c. 1147 | William Marshal born to John Marshal and Sybil of Salisbury |
1152 | Siege of Newbury; William held as a royal hostage |
1154 | Accession of Henry II; the start of the Angevin era |
c. 1160 | William travels to Tancerville in Normandy to train as a knight |
1166 | William knighted and gains his first taste of combat at Neufchâtel William participates in his first knightly tournament |
1168 | William travels to Aquitaine in Patrick of Salisbury’s retinue, but is taken captive by the Lusignans Ransomed by Eleanor of Aquitaine, William enters the queen’s knightly retinue |
1170 | Coronation of Henry the Young King in London William appointed as Young Henry’s tutor in arms |
1173–4 | First rebellion against Henry II’s regime |
1176 | William and Young Henry start to tour the northern French tournament circuit |
1179 | William permitted to raise his own banner and attends the great tournament at Lagny-sur-Marne |
1180 | Accession of Philip II Augustus to the French crown |
1182 | William accused of betraying Henry the Young King and forced into exile |
1183 | Second rebellion against Henry II’s regime William returns to Young Henry’s side Henry the Young King dies at Martel; William sets out for the Holy Land |
c. 1186 | William enters King Henry II’s household |
Saladin wins the battle of Hattin and conquers Jerusalem, sparking the Third Crusade | |
1189 | William fights to defend Le Mans and unhorses Richard the Lionheart Henry II succeeded by Richard I William marries Isabel of Clare, becoming lord of Striguil |
1190–4 | King Richard absent on crusade and in captivity William serves as co-justiciar of England |
1194–9 | William fights alongside King Richard to restore the Angevin realm |
1199 | Richard the Lionheart slain at Châlus; succeeded by John William appointed as earl of Pembroke |
1200 | Treaty of Le Goulet agreed between John and Philip II Augustus |
1200–1 | William’s first visit Pembroke and Ireland |
1202 | William seeks to defend Normandy from French invasion John successfully relieves Mirebeau |
1203 | Probable murder of Arthur of Brittany; the Angevin realm starts to collapse |
1204 | Rouen and Château Gaillard fall to the French; Normandy is lost |
1205 | William quarrels with King John |
1207–8 | William returns to Ireland Crisis in Leinster |
1210 | King John leads an expedition to Ireland in pursuit of William of Briouze |
1212 | ‘Plot’ to kill King John uncovered William returns to royal favour |
1213 | King John reconciled with the papacy |
1214 | Battle of Bouvines |
1215 | Start of the Baronial Rebellion Sealing of Magna Carta |
1216 | Prince Louis of France invades England Death of King John and coronation of Henry III William appointed as ‘guardian of the realm’ |
1217 | Battle of Lincoln |
1219 | William dies and is buried at the Temple Church in London |
c. 1226 | The History of William Marshal completed |
1861 | Paul Meyer examines a copy of the History of William Marshal at Sotheby’s |