Simon de Montfort facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Simon de Montfort |
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| Earl of Leicester | |
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| Simon de Montfort, in a drawing of a stained glass window found at Chartres Cathedral | |
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| Title held | 1239 – 4 August 1265 |
| Predecessor | Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester |
| Successor | None, title forfeit |
| Spouse | Eleanor of England |
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester (c. 1208 – 4 August 1265) was a Franco-English nobleman. He inherited the title and estates of the earldom of Leicester in England. He led a rebellion against King Henry III of England during the Second Barons' War of 1263–64. He became the de facto ruler of England.
During his rule, Montfort called two famous parliaments. The first, the Oxford Parliament of 1258), stripped the King of his unlimited authority. The second parliament was in 1265. Its first meeting was in the Palace of Westminster. In it, de Montfort included ordinary citizens from the towns. For this reason, de Montfort is seen as one of the builders of modern parliamentary democracy.
As Earl of Leicester he expelled Jews from the city. When he became ruler of England he cancelled debts owed to Jews. The Jews' records were violently seized. In London and Worcester this policy led to led to massacres. After ruling for just over a year, Montfort was killed by forces loyal to the King in the Battle of Evesham.
Images for kids
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Eleanor of England, who married Montfort in 1238, depicted in the early-fourteenth-century Genealogical Roll of the Kings of England
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Statue of Montfort on the Haymarket Memorial Clock Tower in Leicester
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Site of the Battle of Lewes in 1264
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Relief of Simon de Montfort in the Chamber of the United States House of Representatives
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Memorial stone, erected in 1965, on the site of de Montfort's grave at Evesham Abbey in Worcestershire
See also
In Spanish: Simón de Montfort, VI conde de Leicester para niños
