The Real King Arthur … Authur of Bretagne

The Real King Arthur, the king that never was…

Arthur of Bretagne 

As I wander off on another side project this year, that is the First Barons War, I plan to play out the reason for the 1st barons war and the invasion of England in 1216. I have always had an interest in the Plantagenet wars particularly as they had its beginnings here in West France in Maine (today Mayenne). 

With the death of King Richard the lion heart his inheritance of the crown was supposed to pass to the elder line of the Plantagenets, Geoffroi of Bretagne son, Arthur of Bretagne. John beat him to it claiming the crown of England, but lost his European lands in return. John and Arthur then campaigned against each other for three years before Arthur was captured at the battle of Mirebeau and placed in Rouen chateau, where he died in suspicious circumstances possibly murdered by John. Many of the Angevin, Breton, Norman and Maine Barons stayed in revolt as John had also taken Aurthur’s sister hostage Eleanor “the fair maid of Brittany” who was the rightful heir to the duchy. 

My plan is to build a couple of retinues for the Barons wars rules of the leading Breton, Touraine, Norman, Maine and Angevin Comte’s, Barons, and nobles who backed Aurthur and his claim between 1199 and 1204. A number of these also fought during the Angers and Potoiu campaign in 1206, the Normandy campaigns of 1209, the campaigns in 1214 and finally for the invasion to England in 1216. I also the plan to paint the nobles from Normandy, Angevin, Vexin and Touraine who backed John’s claim so I can build an opposing army also 

Regards

Matt