- Princess of England
- Countess of Blois
- AKA: Saint Adela of Normandy
- 1096-1102: Regent of Blois (absense of husband)
- 1102-1120: Regent of Blois (minority of son)
Biography
Adela of Normandy, countess of Blois, Chartres, and Meaux was born circa 1062 in Normandy, France to William I of England (1027-1087) and Matilda of Flanders (c1031-1083) and died 8 March 1138 Marcigny, Saône-et-Loire, France of unspecified causes. She married Stephen II, Count of Blois (c1045-1102) 1080 JL .
Adela of Normandy, of Blois, or of England[1] also known as Saint Adela in Roman Catholicism,[2] was a daughter of William the Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders who later became the countess of Blois, Chartres, and Meaux by marriage to Stephen II of Blois. She was regent of Blois during the absence of her spouse in 1096-1100 and 1101-02, and during the minority of her son from 1102 until 1120.
She was a daughter of William the Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders. She was also the mother of Stephen, King of England and Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester.
Stephen II, Count of Blois (c1045-1102) was the son of Theobald III de Blois (1012-1089), Count of Blois, and Garsende du Maine (c1010-c1060).[3] He is first mentioned as approaching William the Conqueror to ask for and receive the hand of his daughter Adela of Normandy.[4] In 1089, upon the death of his father, Stephen became the Count of Blois and Chartres, although Theobald had given him the administration of those holdings in 1074.
Adela of Normandy, of Blois, or of England[1] also known as Saint Adela in Roman Catholicism,[2] was a daughter of William the Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders who later became the countess of Blois, Chartres, and Meaux by marriage to Stephen II of Blois. Her husband greatly benefited from the increased social status and prestige that came with such a marriage. She brought with her not only her bloodline but a dowry of money and other movable goods from the prodigious store of Anglo-Norman wealth. She was regent of Blois during the absence of her spouse in 1096–1100 and 1101–02, and during the minority of her son from 1102 until 1120.[5] Adela was the mother of King Stephen of England and Bishop Henry of Winchester.
First regency
Stephen-Henry joined the First Crusade in 1096, along with his brother-in-law Robert Curthose. Adela filled in as regent for her husband during his extended absence as a leader of the First Crusade (1095–1098)[6] as well as during his second expedition in 1101. Stephen's letters to Adela form a uniquely intimate insight into the experiences of the Crusade's leaders[7] and show that he trusted Adela to rule as regent while he was on crusade.[6]
Second regency
Adela continued to act as regent after her husband's death and through her son Thibaud's early rule until her retirement in 1120.[6] Even after Thibaud came of age and no longer needed a regent, Adela continued to issue charters and act as co-ruler of many parts of their land. Adela did not secure a marriage alliance for Thibaud, who did not get married until after Adela's retirement, which helped to maintain her power and influence over both her son and her lands.[8]
Retirement
Adela retired to Marcigny Convent in 1120. Though she may have considered retiring to an abbey in Normandy where members of her family, including sisters and nieces, may have already been living, Adela was drawn to and chose the larger, more prestigious convent at Marcigny near her son Henry at Cluny Abbey.[9] Adela may have acted as prioress within the community at Marcigny, though this is not certain.[10] She continued to interact and communicate with her children and the ecclesiastical leaders of lands that she had once ruled, maintaining her influence over the area.[11]
Family
Stephen married Adela of Normandy (c1062-1138),[12] a daughter of William the Conqueror, around 1090 in Chartres. Their children were:
- Guillaume of Blois (c1086-1150), Count of Sully[12]
- Theobald II, Count of Champagne (c1088-1152)][12]
- Odo of Blois (c1090-) - who died young
- Stephen of England - Last Norman king of England; his reign was called "The Anarchy" or "The Nineteen-Year Winter". He was made king because his cousin died in the White Ship Disaster.[12]
- Maud of Blois (c1097-1120) - married Richard d'Avranches, 2nd Earl of Chester. Both drowned on 25 November 1120 and her cousin the prince, William of Normandy (1103-1120) in the White Ship Disaster.
- Agnes of Blois (c1099-1129), married Hugh III of Le Puiset[13]
- Eléonore of Blois (c1104-1147) married Ralph I, Count of Vermandois; they were divorced in 1142.
- Alix of Blois (c1100-1145) married Renaud III of Joigni (d. 1134) and had issue
- Adélaïde de Blois (c1092-c1139), married Milo II of Montlhéry, Viscount of Troyes (divorced 1115)
- Henry of Blois (c1098-1171). Bishop of Winchester[12]
- Humbert of Blois (c1094-) died young
Children
Siblings
See Also
- Charlemagne Family Ancestry
- House of Blois
- House of Normandy
- wikipedia:en:Adela of Normandy
- Adela of Normandy at thePeerage
- Adela of Normandy - Geni.com
- Saint Adela of Normandy at Find A Grave
- Alison Weir, Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy (London, U.K.: The Bodley Head, 1999), page 50. Hereinafter cited as Britain's Royal Families.
- Chicago, Judy. The Dinner Party: From Creation to Preservation. London: Merrell (2007). ISBN 1-85894-370-1
- Evergates, Theodore, ed. Aristocratic Women in Medieval France. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press (1999). ISBN 0-8122-3503-7
- LoPrete, Kimberly. Adela of Blois: Countess and Lord (c.1067–1137). Dublin: Four Courts Press (2007). ISBN 1-85182-563-0
- LoPrete, Kimberly. "Adela of Blois and Ivo of Chartres: Piety, Politics and Peace in the Diocese of Chartres'." Anglo-Norman Studies xiv (1992): 131–152
- Parsons, John and Bonnie Wheeler. Medieval Mothering (New Middle Ages). New York: Routledge (1999). ISBN 0-8153-3665-9
- Schaus, Margaret, ed. Women and Gender in Medieval Europe: An Encyclopedia. New York: Routledge (2006). ISBN 0-415-96944-1
References
- ^ a b LoPrete, Kimberly. "Adela of Blois." Women and Gender in Medieval Europe: An Encyclopedia. Ed. Margaret Schaus. New York: Routledge, 2006. 6–7.
- ^ a b Catholic Online. "St. Adela". http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1126.
- ^ Evergates 1999, p. 11.
- ^ Brundage 1960, p. 381.
- ^ (1990) "The Anglo-Norman Card of Adela of Blois". Albion 22 (4): 569–589. DOI:10.2307/4051390.
- ^ a b c Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedFamilial Alliances - ^ "A letter from Count Stephen of Blois (03/1098)". http://epistolae.ccnmtl.columbia.edu/letter/79.html.
- ^ LoPrete, Kimberly A. (2013). "Adela of Blois as Mother and Countess". Medieval Mothering. Routledge. p. 322.
- ^ LoPrete, Kimberly A. Adela of Blois: Countess and Lord (c.1067–1137). Dublin: Four Courts, 2007. 408–411
- ^ LoPrete, Kimberly A. Adela of Blois: Countess and Lord (c.1067–1137). Dublin: Four Courts, 2007. 412.
- ^ LoPrete, Kimberly A. Adela of Blois: Countess and Lord (c.1067–1137). Dublin: Four Courts, 2007. 412–418.
- ^ a b c d e Evergates 2007, p. 248.
- ^ Evergates 2016, p. x.
Footnotes (including sources)
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| ₪ Wedding |
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Thurstan, Rtol, Phlox, MainTour, AMK152, WMWillis
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