Biography of Henry I King of the Franks 1008-1060

Paternal Family Tree: Capet

Maternal Family Tree: Gerberge Unknown Viscountess Anjou

In 988 [his father] Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks [aged 15] and Rozala of Italy [aged 38] were married. They separated around the time of coronation. The difference in their ages was 22 years; she, unusually, being older than him. He the son of [his grandfather] Hugh I King of the Franks [aged 47] and [his grandmother] Adelaide Poitiers Queen Consort France [aged 43].

In 999 [his father] Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks [aged 26] and [his step-mother] Bertha Welf Queen Consort France [aged 35] were married. She by marriage Queen Consort of France. They separated sometime before 1003 as a consequence of their consanguinity. She the daughter of Conrad I King Burgundy and Mathilde Carolingian Queen Consort Burgundy. He the son of [his grandfather] Hugh I King of the Franks and [his grandmother] Adelaide Poitiers Queen Consort France [aged 54]. They were second cousins.

In 1003 [his father] Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks [aged 30] and [his mother] Constance Arles Queen Consort France [aged 17] were married. She by marriage Queen Consort of France. She the daughter of [his grandfather] William "Liberator" Arles 1st Count Provence 1st Count Arles and [his grandmother] Adelaide Blanche Ingelger Queen Consort West Francia [aged 63]. He the son of Hugh I King of the Franks and Adelaide Poitiers Queen Consort France [aged 58].

On 4th May 1008 Henry I King of the Franks was born to Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks [aged 36] and Constance Arles Queen Consort France [aged 22] at Reims.

In January 1027 [his brother-in-law] Richard Normandy III Duke Normandy [aged 25] and [his sister] Adela Capet Duchess Normandy [aged 18] were married. She by marriage Duchess Normandy. She the daughter of [his father] Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks [aged 54] and [his mother] Constance Arles Queen Consort France [aged 41]. He the son of Richard "Good" Normandy II Duke Normandy and Judith Penthièvre Duchess Normandy. They were second cousin once removed.

On 14th May 1027 Henry I King of the Franks [aged 19] was crowned I King France: Capet at Reims Cathedral whilst his father was still living.

In 1028 [his brother-in-law] Baldwin "The Good" V Count Flanders [aged 15] and [his sister] Adela Capet Duchess Normandy [aged 19] were married. She the daughter of [his father] Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks [aged 55] and [his mother] Constance Arles Queen Consort France [aged 42]. He the son of Baldwin "Bearded" IV Count Flanders [aged 48] and Ogive Luxemburg Countess Flanders. They were half third cousin twice removed.

On 20th July 1031 [his father] Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks [aged 59] died at Melun, Seine et Marne. His son Henry [aged 23] succeeded I King France: Capet.

In 1032 [his brother] Robert I Duke Burgundy [aged 21] was created I Duke Burgundy.

Around 1033 [his brother] Robert I Duke Burgundy [aged 22] and [his sister-in-law] Helie Samur Duchess Burgundy were married. She by marriage Duchess Burgundy. He the son of [his father] Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks and [his mother] Constance Arles Queen Consort France [aged 47].

In 1034 [his wife] Matilda Brunonids Queen Consort France by marriage Queen Consort of France.

Abbot John Whethamstede’s Chronicle of the Abbey of St Albans

Abbot John Whethamstede's Register aka Chronicle of his second term at the Abbey of St Albans, 1451-1461, is a remarkable text that describes his first-hand experience of the beginning of the Wars of the Roses including the First and Second Battles of St Albans, 1455 and 1461, respectively, their cause, and their consequences, not least on the Abbey itself. His text also includes Loveday, Blore Heath, Northampton, the Act of Accord, Wakefield, and Towton, and ends with the Coronation of King Edward IV. In addition to the events of the Wars of the Roses, Abbot John, or his scribes who wrote the Chronicle, include details in the life of the Abbey such as charters, letters, land exchanges, visits by legates, and disputes, which provide a rich insight into the day-to-day life of the Abbey, and the challenges faced by its Abbot.

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In 1034 Henry I King of the Franks [aged 25] and Matilda Brunonids Queen Consort France were married. She by marriage Queen Consort of France. She the daughter of Liudolf Brunonids Margrave Frisia [aged 31]. He the son of Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks and Constance Arles Queen Consort France [aged 48].

In 1034 [his mother] Constance Arles Queen Consort France [aged 48] died.

Battle of Seignelay

On 29th May 1040 Renauld I Count of Nevers [aged 35] was killed at the Battle of Seignelay against [his brother] Robert I Duke Burgundy [aged 29]. His son William [aged 10] succeeded Count Nevers.

In 1044 [his wife] Matilda Brunonids Queen Consort France died.

In 1046 [his brother] Robert I Duke Burgundy [aged 35] and [his sister-in-law] Ermengarde Blanche Ingelger Duchess Burgundy [aged 28] were married. She by marriage Duchess Burgundy. She the daughter of Fulk "Black" Ingelger III Count Anjou and Hildegarde Sundgau Countess Anjou. He the son of [his father] Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks and [his mother] Constance Arles Queen Consort France. They were second cousins.

Battle of Val-ès-Dunes

In 1047 King William "Conqueror" I of England [aged 19], supported by Henry I King of the Franks [aged 38], defeated a rebel army led by William's cousin Guy Ivrea [aged 22] who opposed William's succession as Duke of Normandy at the Battle of Val-ès-Dunes in Caen, Calvados, Basse Normandie.

Hamon Dentatus was killed.

On 19th May 1051 Henry I King of the Franks [aged 43] and Anne of Kiev Queen Consort Francia [aged 21] were married at Reims Cathedral, Reims. She by marriage Queen Consort of France. The difference in their ages was 21 years. He the son of Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks and Constance Arles Queen Consort France.

On 23rd May 1052 [his son] Philip I King of the Franks was born to Henry I King of the Franks [aged 44] and [his wife] Anne of Kiev Queen Consort Francia [aged 22]. He married (1) 1072 his half fourth cousin twice removed Bertha Gerulfing Queen Consort France, daughter of Floris Gerulfing I Count Holland and Gertrude Billung Countess Holland, and had issue (2) 15th May 1092 his fourth cousin once removed Bertrade Montfort Queen Consort France and had issue.

In 1054 [his daughter] Emma Capet was born to Henry I King of the Franks [aged 45] and [his wife] Anne of Kiev Queen Consort Francia [aged 24].

In 1055 [his son] Robert Capet was born to Henry I King of the Franks [aged 46] and [his wife] Anne of Kiev Queen Consort Francia [aged 25]. He died aged five in 1060.

Battle of Varaville

In 1057 at Varaville King William "Conqueror" I of England [aged 29] defeated the army of Henry I King of the Franks [aged 48] and Geoffrey "Martel" II Count Anjou during the Battle of Varaville. Henry and Geoffrey's army were fording the Dives River when the tide came in; only half of the army had crossed. William seized the opportunity and attacked.

In 1057 [his son] Hugh "Great" Capet was born to Henry I King of the Franks [aged 48] and [his wife] Anne of Kiev Queen Consort Francia [aged 27]. He married his third cousin twice removed Adelaide I Countess Vermandois, daughter of Herbert Vermandois IV Count Vermandois and Adela Valois Countess Blois and Vermandois, and had issue.

In 1060 [his son] Robert Capet [aged 5] died.

Annals of the six Kings of England by Nicholas Trivet

Translation of the Annals of the Six Kings of England by that traces the rise and rule of the Angevin aka Plantagenet dynasty from the mid-12th to early 14th century. Written by the Dominican scholar Nicholas Trivet, the work offers a vivid account of English history from the reign of King Stephen through to the death of King Edward I, blending political narrative with moral reflection. Covering the reigns of six monarchs—from Stephen to Edward I—the chronicle explores royal authority, rebellion, war, and the shifting balance between crown, church, and nobility. Trivet provides detailed insight into defining moments such as baronial conflicts, Anglo-French rivalry, and the consolidation of royal power under Edward I, whose reign he describes with particular immediacy. The Annals combines careful year-by-year reporting with thoughtful interpretation, presenting history not merely as a sequence of events but as a moral and political lesson. Ideal for readers interested in medieval history, kingship, and the origins of the English state, this chronicle remains a valuable and accessible window into the turbulent world of the Plantagenet kings.

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Chronicon ex Chronicis by Florence and John of Worcester. 1060. Henry [aged 51], king of the Franks, died, and was succeeded by his eldest son Philip [aged 7]. Duduc, bishop of Wells, died, and was succeeded by Giso, the king's chaplain; they were both natives of Lorraine. Kinsi, archbishop of York, died at York on the eleventh of the calends of January [22nd December]. His body was carried to the abbey of Peterborough Cathedral [Map], and buried there with great pomp. Aldred, bishop of Worcester, was elected his successor as archbishop of York at Christmas; and the see of Hereford, which had been entrusted to his administration on account of his great diligence, was given to Walter, a Lorrainer, and chaplain to queen Edgitha [aged 34].

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1060. This year was a great earthquake on the Translation of St. Martin, and King Henry [aged 52] died in France. Kinsey, Archbishop of York, died on the eleventh before the calends of January; and he lies at Peterboorugh [Map]. Bishop Aldred succeeded to the see, and Walter to that of Herefordshire. Dudoc also died, who was Bishop of Somersetshire; and Gisa the priest was appointed in his stead.

On 4th August 1060 Henry I King of the Franks [aged 52] died. His son Philip [aged 8] succeeded I King France: Capet.

History of the Dukes of Normandy by William of Jumieges. Seeing the destruction of his men, the king withdrew from Normandy as quickly as he could, and did not attempt to return again. He sought the friendship of the duke, having considered his valour, and restored to him the castle of Tillières, which he had formerly taken. The said king was very warlike, and of great courage and piety. He had in marriage Matilda¹, daughter of Yaroslav, king of the Rugians, by whom he had two sons, Philip and Hugh, and one daughter. After he had ruled the kingdom of the Franks for nearly twenty-five years, he, for the sake of bodily health, received a potion from John, most skilled of physicians. But, as the medicine brought on too great a thirst, he disregarded the strict instructions of the physician, and receiving a drink from a chamberlain while the doctor was absent, he drank before the purgation. Thereby becoming very ill, he died on the same day², after receiving the Holy Eucharist. He appointed his son Philip as heir to the rule of the Franks, and commended him to the guardianship of Baldwin, Count of Flanders.

Videns autem rex suorum interitum, quantocius valuit a Northmannis recessit et ad eos ultra venire non apposuit. Amicitiam qnoque ducis, considerata ejus probitate, requisivit, et Tegulense castrum, quod dudum abstulerat, illi tradidit. Sæpedictus rex valde fuit militaris, magnæque fortitudinis et pietatis. Mathildem Juliusclodii regis Rugorum filiam in matrimonio habuit, ex qua duos filios, Philippum et Hugonem, unamque filiam genuit. Qui postquam regnum Galliæ fere 25 annis rexit, causa corporeæ salutis a Joanne medicorum peritissimo potionem accepit. Sed veneno nimiam sitim inferente jussum Archiatri sprevit et a cubiculario potum accipiens, dum medicus abesset, ante purgationem bibit. Unde nimis infirmatus, eodem die post perceptionem sacræ Eucharistiæ obiit. Philippum vero filium suum in regimine Francorum hæredem constituit et tutelæ Balduini Flandrensis strapæ commendavit.

Note 1. King Henry I of Francia had two wives 1 before 1040, Matilda of Frisia, who died in 1044, daughter of Liudolf, Margrave of Frisia, and 2 in 1051, Anne of Kiev [aged 30], daughter of Yaroslav, Prince of Kiev and Novgorod. Anne of Kiev was the mother of Philip and Hugh, and a daughter Emma. Following King Henry's death in 1060 Anne married, controversially, Ralph IV of Valois [aged 35]. Chronicle de l'abbaye de Saint-Pierre-le-Vif, Page 433: "In the year of the Lord 1060, Henry, king of Francia, died. He granted privileges to the monastery of Saint-Pierre-le-Vif, and he was buried at Saint-Denis. Count Ralph, cousin of the deceased king, took the queen as his wife; for this reason he was excommunicated by Gregory VII. Baldwin, count of Flanders, took the young King Philip under his protection and governed Francia." King Henry and Ralph were second cousins once removed, with their common ancestor being Fulk, 2nd Count of Anjou, whose daughter Adelaide was grandmother of King Henry, and whose daughter Adela was great grandmother of Ralph.

Note 2. King Henry I of Francia [aged 52] died on 4th August 1060. He was interred in the Basilica of St Denis, north of Paris. William of Malmesbury, Book 2, Chapter 13: "The same year Henry, king of France, a good and active warrior, died by poison."

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Around 1061 Ralph IV Count of Valois [aged 36] and Anne of Kiev Queen Consort Francia [aged 31] were married. The marriage may have been bigamous, since he may have been still married to his second wife. He the son of Ralph III Count of Valois.

In 1075 [his former wife] Anne of Kiev Queen Consort Francia [aged 45] died.