Conferring together the barons decreed that soon not a single position of authority would be left to the English and the King’s penchant for foreigners must be blunted.
There was no doubt that the foreigners were a greedy company of men. The more the King bestowed on them the more they tried to get. Trouble began when William de Valence tried to extend his lands and in so doing encroached on those of Simon de Montfort.
Simon was determined not to let this pass; knowing that he had the backing of most powerful English barons he took the matter up with the council.
William de Valence, arrogant in the belief that he had his half-brother the King behind him, declared before the assembly that he had no desire to parley with a traitor.
Simon cried out: ‘I am no traitor … nor traitor’s son.’ This was a reference to the father of William de Valence, Hugh de Lusignan who had taken up arms against his King. ‘My father,’ added Simon, ‘was not like yours.’
William rushed at Simon; his hand on his sword.
They had to be parted.
The quarrel in itself might have been insignificant. Such quarrels did arise now and then between barons. But this was the leader of the foreign party against the man to whom the barons were looking more and more to lead them.
As Simon left the council chamber he was joined by Roger Bigod, the Earl of Norfolk.
‘My lord,’ said Roger, ‘a halt must soon be called to the arrogance of these foreigners.’
‘I am in complete agreement,’ replied Simon.
‘Praise God. There are thousands like us. What shall be done in the matter?’
‘We must call a meeting of those who share our anxieties. We must make up our minds then what action to take.’
There was no lack of men to join them.
The next meeting of the King and the parliament was a stormy one.
The King began by telling the assembly of his financial difficulties. They knew that there had been a famine due to the poor harvest; the Welsh were giving trouble and he was none too sure of the Scots. He had incurred great expense in the service of the country and he now needed further grants.
He was answered that had he not bestowed great gifts on the Queen’s family, his half-brothers and sisters and their foreign friends, he would have had ample funds for dealing with the country’s needs.
The King’s friends immediately rose in his defence while those barons led by de Montfort insisted on putting their point of view, which was that it was impossible to impose further taxation on the people and that economy might start by sending some of the parasites back to their own countries.
The squabble between the opposing parties might have grown into a fight if the King had not called a halt to the proceedings.
A few days later at Westminster Hall the King was confronted by several barons all in armour. He was startled. He knew now that they were serious in their intentions to curb him.
He noticed that none of them carried a sword. Each man had left his weapon at the door of Westminster Hall to show that this was not an attack, merely a threat.
‘What means this?’ cried the King. ‘Are you trying to make me your prisoner?’
‘Not so, my lord,’ answered Roger Bigod. ‘We but come to tell you that the aliens must be sent away. They are draining the country’s resources. The people will not endure it. If something’s not done the whole country will be in revolt as it was in your father’s day.’
Henry was very serious. The people were becoming restive. He was aware of it. It shocked him when they regarded him sullenly. Worst of all was when they shouted after Eleanor. She pretended to despise them, but he knew she was upset.
‘What we ask of you,’ said Simon, ‘is that you promise to be guided by twenty-four elected magnates. There must be reforms.’
Henry looked at the stern faces of the barons. It was as though he saw the ghost of his father at Runnymede lurking behind them.
He agreed.
Simon moved into action supported by men such as Roger Bigod. Twenty-four men were selected – half by the King, half by the barons. This community was to meet three times a year to bring about reforms in State and Church.
Then the Parliament selected another twenty-four members. Thus it consisted of forty-eight men. From these were chosen a Justiciar, a Chancellor and a Treasurer. It was made clear that the assembly was to be of temporary duration. At the end of one year they would answer to the King and the Council for their actions.
The first act passed by the Parliament was that the aliens should surrender to the King those castles which he had bestowed on them. This brought a protest from William de Valence who refused to give up anything. ‘Your castle or your head,’ was the retort of Simon de Montfort. The answer of William de Valence was to take shelter in the castle of Wolvesey which had been bestowed on his brother Aymer.
Henry was in a quandary. He was now expected by his barons to besiege the castle and fight against his own half-brothers. He wanted to refuse but he dared not. He was forced to obey and in due course the castle surrendered to his army.
He felt completely robbed of his power. He discussed the state of affairs with Eleanor who wanted him to stand out against the barons. He was the King, she pointed out, and should make this fact known.
Gently he explained to her the power of these men and that he must be cautious. There was one man he feared more than any other and that was Simon de Montfort.
‘I should never have allowed him to marry my sister,’ he mourned. Yet he knew in his heart that there was nothing else he could have done. Simon had made up his mind to marry Eleanor, just as he had made up his mind to reform England, to bring rule through a parliament which meant of course curbing the power of the King.
His thoughts were heavy as one July day his barge carried him down the Thames. They matched the sky which had suddenly become overcast. In the distance he heard a rumble of thunder. It seemed prophetic.
‘There’s a storm about to break, my lord,’ said his boatman.
‘Aye,’ said the King. ‘I know it well.’
At that moment the clouds opened and there was such a deluge of rain that the boat seemed likely to sink and that moment the sky was illumined by a flash of lightning overhead and the roar of the thunder was deafening.
There had been some violent thunderstorms lately. A few years ago the Queen’s apartments at Windsor had been struck while she was in them. There had been another great storm when Eleanor had been visiting St Albans with the children and lightning had struck the Abbey. The laundry had been burned to the ground and it was said that the monks there had seen an angel with a flaming sword and a torch. It was believed by some that the angel was there to protect the Abbey but others were sure it was a warning against the Queen’s extravagance. Had she not come near to being killed at Windsor? And it seemed God’s vengeance had followed her to St Albans.
So between the barons and God Henry felt he was indeed being persecuted.
He could laugh at these superstitions when he was with the Queen, but the thought of her being in danger always sobered him; now looking up at that sky and knowing that the lightning was right overhead he was afraid, and when the boatman said they must take shelter he agreed.
By some ill chance they were closest to Durham House which was the home of Simon de Montfort and as the King’s barge drew up at the stairs, the Earl himself came down to greet him.