Editing Henry the Young King (section)

== Tournament hero and celebrity ==
Henry did not appear to have been very interested in the day-to-day business of government, which distinguished him from his father and younger brothers. His father, however, is reputed to have failed to delegate authority to his son, retaining power in England. The majority opinion amongst historians is that of [[W. L. Warren]]: "The Young Henry was the only member of the family who was popular in his own day ... also the only one who gave no evidence of political sagacity, military skill, or even ordinary intelligence...",<ref>{{cite book |last=Warren |first=W. L. |author-link=W. L. Warren |year=1964 |orig-year=1961 |title=King John |location=London |publisher=Eyre & Spottiswoode |page=31 }}</ref> and elaborated in a later book, "He was gracious, benign, affable, courteous, the soul of liberality and generosity. Unfortunately, he was also shallow, vain, careless, empty-headed, incompetent, improvident, and irresponsible."<ref>Warren, W.L, ''Henry II'', (London: Eyre Methuen, 1973), p. 580.</ref>

The Young King's contemporary reputation, however, was positive. Likely this was due to the enthusiastic [[tournament (medieval)|tournament]] culture of his time. In the [[L'Histoire de Guillaume le Marechal|''History of William Marshal'']], the biography of the knight assigned to him as a tutor in 1170 and his tournament team leader until 1182, he is described as a constant competitor at tournaments across northern and central France between 1175 and 1182. With his cousins Counts [[Philip I of Flanders]] and [[Baldwin V of Hainaut]], he was a key patron of the sport. He brought 200 knights to the tournament of [[Lagny-sur-Marne]] in November 1179, paying each 20 shillings a day.<ref>{{cite web |title=Largest knightly retinue |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/723177-largest-knightly-retinue |website=guinnessworldrecords.com |publisher=Guinness World Records Limited |access-date=9 June 2024}}</ref>

Though he lacked political weight, his patronage brought him celebrity status throughout [[western Europe]]. The baron and troubadour [[Bertran de Born]] knew him, stating: 
{{quote|[He was] the best king who ever took up a shield, the most daring and best of all tourneyers. From the time when [[Roland]] was alive, and even before, never was seen a knight so skilled, so warlike, whose fame resounded so around the world – even if Roland did come back, or if the world were searched as far as the River [[Nile]] and the setting sun.}}

There was a perception amongst his contemporaries, and the next generation, that his death in 1183 marked a decline both in the tournament and knightly endeavour. His one-time chaplain, [[Gervase of Tilbury]], remarked on his passing: "Assuredly, as he was a solace to the world while he lived, so it was a blow to all chivalry when he died in the very glow of youth."<ref>''Nempe in ipso adolescentie feruore, ut uiuens mundo fuit solatium, ita moriens uniuerse milicie fuit exitium.''</ref><ref>Gervase of Tilbury, ''Otia imperialia'', ed and trans S. E. Banks and J. W. Binns (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002), p. 487.</ref>

The traditional view of Young Henry propagated into the modern era by Warren, has, however, been challenged in recent years. Matthew Strickland has argued in his compendium of the Young King's life and career that he was, in fact, an able and likeable individual who merely grew frustrated at his father's refusal to grant him any domains or responsibilities of his own.<ref>Matthew Strickland, ''Henry the Young King: 1155–1183'' (London: Yale University Press, 2016){{page?|date=August 2023}}</ref>