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Geoffrey of Anjou: The Handsome Count Who Founded the Plantagenet Dynasty (Died 7th September 1151)
On September 7, 1151, Geoffrey of Anjou — known as “le Bel” or “the Handsome” — collapsed with a sudden fever and died at just 38 years old.
He was never king. He never wore a crown.
And yet, Geoffrey Plantagenet shaped the medieval world more than many monarchs.
Without him, there would be no Henry II, no Richard the Lionheart, no King John and Magna Carta, and no centuries-long Plantagenet dynasty. Geoffrey’s story isn’t just a footnote — it’s the spark that set medieval England ablaze.
She Wasn’t Supposed to Matter…
She didn’t set out to defy anyone. She didn’t burn with ambition, or plot her way to power. She was young. She wanted love. She was raised to trust men to handle the weight of responsibility. And yet, by the time her story was done, she’d held command of one of England’s greatest castles, faced down rebellions, navigated the treachery and ambition of the marriage market, and made choices that shaped the future of a kingdom.