- King of England House of Normandy
Biography
Henry I of England, King of England, was born 13 June 1068 in Selby, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom to William I of England (1027-1087) and Matilda of Flanders (c1031-1083) and died 1 December 1135 St. Denis-le-Fermont near Gisors, Picardy, Lyons-la-Forêt, Eure, France of food poisoning from eating a surfeit of lampreys. He married Matilda of Scotland (c1080-1118) 11 November 1100 JL in Westminster Abbey, Greater London, England, United Kingdom. He married Adeliza of Leuven (1103-1151) 29 January 1121 JL in Windsor Castle, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom.
Henry I was King of England from 1100, when he succeeded his brother William II, to 1135. In 1106 he conquered Normandy from his oldest brother, Robert II, and ruled it until his death. Third English king of the House of Normandy.
When William I died in 1087, his son William Rufus became king and ruled until his accidental death in 1100, leaving no heir. Henry I quickly siezed the English throne. In 1106 Henry I made war with his elder brother, Robert III, Duke of Normandy, defeating him soundly at the Battle of Tinchebray. Robert was spent his remaining 30 years in a Norman dungeon.
Marriages, Mistresses and Family
Henry had a considerable sexual appetite and enjoyed a substantial number of sexual partners, resulting in a large number of illegitimate children, at least nine sons and 13 daughters, many of whom he appears to have recognized and supported. It was normal for unmarried Anglo-Norman noblemen to have sexual relations with prostitutes and local women, and kings were also expected to have mistresses. Some of these relationships occurred before Henry was married, but many others took place after his marriage to Matilda. Henry had a wide range of mistresses from a range of backgrounds, and the relationships appear to have been conducted relatively openly.
1st Marriage: Matilda of Scotland
On 11 November 1100 Henry married Matilda of Scotland (c1080-1118), the daughter of Malcolm III of Scotland (c1031-1093). Henry was now around 31 years old, but late marriages for noblemen were not unusual in the 11th century. The pair had probably first met earlier the previous decade, possibly being introduced through Bishop Osmund of Salisbury. Matilda had originally been named Edith, an Anglo-Saxon name, and was a member of the West Saxon royal family, being the niece of Edgar Æþeling of England (c1050-c1130), the great-granddaughter of Edmund Ironside and a descendant of Alfred the Great. For Henry, marrying Matilda gave his reign increased legitimacy, and for Matilda, an ambitious woman, it was an opportunity for high status and power in England. Following the birth of these children, Matilda preferred to remain based in Westminster while Henry travelled across England and Normandy, either for religious reasons or because she enjoyed being involved in the machinery of royal governance.
- Matilda of Normandy (1102-1167) AKA: Empress Matilda - in 1108, Henry betrothed his six-year-old daughter, Matilda, to Henry V, the future Holy Roman Emperor, a crucial political alliance, but he died early. Her second marriage to Geoffrey Plantagenet would lead to the founding of the royal House of Plantagenet, and their son Henry II of England (1133-1189) would become king. With no male heir, Henry I went to great lengths to have the kingdom revert to Matilda, but the English barons revolted after his death and Matilda became an outcast instead.
- William of Normandy (1103-1120): Prince of England - Heir to the Royal Throne. his untimely death in the White Ship Disaster of 1120, would throw Henry's succession plans into a crisis.
- Richard of Normandy (c1125-) - it is possible that they also had a second son, Richard, who died young.
2nd Marriage
The White Ship disaster left Henry with no legitimate son, his various nephews now the closest male heirs. Henry announced he would take a new wife, Adeliza of Leuven (1103-1151), opening up the prospect of a new royal son, and the two were married at Windsor Castle in January 1121. Henry appears to have chosen her because she was attractive and came from a prestigious noble line. Adela seems to have been fond of Henry and joined him in his travels, probably to maximize the chances of her conceiving a child.
Henry and his second wife had no children.
Edith
- Matilda FitzRoy (c1090-1120) - (Matilda or Maud, Countess of Perche') an illegitimate daughter of King Henry I of England by a mistress identified only as Edith. . She died with other family members in the White Ship Disaster.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester (1090-1147) | 1090 England, United Kingdom | 1147 Bristol, Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom | Isabel de Douvres (c1090-) Mabel of Gloucester (c1095-1156) |
| Maud FitzRoy (c1091-) | 1091 England | Conan III de Bretagne (1095-1148) | |
| Constance FitzRoy (c1092-) | 1110 | Roscelin de Beaumont-au-Maine (-1176) | |
| Mabel FitzRoy (c1093-) | 1093 | Guillaume Gouët (bef1080-) | |
| Alice FitzRoy (c1116-bef1141) | 1116 | 1141 | Mathieu I de Montmorency (1100-1160) |
| Gilbert FitzRoy (c1095-) | |||
| Emma FitzRoy (c1110-c1157) | 1110 | 1157 | Guy III de Laval (-c1140) |
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Juliane de Fontevrault (1090-) | |||
| Fulk FitzRoy (1092-) | |||
| Richard of Lincoln (1094-1120) | 1094 | 25 November 1120 English Channel | |
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Matilda of Normandy (1102-1167) | 1102 Winchester, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom | 10 September 1167 Rouen, France | Heinrich V of the Holy Roman Empire (1086-1125) Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou and Maine (1113-1151) |
| William of Normandy (1103-1120) | 5 August 1103 Winchester, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom | 25 November 1120 English Channel | Matilda of Anjou (1111-1154) |
| Richard of Normandy (c1125-) | |||
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Sybilla de Normandy (c1106-) | |||
| William Constable (c1108-) | |||
| Reginald de Dunstanville, 1st Earl of Cornwall (c1110-1175) | 1110 | 1 July 1175 | Mabel FitzRichard (c1100-c1147) Beatrice de Vaux |
| Gundred of England (1114–1146) | |||
| Rohese of England (1114-) | |||
| Elizabeth of England (c1115-) | |||
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Robert FitzEdith (c1111-) | |||
| Matilda FitzRoy (c1090-1120) | 1090 | 25 November 1120 English Channel | Rotrou III du Perche (c1075-1144) |
| Adeliza FitzEdith (c1113-) | |||
| Henry FitzHenry (c1114-) | |||
| Isabel Hedwig of England (c1115-) | |||
| Matilda FitzRoy (c1116-) | |||
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| William de Tracy (-c1189) | |||
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Henry FitzRoy (1103-1158) | |||
[[Siblings}}
Maps of Henry's Reign
Europe 1100 CE
See Also
Bibliography
- Barlow, Frank (1999). The Feudal Kingdom of England, 1042–1216 (5th ed.). Harlow, UK: Pearson Education. ISBN 978-0-582-38117-9.
- Bethell, Denis (1971). "The Making of a Twelfth Century Relic Collection". Popular Belief and Practice 8: 61–72.
- Brett, Martin (1975). The English Church Under Henry I. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-821861-6. https://archive.org/details/englishchurchund0000bret.
- Carpenter, David (2004). The Struggle for Mastery: The Penguin History of Britain 1066–1284. London, UK: Penguin. ISBN 978-0-14-014824-4. https://archive.org/details/struggleformaste00davi.
- Chibnall, Marjorie (1992). "Mercenaries and the Familia Regis under Henry I". In Strickland, Matthew. Anglo-Norman Warfare. Woodbridge, UK: The Boydell Press. pp. 93–127. ISBN 978-0-85115-327-8.
- Chibnall, Marjorie (1993). The Empress Matilda: Queen Consort, Queen Mother and Lady of the English. Oxford, UK: Blackwell. ISBN 978-0-631-19028-8.
- Crouch, David (2002). The Normans: The History of a Dynasty. London, UK: Hambledon Continuum. ISBN 978-1-85285-595-6. https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781852855956.
- Crouch, David (2008). The Beaumont Twins: The Roots and Branches of Power in the Twelfth Century. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-09013-1.
External Links
- wikipedia:en:Henry I of England
- Henry I 'Beauclerc', King of England at thePeerage
- Henry I, King of England 1100-1135 at Genealogics
- Henry I of England - Geni.com
- Empress Matilda at Find A Grave
- English Kings 1066-1603 - Foundation for Medieval Genealogy
- Henry I at the official website of the British monarchy
- Henry I at BBC History
Ancestry Trees
- Rollo Family Ancestry
- Plantagenet Family Line
- House of Normandy
- Henry II of England's ancestor, number 6
Contemporary Resources
King Henry I of England was a significant monarch who ruled from 1100 to 1135. Here are some of the best contemporary resources available on his life:
- "The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle": This is a collection of manuscripts that covers the history of England from the early 9th century to the 12th century, including the reign of King Henry I.
- "Henry I" by C. Warren Hollister: This biography of King Henry I is widely regarded as one of the best contemporary resources on his life and reign.
- "The Chronicle of Henry of Huntingdon": This book is a 12th-century history of England that covers the reign of King Henry I and provides a valuable contemporary perspective on his rule.
- "The Reign of King Henry I: A Twelfth-Century Study" by Judith A. Green: This book offers an in-depth analysis of King Henry I's reign, drawing on contemporary sources to provide a detailed picture of his life and accomplishments.
- "The History of the English People" by Henry of Huntingdon: This 12th-century history book provides a detailed account of King Henry I's reign and the political events that shaped his era.
- "The Gesta Stephani" by William of Malmesbury: This book is a contemporary account of the civil war that took place between King Henry I and his nephew, Stephen of Blois.
Royal Succession Charts
Henry I of England (1068-1135) Born: 1068/1069 Died: 1 December 1135
| ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by William II |
King of England 1100–1135 |
Succeeded by Stephen |
| Preceded by William Adelin |
Duke of Normandy 1120–1135 | |
| Preceded by Robert Curthose |
Duke of Normandy 1106–1120 |
Succeeded by William Adelin |
External Links
Footnotes (including sources)
| ¶ Death |
|
| § Remains |
|
Phlox, Robin Patterson, Thurstan, Pmalish, Rtol, MainTour
|