Page "William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke (2nd Creation)" Paragraph 7

Between 1174, when Henry was reconciled to his father, and 1182, William led his master's Anglo-Norman team in all the major tournaments of the day, especially frequenting the huge international meetings in Picardy.

His job was to devise tactics and during the course of the tournament to act as minder to the Young King, to make sure he avoided the embarrassment of capture.

By the time of the French state tournament of 1179 at Lagny-sur-Marne, held to celebrate the coronation of Philip II of France, William Marshal was sufficiently wealthy to raise his own banner over his own company of knights.

He was also by then subject to the envy and conspiracy of rivals at the Young King's court.

In 1182 they engineered his downfall, by claiming that Marshal was more interested in profiting from tournaments than protecting his lord.

There were also accusations of disrespect to the king in his choice of warcry for his company (' God aids the Marshal ') and the way his men trumpeted his fame above the king's.

His biographer attempts to deflect these serious charges by his enemies, by adding to them the preposterous charge that William Marshal had seduced the king's wife.

He was treated coldly by the king, until fed up by the insults, Marshal left to join the tournament team of the Young King's rival and cousin Philip of Flanders.

He was however recalled to the Young King's household following the king's second rebellion against his father, and was at his side when Henry died of dysentery near Limoges on 11 June 1183.

The Marshal undertook to complete the crusade vow his dead master had made, and took his cloak stitched with the cross to Jerusalem, with the approval of the bereaved father, Henry II.