Evening lecture by Dr Matthew Leeper.

The Angevin Empire has been the source of debate for historians for several decades. These debates centre around the concept of a medieval empire and if such a thing can even be said to have existed. This seminar will attempt to view the perceptions of empire and authority as visible through the charter corpus of King Henry II of England, the man who brought about the creation of this ‘Empire’. The goal is to identify how the subjects, both in England and in the Continental territories controlled by Henry II, viewed his authority through the existing charters and legal documents which we still have today. It will seek to answer the question, did the subjects within this collection of territories view themselves as an Empire or a collection of domains which happen to be under the authority of the same ruler.