Q&A

Why were they called the Plantagenets?

• SHORT ANSWER

The medieval dynasty was named after a shrub 

• LONG ANSWER

England’s longest-reigning royal dynasty – which ruled for 331 years, from 1154 to 1485 – began when a French count, Geoffrey of Anjou, married Empress Matilda. Their son was Henry II, the first Plantagenet monarch. As the story goes, Geoffrey had picked up a nickname relating to the common broom plant, a type of shrub with yellow flowers, as he liked to wear a sprig in his hat. In Latin, its name is planta genista. But it wouldn’t be until the 15th century that Richard, Duke of York claimed the throne as Richard Plantagenet, which finally established the name of the dynasty.