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Henry III and the Communication of Power

Henry III and the Communication of Power 

Lecture by Benjamin Wild

Given at Gresham College on April 12, 2018

The title of this talk may appear problematic, for ‘power’ is a mutable concept, as Michel Foucault has taught us. There are more fundamental reasons why we might question the terms and assumptions of my title, which imply that Henry III was not only a ruler who did communicate his power, but that he was adept at doing so. There could be very good reasons for doubting this.

A recent biography of King Henry III by American historian Darren Baker has the sub-title, ‘The Great King England Never Knew It Had’. An article about the book, which appeared online for BBC History magazine at the end of last year, emphasised the King’s ‘underrated’ reputation. How well could Henry III have communicated his power, we might ask, if so few people today know who he was?

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