Angevin Empire

The Angevin Empire was a collection of states in north-western Europe during the High Middle Ages, held by the House of Plantagenet. Established in 1154 by Henry II of England, it encompassed territories including England, parts of France, Ireland, and Wales. Henry II, who also held the titles of Duke of Normandy and Count of Anjou, acquired the Duchy of Aquitaine through his marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine. The Plantagenets, despite their English royal title, primarily held court on the continent. The empire dissolved around 1242, following King John's defeat in the Anglo-French War, which led to the loss of most of its continental possessions.