AD 800-1250 Medieval

In AD 843, Charlemagne’s Frankish empire was divided among his heirs. The western part included most of France as well as Germany west of the River Rhine, and the Low Countries. It was ruled by Carolingian kings for 150 years until they were supplanted by the Capetian dynasty in 987. The French kings, whose domain was limited to the Ile de France and the land around Paris, struggled to exert authority over powerful independent principalities like Normandy, Burgundy, Provence and Aquitaine.

In 1066, Duke William of Normandy conquered England, establishing an Anglo-French connection. In 1154, the English King Henry II (reigned 1154-89), Duke of Normandy and Anjou, inherited the lands of his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine. English possessions in France now far exceeded those of the French king. The long-lived Capetian kings managed to maintain the stability of the crown. Philip II (reigned 1180-1223) defeated the Angevin King John, recapturing Normandy and his other possessions north of the Loire.

From the 11th century, the county of Flanders flourished as a centre of trade and industry; the towns of Gent, Bruges and Ypres would become some of the wealthiest in northern Europe.