The Revolution of 1258-59

Everyone thought it was a good thing. But the qualification to that is that they didn't really quite know what was happening. In some ways, this is a secret revolution at the top. The idea that these reforms should embrace the malpractices of the Barons themselves was not popular with some of the very great Barons in particular. Henry III recovered power in 1261 due to basically a breakup of the colonial coalition. That was what made the recovery of power possible. And I'm afraid in a way you could credit him for the reforms of 1258, but you could also credit him with destroying them because he had quarreled with several of the other great nobles.