*disputed*
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| Tomb effigy (1151) |
Birth name: Geoffroy Ingelgériens d'Angou
Born: 24 August 1113, County of Anjou, Kingdom of France
Father: Fulk V, Count of Anjou then King of Jerusalem
Mother: Eremburga, Countess of Maine
House: Ingelger
Nationality: Angevin
Religion: Catholicism
Consort of: Matilda
Reign: 08 April 1135 - c. 1141 (7 years)
Coronation: N/A
Predecessor: Adeliza of Louvain *disputed* then Matilda of Boulogne *disputed*
Successor: Matilda of Boulogne
Contender: Matilda of Boulogne
Died: 07 September 1151 (aged 38), Château-du-Loir, County of Anjou, Kingdom of France
Cause: Unknown illness
Burial: Le Mans Cathedral
Motto: N/A
Spouse(s):
- Matilda, Lady of the English (m. 1128 - 1151)
Children:
- With Unknown Women
- Hamelin de Warenne, Earl of Surrey (c. 1130 - 1202)
- Emma of Anjou, Queen of Gwynedd (c. 1140 - 1214)
- Marie, Abbess of Shaftesbury (???? - c. 1216)
- With Matilda, Lady of the English
- King Henry II of England 'Curtmantle' (1133 - 1189)
- Geoffrey, Count of Nantes (1134 - 1158)
- William, Viscount of Dieppe (1136 - 1164)
He was known for his red hair and handsome appearance. He was tall and slender, with notably beautiful eyes. His handsome appearance also earned him the nickname 'the fair.'
He was also famous for the hats he would wear in the shape of a broom head which earned him the nickname 'Plantagenet'.
Character:
Geoffrey was described as an excellent warrior and very fun-loving. He was also known to be charming, and very likeable to those who worked with him. He was dedicated to his duties as a count and was respected by many.
He originally disliked his wife, Matilda, and was disloyal to her, fathering a few illegitimate children, but eventually, the two of them grew quite close.
Biography:
Geoffrey was born in 1113, likely in the County of Anjou, Kingdom of France. His father was Fulk V, Count of Anjou, who later went on to become the King of Jerusalem, and his mother was Eremburga, Countess of Maine. He was the eldest of the couples' four children, and he also had two younger half-brothers from his father's second marriage.
Throughout his youth, he quickly gained the reputation of a great warrior, thus, King Henry I of England began to consider him as a possible second marriage candidate for his eldest legitimate daughter, Matilda, Holy Roman Empress. By the time the marriage was officially negotiated and went ahead in 1128, Geoffrey was 15 years old, while his new wife was 25.
Despite both Geoffrey and Matilda consenting to the marriage, the two of them originally did not get along well at all. Matilda struggled to adjust to her new lesser role of a Countess, rather than Holy Roman Empress, and she quickly returned to live with her father until he forced her to return to her husband.
While apart, Geoffrey fathered at least one illegitimate child, Hamelin.
Luckily, when Matilda returned to live with him, the two of them began to get along much better. They were still known for their arguments, but they became quite content with each other, and began to enjoy a happy marriage. The two of them would go on to have three sons together, though Geoffrey would also father two more illegitimate children in the later years of their marriage.
In 1129, Geoffrey's father left on a Crusade, and was made the King of Jerusalem. Upon leaving, Geoffrey was made the new Count of Anjou.
By 1135, Geoffrey's father-in-law, King Henry I of England, passed away without a legitimate male heir. His wife's only legitimate brother had drowned in an accident a few years prior, and there were debates as to who should inherit the throne of England upon Henry's death. Henry I had usually always maintained that Matilda would be his heir and she would rule as the Queen of England in her own right. But a woman had never ruled England in her own right before, and many people within England were not enthusiastic over such an idea.
Geoffrey, however, vehemently supported his wife's claim to the throne, and he invaded Normandy in order to begin claiming her inheritance for her. Unfortunately, his wife's cousin, Stephen of Blois, had usurped the throne while Matilda had remained on the continent, and claimed that Henry I had actually made himself the heir, rather than Matilda.
The Anarchy then broke out within the Kingdom of England, and Geoffrey rallied as much support as he could for his wife. He organised an invasion of England, and civil war broke out between Stephen and Matilda and their supporters. Their forces were successfully able to capture King Stephen at the Battle of Lincoln in 1141, and Matilda officiated her claim as Queen (or Lady of the English as was the title that was used at the time).
Matilda stayed in London to await her coronation, meanwhile Geoffrey began securing their lands in Normandy, and he officially became the Duke of Normandy in 1144.
While his wife was chased out of London by Stephen's supporters under the command of his wife, Matilda of Boulogne, Geoffrey was forced to deal with baron revolts within Anjou. These rebellions prevented him from properly supporting his wife back in England, and most of his resources and efforts became more focused on his own lands. Matilda was unable to successfully take full control of England, and Stephen remained as the recognised monarch.
Unfortunately, all of Geoffrey's efforts were halted in 1151 when he suddenly developed a fever. When he finally arrived at a commune, he collapsed onto the couch, managed to utter some of his final wishes, before suddenly passing away.
Rule:
Geoffrey did not play a large active role in English politics as he was more focused on fully seizing the throne in his wife's name.
He was successful as a warrior, and managed to capture a large portion of English land, as well as Normandy, while still working as the Count of Anjou at the same time. He was also able to successfully provide Matilda with a male heir.
Geoffrey was respected throughout his reign, and was renowned for his charm as a leader.
Trivia:
- His eldest legitimate son, Henry, would go on to be the founder of the Plantagenet dynasty that would rule England for the next 300 years.
Quotes:
N/A
Sources & Further Reading:
Dutton, K. A. (2026). Geoffrey, Count of Anjou and Duke of Normandy, 1129-51 - Enlighten Theses. University of Glasgow. https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/3052
European Heraldry: House of Anjou (Plantagenet). (2025). Europeanheraldry.org. https://europeanheraldry.org/united-kingdom/england/royal/late-plantagenets/
Geoffrey_of_Anjou_Monument.jpg - Wikimedia Commons. (2010). Wikimedia.org. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Geoffrey_of_Anjou_Monument.jpg
Keefe, T. K. (1974). Geoffrey Plantagenet’s Will and the Angevin Succession. Albion, 6(3), 266–274. https://doi.org/10.2307/4048247
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