of Pembroke, and it is through her that he ultimately became Earl of Pembroke himself.
He served three kings, King Henry II, King Richard III, and, despite a tumultuous relationship with him, King John. William was known as a talented knight as well as a shrewd statesman, which may be why he was able to not only survive the treacherous sands of shifting alliances throughout his lifetime, but to flourish in them. He suddenly fell ill and died on May 14, 1219 at his own Caversham Castle in Oxfordshire.
To read the story about how he avoided being ammunition in a catapult, please see the link below:
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