Angevins

Angevins refers to people linked to Anjou, a historic province in western France around the city of Angers. The term can denote either the inhabitants of Anjou or members of the Angevin dynasty, a ruling house that originated there.

The Angevin dynasty, also known as the Plantagenets in its English context, began with Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou, who married Empress Matilda. Their son, Henry II, became King of England in 1154, establishing the Angevin Empire—a composite realm that at its height included the English crown and large territories in western France, such as Normandy, Anjou, Touraine, and Aquitaine.

Relations with the French crown and ongoing conflicts with Capetian rulers gradually weakened Angevin power in France. The loss of Normandy in 1204 and subsequent French victories reduced Angevin holdings on the continent. By the late 13th and early 14th centuries, English continental possessions had largely disappeared, and the concept of an Angevin Empire faded from active use. In England, the Plantagenet line continued to rule, even as the geographic basis of Angevin power declined.

In modern usage, Angevins typically refers to the historic inhabitants of Anjou or to members of the Angevin/Plantagenet dynasty. The Angevin era left a lasting impact on medieval administration, law, and architecture, and its political legacy remains a central topic in studies of Anglo-French relations during the Middle Ages.