England: Questions on Monarchy in the Later Middle Ages

•  http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/middle_ages/henryii_empire_01.shtml- What does the reign of Henry II suggest about the future of English foreign relations?:

The reign of Henry II doe snot set a very bright future for English foreign relations. During his reign, Henry II mostlry cared about gaining land, and only helped neighboring countries when it benefited him. He never formed real allies, and was overall not a very friendly person when it came to dealing with other countries and making friends with them. The countries that he had defeated and/or had some sort of relations with will remember him in the future. If he did not leave a good impression on those countries(which he most likely did not), then they will definitely not want to relate with England in the future.

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/middle_ages/john_01.shtm- Does the common conception of Richard as 'good' and John as 'bad' hold up to reality?:

The reason that people saw Richard as "good" and John as "bad" is because the people never really saw Richard. He was a good person, but like John, he had flaws. He was away at war, and when he won, he was thought of as a hero back home. However, while he was away, he left the messy task of governing the country to others. Perhaps if he had been the one making the laws and restricting people, they may not have thought so well of him. John, on the other hand, was not all bad. He was good at planning out strategies, but he "lacked flair." It was easy for people to pick out John's not-so-good qualities because he wasn't away at war all of the time. In reality, they were both probably decent kings, but Richard had the the ability to make himself seem better than he really was.

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/middle_ages/magna_01.shtml- How did the Magna Carta change the relationship of the Monarch and his subjects?:

The Magna Carta made sure, for the first time, that the King followed all of the same laws and taxes as his people. This would seem to bring him closer to his people, to bring him down to their level, but the plan backfired. The Magna Carta was taken away within three months, and lots of people were rebelling. The people wanted a new king, and they fought against him and tried to bring in someone else. The Monarch had to fight to save his position until finally, he was killed. It is said that his death saved his kingdom.