Henry I 'Beauclerc'

Depiction in Historia Anglorum (1253)

Regnal name: King Henry I of England 'Beauclerc'

Birth name: Henri de Normaundie

Born: c. 1068, Selby, Yorkshire, Kingdom of England

Father: King William I of England 'The Conqueror'

Mother: Lady Matilda of Flanders

House: Normandy

Nationality: Norman

Religion: Catholicism

Claim: Child of William I 'The Conqueror' and Usurpation

Reign: 05 August 1100 - 01 December 1135 (35 years)
Coronation: 05 August 1100

Predecessor: William II 'Rufus'

Successor: Matilda *disputed* or Stephen

Died: 01 December 1135 (aged 66), Lyons-la-Forêt, Duchy of Normandy, Kingdom of France

Cause: Listeriosis

Burial: Reading Abbey

Motto: N/A  

Spouse(s):

• Princess Matilda of Scotland (m. 1100 - 1118)
• Lady Adeliza of Louvain (m. 1121 - 1135) 

Children:

• With Edith
• Matilda FitzRoy, Countess of Perche (c. 1080 - 1120) 

• With Ansfrida
• Juliane de Fontevrault (1090 - c. 1136)
• Fulk FitzRoy (c. 1092 - 1132)
• Richard of Lincoln (1101 - 1120)  

• With Unknown Women
• Robert FitzRoy, Earl of Gloucester (c. 1090 - 1147)
• Gilbert FitzRoy (???? - ????)
• William of Tracy (???? - ????)
• Matilda FitzRoy, Duchess of Brittany (???? - ????)
• Mabel (???? - ????)
• Constance, Countess of Beaumont-Sur-Sarthe (???? - ????)
• Alice FitzRoy, Lady of Montmorency (???? - c. 1141)
• Matilda FitzRoy, Abbess of Montivilliers (???? - ????)
• Gundrada of Dunstanville (???? - ????)
• Rohese (???? - ????) *disputed*
• Emma (???? - ????)
• Adeliza (???? - ????)
• Elizabeth FitzRoy, Lady of Galloway (???? - ????)
• Sibyl of Falaise (???? - ????) *disputed*  

• With Lady Sybilla Corbet of Alcester
• Sybilla, Queen of Scotland (c. 1092 - 1122)
• Reginald of Dunstanville, Earl of Cornwall (c. 1100 - 1175)
• William (???? - ????)  

• With Lady Edith Forne
• Robert FitzEdith, Lord of Okehampton (1093 - 1172) 

• With Princess Nest of Deheubarth
• Henry FitzRoy (c. 1100 - 1157)  

• With Princess Matilda of Scotland
• Matilda, Holy Roman Empress then Lady of the English (1102 - 1167)
• Prince William of Normandy (1103 - 1120) 

• With Isabella of Beaumont
• Isabel (???? - ????)  

Appearance:

It is likely he had a strong build, barrel-chest, and dark, almost black hair.

 

Character:

Henry possessed a deep passion for learning and reading, which is what earned him the nickname 'Beauclerc'. This was also the result of his skills as an administrator. Overall, he was highly intelligent, and out of all of his siblings, he was likely the only one who was fully literate. He was also fluent in Latin.

 

Despite his intelligence and bureaucracy skills, Henry was also ruthless and fearsome, with many of his courtiers being afraid of him. He would brutally crush rebellions against him, and even schemed against his own family in order to rise to power. In his bid for the English throne, he usurped his older brother, Robert, who was technically the rightful heir, as well as deposing him as the Duke of Normandy, and usurping his nephew, William Clito, who technically should have become the Duke of Normandy upon Robert's death. There's also a theory that he was responsible for the murder of his older brother, King William II of England, or at the very least, was quick to take advantage of his brother's death to facilitate his own rise to power. 

 

Throughout his life, Henry was also notorious for his sexual appetite, and possessed many mistresses. Though he did love and care for his wife, he did not remain faithful to her, though in the context of the Norman period, this behaviour was completely acceptable. He also fathered many children, most of which were illegitimate. He did acknowledge these children and made sure they were provided for. However, his relationships with some of his children would not always be harmonious, as one of his own daughters, Juliane, tried to murder him. In particular, he greatly loved his only legitimate son, Prince William, and it was said that he never smiled again after his untimely death.

 

Although he was well known for his lust for women, Henry appears to have also held them in high regard, seemingly viewing women as perfectly capable rulers. On a personal level, he did not seem to hesitate to nominate his daughter as his heir to the throne. His only concern was other people's view on a woman's capability of ruling, and did not seem to express these same opinions himself.  He seems to have believed his daughter to be fully capable, as he made the barons swear an oath to recognise her as the rightful monarch upon his death.  

  

Biography:

Henry was born some time in the year 1068 in Yorkshire, England. He was likely the ninth of ten children born to King William I of England, and his wife, Lady Matilda of Flanders. By the time of his birth, his father had recently conquered the Kingdom of England after the Battle of Hastings in 1066, and Henry's own birth in the kingdom was likely to further establish the Norman claim on the land. 

 

As the youngest son, Henry likely grew up alongside his sisters, but not too much is known about his early life. It is not known if he spent most of his time in England or Normandy, but he likely received a religious education, as well as military skills. He would go on to become a knight, receiving his knighthood from his father in 1086.

 

His mother unfortunately died in 1083, and his older brother, Richard, died in a horse riding accident a few years earlier. Henry's father would follow shortly afterward in 1087, and the king divided his lands between his three surviving sons, Robert, William, and Henry himself. As the youngest, Henry did not receive much in inheritance, only being granted money and some of his mother's estates. Meanwhile, Robert inherited the Duchy of Normandy, while William (who his father favoured) became King William II of England. Both Robert and William disagreed over the inheritance, with Robert believing he should have received both Normandy and England, instead of the lands and titles being split between them. While Robert planned an invasion of England, Henry stayed at his brother's court in Normandy.

 

However, Robert's invasion plans did not go well, and he even asked for some of Henry's monetary inheritance in order to help fund his plan, but Henry refused. Robert was then able to bribe Henry with lands and titles in exchange for a share of his money, but still, his invasion plans failed. After this, Henry mainly spent his time building up his own network of supporters and followers, all the while he lost the trust of both of his brothers. 

 

In 1088, A bishop named Odo had managed to manipulate Robert into believing that Henry was conspiring against him, and Henry was consequently arrested and imprisoned. Luckily for Henry, the Norman nobility pressured Robert for his release the next year.

 

Over the next few years, the tension between the three brothers would continue. This got to a point where William and Robert even signed a treaty together, promising to recognise each other as their heirs, while completely excluding Henry from everything. Henry attempted a rebellion against this, but his efforts were thwarted when his castle was held under siege by his brothers. However, when his water supplies were running short, Robert appears to have taken pity on him and allowed some supplies through, much to the annoyance of William. Henry was then able to take advantage of his brothers' new quarrels with each other to escape to France. 

 

With new support, Henry was able to make relative peace with William, and for the rest of his brother's reign of England, he would travel back and forth between Normandy and England, all the while the two of them continued to remain a threat to Robert. During the next few years, Henry and William appear to have become rather close with each other, all while excluding Robert, who had always seemed to have been the scapegoat sibling.

 

Henry's destiny would change forever in the year 1100 when William went out hunting one day in the New Forest. What occurred there is not known for sure, but King William II was found dead after having been shot by an arrow; it is not known whether this was murder or accidental. As William had died with no male heir, England fell into chaos upon the news of the tragedy. Technically speaking, Robert was the next in line for the throne as the eldest son, and having been previously recognised by William as his heir. Henry, however, argued that he should be the next king, as he had actually been born in the kingdom unlike his brother. It took some persuading, but the barons eventually agreed, and Henry was quickly crowned as King Henry I of England. Meanwhile, Robert was powerless to stop any of this as he had embarked on the First Crusade.

 

Recognising the need for a legitimate heir (Henry had already fathered many illegitimate children by this point with numerous mistresses), Henry quickly married Princess Matilda of Scotland later that same year. The two of them had always been close friends, and Matilda was a direct descendant of the previous Anglo-Saxon kings of England, thus further legitimising Henry's (as well as any children they may have together) claim to the throne. 

 

The two of them would go on to have two children together. 

 

Though he appears to have held great affection for his wife, he continued to have many mistresses as was deemed his right at the time. He continued to father many more illegitimate children, twenty-four of whom he officially recognised and provided for. 

 

In 1101, Robert began building support for an invasion of England. Henry believed they would land in Pevensey, but they actually landed in Portsmouth, taking Henry and his forces completely off guard. The two armies met in Hampshire, and instead of fighting, both Henry and Robert attempted peaceful negotiations. The brothers agreed to recognise each other as the rightful rulers of their respective territories, and recognised each other as their heir should they not have any surviving sons upon their deaths. 

 

But this peace did not last, and Henry invaded Normandy in 1105 and 1106, eventually defeating Robert's forces and imprisoning him. Though he had now taken control of Normandy, Robert's death soon afterwards caused a large portion of the population to recognise Robert's son, William Clito, as the true Duke of Normandy. This was also supported by the French King Louis VI. This would remain a problem for a large portion of Henry's reign, until William Clito died in 1127 with no heirs, finally leaving Henry with no legitimate challenger to his position as ruler of Normandy. 

 

During this time, Henry would also face threats to his power from the territories that bordered Normandy, including Anjou, Wales, and the Kingdom of France as a whole. He managed to create a successful alliance with King Henry V of Germany by betrothing his daughter to him. He also made political marriage alliances with his son, Prince William, as well as his illegitimate children. While some of these were successful, the Welsh Kingdoms continued to remain a problem, threatening to take control of land in Cheshire. Luckily, two Welsh princes, Owain and Gruffudd were able to reach a peaceful solution with Henry in 1114.

 

By 1118, Henry was beginning to face some of the worst years of his life. His wife, Matilda, suddenly passed away that year, and further tragedy would strike in 1120 in the White Ship Disaster. Henry's only legitimate son and heir, Prince William, drowned in a ship accident, which left the issue of succession precarious. Henry's only remaining legitimate child was Empress Matilda, but a woman had never ruled England in her own right before. While Henry seemed to have been relatively okay with the idea of his daughter inheriting the crown, he knew that this acceptance would not be shared by other nobles. Henry was absolutely devastated by the death of his son, and when his court finally got over their fear of telling him the news, Henry completely collapsed with grief.

 

These would be far from the only incidents he faced regrading his children, as, during a rebellion in 1119, his daughter, Juliane, joined their forces and attempted to shoot her own father with a crossbow. Luckily for Henry, he managed to avoid his daughter's arrow, and subsequently punished her and her husband by stripping them of their lands and titles in Normandy. 

 

After the death of Prince William, Henry immediately began searching for a new wife, eventually settling on Lady Adeliza of Louvain in 1121. Henry ensured to spend as much time with her as possible in order to increase their chances of producing more children, but unfortunately, this would never happen. 

 

The White Ship disaster also threatened the peace that had been created between England and Anjou, as Prince William had been betrothed to the Count of Anjou's daughter, whom had also perished in her fiancee’s arms during the disaster. Since Empress Matilda's husband had passed away, Henry instead married his daughter to the Count's son, Geoffrey. Matilda took a great degree of persuasion, and even when the two finally did marry, Henry would have to intervene as councillor in their relationship as the two would initially frequently fall out. However, Henry would be delighted a few years later in 1133 at the birth of his legitimate grandson, perhaps giving him some reassurance regarding the succession. 

 

While his grandsons grew up in Anjou, there was still the matter of what would happen if Henry died while they were still young. Seemingly in preparation for this, Henry fostered a close relationship with his nephew, Stephen of Blois, perhaps to have him become his heir. 

 

However, Henry eventually had Stephen and the barons swear an oath to officially recognise Matilda as his heir. Despite this, Matilda did not believe her father was doing enough to garner support for her and prepare her for the transition of power upon his death. Matilda and Geoffrey would begin supporting rebellions against Henry in retaliation for this, so he was forced to go on campaign in Normandy. 

 

The king, now quite old by this point, became gravely ill after over-consuming a huge meal of lamprey eels. His doctors had advised against him eating such a dish, but Henry refused to listen as it was his favourite food. What exactly happens next is not certain, but Henry's health began to rapidly decline, and needed to be provided with laxative relief which only seems to have exacerbated the problems. It's highly possible that Henry had contracted a listeria infection, perhaps even from the lamprey eels themselves. 

 

Henry died in 1135, with listeriosis suspected as the most likely cause.   

  

Rule:

Henry is largely regarded as the final Norman monarch of England. His lack of male heirs created a period of chaos in England that would become known as 'the Anarchy'. 

 

As a ruler, Henry was believed to have been ruthless in nature. Some even argue that he may have been responsible for the death of his older brother, William, when he was shot and killed while out hunting. Henry clearly had had his eyes on the throne of England, as his rapid seizure of the royal treasury after William's death, as well as his proclamation that he should be the next king demonstrates that Henry was a schemer at the very least. At best, he was quick to take advantage of his brother's demise, and at worst, he was the one responsible. Though there is some circumstantial evidence, concrete evidence for his involvement remains lacking. 

 

Henry's skills as a king lay in the administrative aspects of ruling. His reign consisted of many reforms, and he took a keen interest in justice. He was a master manipulator, especially towards the barons, whom he was able to quickly win the favour of over his older brother, Robert. He does have appear to have hired official positions based on talent rather than birth ranking, as many more low born individuals were often granted positions of power based on their administrative skills. 

 

His court was rather grand, and he enjoyed displaying his wealth and power for all to see. Though his court was ostentatious, it was very strict, with rigid rules regarding the behaviour of all of those who attended, especially compared to his predecessor's court, which was much more lax. Though he may not have been a complete tyrant, it cannot be denied that he ruled with an iron fist, due to his courtiers' fear of him. But his ruthlessness would have been with good reason, since during his reign, Henry did indeed face multiple rebellions, and even successfully fought off the majority of them.

 

Overall, Henry's reign receives rather mixed views, with it ultimately ending in failure with the collapse of the Norman dynasty, due to his inability to ensure a peaceful transition of power.  

 

Trivia:

• N/A 

 

Quotes: 

 

"I establish a firm peace in all my kingdom, and I order that this peace shall henceforth be kept."

 

"My mother bore me to be a commander not a soldier."

 

 

Timeline of Reign:

| 1100: Middle English evolves - Middle English language begins evolving. 

| 1101: Robert's invasion - Robert, Duke of Normandy invades England to claim the throne. 

| 1101: Treaty of Alton - Henry and Robert recognise each other's rule of their respective realms. 

| 1102: Robert is banished - After a possible rebellion attempt, Robert is banished.

| 1103: Conquest of Normandy begins - Henry attempts to seize control of Normandy.

| 1106: Battle of Tinchebray - Ends in Henry's victory and the capture of Robert. 

| 1106: 'Guardian' of Normandy - Henry claims he is the 'guardian' of Normandy instead of the Duke.

| 1108: Colonisation of Wales - Pembroke and Flemings are taken from the Welsh. 

| 1109: First meeting of the Exchequer - Body established to monitor finances.

| 1114: Invasion of Wales - England invades Wales with the help of Scotland.

| 1115: Baron rebellions in Normandy begin - Robert's son, William Clito, declared the true Duke.

| 1119: Assassination attempt - Henry is nearly murdered by his own daughter, Juliane.

| 1119: Knights Templar founded - To protect Christian pilgrims in Jerusalem.  

| 1119: Battle of Brémule - French King and William Clito defeated by Henry and his forces. 

| 1120: White Ship Disaster - Prince William drowns in a ship accident.

| 1120: Maredudd ap Bleddyn Rebellion - White Ship Disaster sparks new Welsh rebellions.

| 1124: Battle of Bourgthéroulde - Henry victorious against rebels in Normandy.

| 1126: Matilda's return - Henry declares his legitimate daughter as heir to the throne.

| 1135: Matilda's Rebellion - Matilda rebels against her father due to lack of support for her claim. 

 

 

Sources & Further Reading:

Brain, J. (n.d.). King Henry I. Historic UK. https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/King-Henry-I/

Cartwright, M. (2019) Henry I of England. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/Henry_I_of_England/ 

Cartwright, M. (n.d.). Henry I of England Timeline. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/timeline/Henry_I_of_England/ 

Henry I | Biography, Achievements, & Facts. (n.d.). Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-I-king-of-England

Henry1.jpg - Wikimedia Commons. (2022). Wikimedia.org. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Henry1.jpg 

Henry I. (n.d.). Westminster Abbey. https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/royals/henry-i 

Medieval Histories. (2016). Henry I, King of England. Medieval Histories. https://www.medieval.eu/henry-king-england/