The term Angevin Empire was coined by Kate Norgate in her 1887 publication, England under the Angevin Kings. As far as historians know, there was no contemporary term for the region under Angevin control however, descriptions such as 'our kingdom and everything subject to our rule whatever it may be' were used. Another son, Geoffrey, ruled Brittany and established a separate line there. The term Angevin Empire is a neologism defining the lands of the House of Plantagenet: Henry II and his sons Richard I and John. This defeat set the scene for further conflicts between England and France, leading up to the Hundred Years' War. John lost control of most of his continental possessions, apart from Gascony in southern Aquitaine.

Despite the extent of Angevin rule, Henry's son John was defeated in the Anglo-French War (1213–1214) by Philip II of France following the Battle of Bouvines. The influence and power of the House of Anjou brought them into conflict with the kings of France of the House of Capet, to whom they also owed feudal homage for their French possessions, bringing in a period of rivalry between the dynasties. Although their title of highest rank came from the Kingdom of England, the Plantagenets held court primarily on the continent at Angers in Anjou, and at Chinon in Touraine. Henry married Eleanor of Aquitaine in 1152, acquiring the Duchy of Aquitaine, and inherited his mother Empress Matilda's claim to the English throne, succeeding his rival Stephen in 1154. The empire was established by Henry II of England, who succeeded his father Geoffrey Plantagenet as Duke of Normandy and Count of Anjou (from which the term Angevins is derived).

It may be described as an early example of a composite monarchy. The term Angevin Empire ( / ˈ æ n dʒ ɪ v ɪ n/ French: Empire Plantagenêt) describes the possessions of the House of Plantagenet during the 12th and 13th centuries, when they ruled over an area covering roughly half of France, all of England, and parts of Ireland and Wales, and had further influence over much of the remaining British Isles.

Ck2 custom empire coat of arms