The king and the Church in Norman England
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the key tensions between crown and Church in Norman England.
Key learning points
- The crown and the Church were separate institutions.
- There was a contemporary debate about royal involvement in the Church.
- William I and Lanfranc cooperated on Church matters.
- William II and Anselm argued over Church matters.
- Henry I and Anselm argued over investiture.
Keywords
Secular - the opposite of sacred; a part of life that is not to do with the Church or religion
Papacy - the office of the pope and the pope's authority over the Church
Pallium - a vestment (piece of clothing) given by the pope to newly-appointed bishops and archbishops
Papal legate - the pope's personal representative, sent by the pope from Rome on a mission to another country
Investiture controversy - a conflict between the Church and the state in medieval Europe over the ability to select and install (invest) bishops and abbots
Common misconception
The controversies and conflicts between the crown and the Church were specific to Norman England.
In fact, the controversies and conflicts between the Church and the crown happened in many kingdoms in Europe, and were more severe than in England in particular cases, especially the Holy Roman Empire.
Teacher tip
Start the lesson with a video clip of a recent coronation so students can discuss features of the continuing relationship between crown and Church today.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of serious crime
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Stigand was replaced as Archbishop of by Lanfranc.
Q2.At the Council of in 1070, clergy were banned from getting married.
Q3.In 1070, at the Council of Winchester, Thomas, the Archbishop of , formally recognised the primacy of Canterbury, which meant that he swore to obey Lanfranc as the head of the English Church.
Q4.In 1072, __________ were introduced in dioceses.
Q5.William I allowed hardly any Anglo-Saxon prelates to remain in their positions; by , only one Anglo-Saxon bishop remained.
Q6.As part of William's reforms to the Church, he ruled that all legal cases involving clergy should be heard in courts.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.The head of the Christian Church in the medieval period was the...
Q2.Which statement is correct?
Q3.What did William I refuse to do, damaging his relationship with the pope?
Q4.What motivated William II to leave important Church positions unfilled?
Q5.Which statement best describes William II's relationship with Anselm?
Q6.A compromise over investiture was reached in 1107 with the Concordat of...
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: The king and the Church in Norman England, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: The king and the Church in Norman England, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 history lessons from the British Depth Study: Norman England, c1066–c1100 unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.