Henry II emerges from the blue mists of antiquity. He was born on March 5th 1133, and his mother was Matilda the heiress of Normandy and daughter of Henry I of England. He increased his power by marrying Eleanor of Aquitaine, the divorced wife of Louis VII of France, and heiress to a vast French territory. Henry II was crowned King of England on 19th December 1154 and immediately issued a charter confirming his grandfather's laws. He next banished the foreign mercenaries, and demolished over 1100 castles erected by the Barons in Stephen's rein. He introduced trial by jury, and drew up a series of new laws and reforms.