Biography of Henry V Holy Roman Emperor 1081-1125

1127 Oath of Allegiance to Empress Matilda

In June 1066 [his father] Henry Holy Roman Emperor (age 15) and [his mother] Bertha Savoy (age 14) were married. He the son of [his grandfather] Henry "Black Pious" Salian III Holy Roman Emperor and [his grandmother] Agnes Poitiers.

On 11th August 1081 (possibly 1086) Henry V Holy Roman Emperor was born to Henry Holy Roman Emperor (age 30) and Bertha Savoy (age 29).

On 27th December 1087 [his mother] Bertha Savoy (age 36) died.

On 7th August 1106 [his father] Henry Holy Roman Emperor (age 55) died. He was buried in St Paul's Cathedral [Map]. As a consequence of Henry Holy Roman Emperor having been excommunicated he was moved six days later to an unconsecrated chapel near Liège.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1109. In this year was the [his future father-in-law] King Henry (age 41) at Christmas and at Easter in Normandy; and before Pentecost he came to this land, and held his court at Westminster. There were the conditions fully settled, and the oaths sworn, for giving his [his future wife] daughter (age 6)¹³⁷ to the emperor (age 27).¹³⁸

Note 137. Matilda, Mathilde, or Maud.

Note 138. Henry V. of Germany, the son of Henry IV.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1110. This year before Lent the [his future father-in-law] king (age 42) sent his [his future wife] daughter (age 7) with manifold treasures over sea, and gave her to the emperor (age 28).

On 13th April 1111 Henry V Holy Roman Emperor (age 29) was crowned Holy Roman Emperor.

On 7th January 1114 Henry V Holy Roman Emperor (age 32) and Empress Matilda (age 11) were married. She by marriage Holy Roman Empress. The difference in their ages was 20 years. She the daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England (age 46) and Edith aka Matilda Dunkeld Queen Consort England (age 34). They were fourth cousin once removed.

In 1119 [his brother-in-law] William Adelin Normandy Duke Normandy (age 15) and Matilda of Anjou (age 8) were married. She the daughter of Fulk "Young" King Jerusalem (age 30) and Ermengarde La Flèche De Baugency Countess Anjou. He the son of [his father-in-law] King Henry I "Beauclerc" England (age 51) and [his mother-in-law] Edith aka Matilda Dunkeld Queen Consort England. They were fourth cousin once removed.

In June 1119 [his illegitimate brother-in-law] Robert Normandy 1st Earl Gloucester (age 20) and Mabel Fitzhamon Countess Gloucester were married at Lisieux, Calvados, Basse Normandie. She by marriage Countess Gloucester. He the illegitmate son of [his father-in-law] King Henry I "Beauclerc" England (age 51) and Daughter Gay.

Around August 1120 [his brother-in-law] William Adelin Normandy Duke Normandy (age 16) was appointed Duke Normandy.

Sinking of The White Ship

On 25th November 1120 the White Ship left Barfleur in north-west Normandy, with a party of young Normans. [his father-in-law] King Henry I "Beauclerc" England (age 52) had left earlier on another ship. A mile out the White Ship foundered on a submerged rock. [his brother-in-law] William Adelin Normandy Duke Normandy (age 17), his half-siblings [his illegitimate brother-in-law] Richard Fitzroy (age 19) and [his illegitimate sister-in-law] Matilda Fitzroy Countess Perche, William Bigod (age 27), Lucia Mahaut Blois Countess Chester, brothers Geoffrey Aigle and Engenulf Aigle, half-brothers Richard Avranches 2nd Earl Chester (age 26) and Ottiwel Avranches, brothers Ivo Grandesmil and William Grandesmil and Geoffrey Ridel were all drowned.

All About History Books

The Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke. Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson. Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback.

In 1121 [his illegitimate brother-in-law] Robert Normandy 1st Earl Gloucester (age 22) was created 1st Earl Gloucester.

On 21st July 1122 [his illegitimate sister-in-law] Sybilla Fitzroy Queen Consort Scotland (age 30) died.

. 23rd May 1125. The emperor Henry (age 43) died, and was buried at Spires, where his [his grandfather] grandfather was also interred. Lothaire, the ninety-eighth emperor of the Romans, reigned thirteen years.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1126. All this year was the [his former father-in-law] King Henry (age 58) in Normandy-all till after harvest. Then came he to this land, betwixt the Nativity of St. Mary and Michaelmas. With him came the [his former mother-in-law] queen, and his [his former wife] daughter (age 23), whom he had formerly given to the Emperor Henry of Lorrain to wife. And he brought with him the Earl Waleram (age 22), and Hugh, the son of Gervase (age 28). And the earl he sent to Bridgenorth [Map] in captivity: and thence he sent him afterwards to Wallingford, Oxfordshire [Map]; and Hugh to Windsor Castle [Map], whom he ordered to be kept in strong bonds.

1127 Oath of Allegiance to Empress Matilda

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1127. This year held the [his former father-in-law] King Henry (age 59) his court at Christmas in Windsor. There was David the king of the Scots (age 43), and all the head men that were in England, learned and lewd. And there he engaged the archbishops, and bishops, and abbots, and earls, and all the thanes that were there, to swear England and Normandy [Map] after his day into the hands of his daughter [his former wife] Athelicia (age 24), who was formerly the wife of the Emperor of Saxony. Afterwards he sent her to Normandy; and with her went her brother [his illegitimate brother-in-law] Robert, Earl of Glocester (age 28), and Brian, son of the Earl Alan Fergan (age 27);¹⁵⁴ and he let her wed the son (age 13) of the Earl of Anjou (age 38), whose name was Geoffry Martel. All the French and English, however, disapproved of this; but the king did it for to have the alliance of the Earl of Anjou, and for to have help against his nephew William (age 24).

Note 154. See an account of him in "Ord. Vit." 544. Conan, another son of this Alan, Earl of Brittany, married a daughter of Henry I.

On 17th June 1128 Geoffrey Plantagenet Duke Normandy (age 14) and [his former wife] Empress Matilda (age 26) were married. She the daughter of [his former father-in-law] King Henry I "Beauclerc" England (age 60) and [his former mother-in-law] Edith aka Matilda Dunkeld Queen Consort England. He the son of Fulk "Young" King Jerusalem (age 39) and Ermengarde La Flèche De Baugency Countess Anjou. They were fourth cousin once removed.

On 10th September 1167 [his former wife] Empress Matilda (age 65) died. She was buried under the high alter at Bec Abbey [Map] during a service performed by Rotrou Newburgh Archbishop of Rouen. Her tomb's epitaph reads 'Great by birth, greater by marriage, greatest in her offspring: here lies Matilda, the daughter, wife, and mother of Henry'.