Simon IV accompanied his father on campaigns against the Cathars and was present at the Siege of Toulouse. He took part in the Barons Crusade to the Holy Land. His brother, Amaury, also participated in these endeavors.
Although Simon's father was the 5th Earl of Leicester, that man had claimed a lot of territory on the continent during the Albigensian Crusade and was becoming more powerful than King John of England liked.
Simon IV was killed in 1218 by a stone from a mangonel during the Siege of Toulouse, but King John did not allow Simon IV to succeed to the Earldom of Leicester after Simon IV's death, giving it instead to Simon IV's cousin, Ranulf de Blondeville.
Simon V came to England in 1229 to meet with the current king, Henry III. Simon spoke French, which was also at that time the language of the Court, and Henry seemed to trend toward having advisors who were French.
Because of territory claimed by Simon IV in France, Simon V and Amaury owed allegiance to the French king. The two brothers came to an agreement: Simon would give up any rights to the French lands, and Amaury would give up his rights to the English lands.
Henry then allowed Simon IV to approach Ranulph (who was childless) and ask to be his heir for the earldom. Ranulph assented, but Simon did not gain the title until 1239.
In 1236, Simon IV wanted to marry Joan, Countess of Flanders, which would have given the next Earl of Leicester a prominent foothold next to France. The French king did not approve, and Joan married someone else.
Simon was about to make an even better marriage from a political standpoint, which we will start with tomorrow.
