The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy
The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.
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Maternal Family Tree: Countess Palatine Caroline of Zweibrücken 1721-1774
On 15th July 1774 [her father] Prince Charles Louis of Baden (age 19) and [her mother] Princess Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt (age 20) were married. They were half first cousins.
On 12th March 1781 Queen Fredrika Dorotea Vilhelmina was born to [her father] Prince Charles Louis of Baden (age 26) and [her mother] Princess Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt (age 26). Coefficient of inbreeding 3.12%.
On 29th March 1792 Gustav III King Sweden (age 46) was assassinated. [her future husband] King Gustav IV of Sweden (age 13) succeeded King Sweden.
The assassination of the king was enacted on the 16th of March 1792 at a masked ball at the Royal Opera House in Stockholm at midnight. Gustav had arrived earlier that evening to enjoy a dinner in the company of friends. During dinner, he received an anonymous letter that described a threat to his life written by the colonel of the Life Guards Carl Pontus Lilliehorn. After dinner the King continued through a corridor leading from the foyer towards the opera stage where the dancing took place. Anckarström took out the pistol from his left inner pocket, then either he or Ribbing pulled the trigger with the gun in Anckarström's hand. The king was carried back to his quarters, and the exits of the Opera were sealed. Anckarström was arrested the following morning and immediately confessed to the murder. The king had not been shot dead; he was alive and continued to function as head of state. However, the wound became infected, and on 29 March 1792. Gustav's funeral took place on 14 May 1792 at Riddarholmskyrkan.
In 1797 King Gustav IV of Sweden (age 18) and Queen Fredrika Dorotea Vilhelmina (age 15) were married. She by marriage Queen Sweden. He the son of Gustav III King Sweden (age 50) and Queen Sophia of Sweden (age 50). They were fifth cousin once removed. He a great grandson of King George II of Great Britain and Ireland.
On 16th December 1801 [her father] Prince Charles Louis of Baden (age 46) died.
On 19th June 1804 [her brother-in-law] Louis Hesse Darmstadt II Grand Duke (age 26) and [her sister] Princess Wilhelmine Baden (age 15) were married. She by marriage Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine. They were first cousins.
In 1811 King Gustav IV of Sweden (age 32) and Queen Fredrika Dorotea Vilhelmina (age 29) were divorced.
On 25th June 1819 Leopold Grand Duke of Baden (age 28) and [her step-daughter] Princess Sophie of Sweden (age 18) were married. She the daughter of [her former husband] King Gustav IV of Sweden (age 40).
1826. Joseph Karl Stieler (age 44). Portrait of Queen Fredrika Dorotea Vilhelmina (age 44).
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.
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On 25th September 1826 Queen Fredrika Dorotea Vilhelmina (age 45) died.
On 7th February 1837 [her former husband] King Gustav IV of Sweden (age 58) died.
Kings Wessex: Great x 23 Grand Daughter of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 22 Grand Daughter of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 28 Grand Daughter of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 23 Grand Daughter of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 22 Grand Daughter of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 14 Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 22 Grand Daughter of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 29 Grand Daughter of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 16 Grand Daughter of Philip V King France I King Navarre
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 27 Grand Daughter of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
GrandFather: Grand Duke Charles Frederick of Baden
Father: Prince Charles Louis of Baden 13 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Landgrave George II of Hesse-Darmstadt 12 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Louis VI Landgrave of Hesse Darmstadt 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Sophie Eleonore of Saxony 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Landgrave Ernest Louis of Hesse-Darmstadt 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Landgrave Louis VIII of Hesse-Darmstadt 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
GrandMother: Caroline Louise of Hesse-Darmstadt 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Queen Fredrika Dorotea Vilhelmina 14 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Landgrave George II of Hesse-Darmstadt 12 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Louis VI Landgrave of Hesse Darmstadt 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Sophie Eleonore of Saxony 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Landgrave Ernest Louis of Hesse-Darmstadt 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Landgrave Louis VIII of Hesse-Darmstadt 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
GrandFather: Landgrave Louis IX of Hesse-Darmstadt 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Mother: Princess Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt 13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Count Palatine Christian III of Zweibrücken
GrandMother: Countess Palatine Caroline of Zweibrücken