- also Adelaide of Normandy
Adelaide of Normandy was the sister or half-sister of William the Conqueror.She was the daughter of Robert the Magnificent, Duke of Normandy. Different chroniclers writing in the Gesta Normannorum Ducum call her sister of William the Conqueror by the same mother, or daughter of Robert by a...
sister of William I of EnglandWilliam I , better known as William the Conqueror, was Duke of Normandy from AD 1035 and King of England from late 1066 to his death. William is sometimes also referred to as "William II" in relation to his position as the second Duke of Normandy of that name...
.
Adela of Normandy also known as
Adela of Blois and
Adela of England "and also
Adela Alice Princess of England" (c. 1062 or 1067 – 8 March 1137?) was, by marriage, Countess of
BloisBlois is the capital of Loir-et-Cher department in central France, situated on the banks of the lower river Loire between Orléans and Tours.-Sights:...
,
ChartresChartres is a town and commune and capital of the Eure-et-Loir department in north-central France It is located southwest of Paris in central France.-Geography:...
, and
MeauxMeaux is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located east-northeast from the center of Paris. Meaux is a sub-prefecture of the department and the seat of an arondissement...
. She was a daughter of
William the ConquerorWilliam I , better known as William the Conqueror, was Duke of Normandy from AD 1035 and King of England from late 1066 to his death. William is sometimes also referred to as "William II" in relation to his position as the second Duke of Normandy of that name...
and
Matilda of FlandersMaud Le-Vieux crowned Matilda of Flanders was Queen consort of the Kingdom of England and the wife of William I the Conqueror....
. She was also the mother of
Stephen, King of EnglandStephen often known as Stephen of Blois was a grandson of William the Conqueror. He was the last Norman King of England, from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne jure uxoris. His reign was marked by civil war with his rival the Empress Matilda and general chaos, known as The Anarchy...
and
Henry of BloisHenry of Blois, often known as Henry of Winchester; was Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey from 1126 and Bishop of Winchester from 1129 to his death.-Life:...
,
Bishop of WinchesterThe Bishop of Winchester is the head of the Church of England diocese of Winchester, with his cathedra at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire.The bishop is one of five Church of England bishops to be among the Lords Spiritual regardless of their length of service. His diocese is one of the oldest and...
.
Her birthdate is generally believed to have been between 1060 and 1064; however, there is some evidence she was born after her father's accession to the
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
throne in 1066.
- also Adelaide of Normandy
Adelaide of Normandy was the sister or half-sister of William the Conqueror.She was the daughter of Robert the Magnificent, Duke of Normandy. Different chroniclers writing in the Gesta Normannorum Ducum call her sister of William the Conqueror by the same mother, or daughter of Robert by a...
sister of William I of EnglandWilliam I , better known as William the Conqueror, was Duke of Normandy from AD 1035 and King of England from late 1066 to his death. William is sometimes also referred to as "William II" in relation to his position as the second Duke of Normandy of that name...
.
Adela of Normandy also known as
Adela of Blois and
Adela of England "and also
Adela Alice Princess of England" (c. 1062 or 1067 – 8 March 1137?) was, by marriage, Countess of
BloisBlois is the capital of Loir-et-Cher department in central France, situated on the banks of the lower river Loire between Orléans and Tours.-Sights:...
,
ChartresChartres is a town and commune and capital of the Eure-et-Loir department in north-central France It is located southwest of Paris in central France.-Geography:...
, and
MeauxMeaux is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located east-northeast from the center of Paris. Meaux is a sub-prefecture of the department and the seat of an arondissement...
. She was a daughter of
William the ConquerorWilliam I , better known as William the Conqueror, was Duke of Normandy from AD 1035 and King of England from late 1066 to his death. William is sometimes also referred to as "William II" in relation to his position as the second Duke of Normandy of that name...
and
Matilda of FlandersMaud Le-Vieux crowned Matilda of Flanders was Queen consort of the Kingdom of England and the wife of William I the Conqueror....
. She was also the mother of
Stephen, King of EnglandStephen often known as Stephen of Blois was a grandson of William the Conqueror. He was the last Norman King of England, from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne jure uxoris. His reign was marked by civil war with his rival the Empress Matilda and general chaos, known as The Anarchy...
and
Henry of BloisHenry of Blois, often known as Henry of Winchester; was Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey from 1126 and Bishop of Winchester from 1129 to his death.-Life:...
,
Bishop of WinchesterThe Bishop of Winchester is the head of the Church of England diocese of Winchester, with his cathedra at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire.The bishop is one of five Church of England bishops to be among the Lords Spiritual regardless of their length of service. His diocese is one of the oldest and...
.
Her birthdate is generally believed to have been between 1060 and 1064; however, there is some evidence she was born after her father's accession to the
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
throne in 1066. She was the favourite sister of King
Henry I of EnglandHenry I was the fourth son of William I the Conqueror. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
; they were probably the youngest of the Conqueror's children. She was a high-spirited and educated woman, with a knowledge of
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...
.
She married
Stephen HenryStephen II Henry , , Count of Blois and Count of Chartres, was the son of Theobald III, count of Blois, and Garsinde du Maine...
, son and heir to the
count of BloisThe County of Blois was originally centred on Blois, south of Paris, France. One of the chief cities, along with Blois itself, was Chartres. Blois was associated with Champagne, Châtillon , and later with the French royal family, to whom the county passed in 1391...
, sometime between 1080 and 1084, probably in 1083. Stephen inherited Blois, Chartres and Meaux in 1089, and owned over 300 properties, making him one of the wealthiest men of his day. He was a pious and revered leader who managed huge areas of France which inherited from his father and added to by his sharp administrations. He was, essentially a king in his own right. Stephen-Henry joined the
First CrusadeThe First Crusade was a military expedition by European Christians to regain the Holy Lands taken by the Muslim conquest of the Levant, which resulted in the capture of Jerusalem in 1099. It was launched in 1095 by Pope Urban II with the primary goal of responding to the appeal from Byzantine...
, along with his brother-in-law Robert Curthose. Stephen's letters to Adela form a uniquely intimate insight into the experiences of the Crusade's leaders. The Count of Blois returned to France in 1100 bringing with him several cartloads of maps, jewels and other treasures, which he deposited at Chartres. He was, however, under an obligation to the pope for agreements made years earlier and returned to Antioch to participate in the
crusade of 1101The Crusade of 1101 was a minor crusade of three separate movements, organized in 1100 and 1101 in the successful aftermath of the First Crusade. It is also called the Crusade of the Faint-Hearted due to the number of participants who joined this crusade after having turned back from the First...
. He was ultimately killed in an ill advised charge at the
Battle of RamlaThe Battle of Rama can refer to a number of battles in the early years of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem.Ramla was an important town on the road from Jerusalem to Ascalon, the latter of which was the largest Fatimid fortress in Palestine...
. Rumors of his cowardice and defection under fire are untrue and unfounded and have been proven to be propaganda generated by later biased historians. Stephen-Henry was often referred to as "le Sage," and was a great patron of Troubadours and writers.
Adela and Stephen's children are listed here as follows. Their birth order is uncertain.
- Guillaume (William)(d. 1150), Count of Chartres married Agnes of Sulli (d. aft 1104) and had issue.
- Theobald II, aka Thibaud IV Count of Champagne
- Odo of Blois, aka Humbert. died young.
- Stephen of Blois
Stephen often known as Stephen of Blois was a grandson of William the Conqueror. He was the last Norman King of England, from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne jure uxoris. His reign was marked by civil war with his rival the Empress Matilda and general chaos, known as The Anarchy...
{King of England}.
- Lucia-Mahaut
Lucia-Mahaut of Blois , known as Matilda or Maud, was daughter to Stephen, Count of Blois and Adela of Normandy. She was married to Richard d'Avranches, 2nd Earl of Chester. Both she and her husband joined William Adelin, heir to King Henry I of England aboard the White Ship. She was the sister of...
, married Richard d'Avranches, 2nd Earl of ChesterRichard d'Avranches, 2nd Earl of Chester , was the son of Hugh, 1st Earl of Chester and Ermentrude of Clermont.-Early life:...
. Both drowned on 25 November 1120.
- Agnes of Blois, married Hugh de Puiset and were parents to Hugh de Puiset
Hugh de Puiset was a medieval bishop of Durham and Chief Justiciar of England under King Richard I. He was the nephew of King Stephen of England and Henry of Blois, who both assisted Hugh's ecclesiastical career...
.
- Eléonore of Blois
Eléonore of Blois or of Champagne , daughter of Stephen II, Count of Blois, and of Adela of Normandy. Married to Raoul I of Vermandois and mother of: Hugh II of Vermandois , count de Vermandois and of Valois, then monk in 1160...
(d. 1147) married Raoul I of Vermandois (d.1152) & had issue they were divorced in 1142.
- Alix of Blois (d. 1145) married Renaud (d.1134)III of Joigni & had Issue
- Lithuise of Blois
Lithuise of Blois was born in Blois, Centre, Loir-et-Cher, France to Stephen Henry and Adela of Normandy. She was married Milo I of Montlhéry. Not much is known about her, although in 1118 she was divorced from her husband and died shortly after...
(d. 1118) married Milo I of MontlhéryMilo I the Great was lord of Montlhéry from 1095 until his death. He was the son of Guy I of Montlhéry and Hodierna of Gometz.The identify of his first wife is unknown. His second wife was Lithuise, daughter of Stephen, Count of Blois...
(Divorced 1115)
- Philip (d. 1100) Bishop of Châlons-sur-Marne
- Henry of Blois
Henry of Blois, often known as Henry of Winchester; was Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey from 1126 and Bishop of Winchester from 1129 to his death.-Life:...
b.1101- d. 1171 (oblate child raised at Cherite sur Loire (Cluny Abbey) 1103.
Adela was regent for her husband during his extended absence as a leader of the
First CrusadeThe First Crusade was a military expedition by European Christians to regain the Holy Lands taken by the Muslim conquest of the Levant, which resulted in the capture of Jerusalem in 1099. It was launched in 1095 by Pope Urban II with the primary goal of responding to the appeal from Byzantine...
(1095-1098), and when he returned in disgrace it was at least in part at her urging that he returned to the east to fulfil his vow of seeing
JerusalemJerusalem is the capital of Israel and its largest city in both population and area, with a population of 747,600 residents over an area of if disputed East Jerusalem is included...
. She was again regent in 1101, continuing after her husband's death on this second crusading expedition in 1102, for their children were still minors. Orderic Vitalis praises her as a "
wise and spirited woman" who ably governed her husband's estates in his absences and after his death.
She employed tutors to educate her elder sons, and had her youngest son Henry pledged to the Church at
ClunyCluny or Clugny is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne in eastern France. It is 20 km north west of Mâcon.The town grew up around the Benedictine Cluny Abbey, founded by Duke William I of Aquitaine in A.D. 910...
. Adela quarrelled with her eldest son Guillaume, "
deficient in intelligence as well as degenerate", and had his younger brother Theobald replace him as heir. Her son Stephen left Blois in 1111 to join his uncle's court in England.
Adela retired to
MarcignyMarcigny is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne in eastern France.It is where Adela of Normandy, Countess of Blois, mother of King Stephen of England died in or around 1137.-References:*...
in 1120, secure in the status of her children. Later that same year, her daughter
Lucia-MahautLucia-Mahaut of Blois , known as Matilda or Maud, was daughter to Stephen, Count of Blois and Adela of Normandy. She was married to Richard d'Avranches, 2nd Earl of Chester. Both she and her husband joined William Adelin, heir to King Henry I of England aboard the White Ship. She was the sister of...
, was drowned in the wreck of the
White ShipThe White Ship , a twelfth-century vessel, sank in the English Channel near the Normandy coast off Barfleur, on November 25, 1120. Those drowned included William Adelin, the only legitimate son of King Henry I of England...
alongside her husband. She lived long enough to see her son Stephen seize the English throne, and took pride in the ascension of her youngest child Henry Blois to the bishophric of Winchester, but died soon after on 8 March 1135 in Marsilly, Charente, Poitou-Charentes, France.
Adela was portrayed by Nike Arrighi in the two-part
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation, usually referred to by its abbreviation as the "BBC", is the longest established and largest broadcaster in the world...
TV play
Conquest (1966), about her father's conquest of England, part of the series
Theatre 625Theatre 625 is a British television drama anthology series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC2 from 1964 to 1968. It was one of the first regular programmes in the line-up of the channel, and the title highlighted the fact that it was produced and transmitted on the higher-definition...
.
External links