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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Paternal Family Tree: Medici
Maternal Family Tree: Isabelle Beauvau Countess Vendôme 1436-1475
1547 Death of King Francis I of France Accession of Henry II
1558 Marriage of Mary Queen of Scots and the Francis Dauphin of France
1559 Henry II of France Dies Francis and Mary "Queen of Scots" Succeeds
On 5th May 1518 [her father] Lorenzo de Medici Duke of Urbino [aged 25] and [her mother] Madeleine de la Tour d'Auvergne [aged 20] were married. She the daughter of [her grandfather] Jean IV Count Auvergne and [her grandmother] Jeanne Bourbon Duchess Bourbon.
On 13th April 1519 Catherine Medici Queen Consort France was born to [her father] Lorenzo de Medici Duke of Urbino [aged 26] and [her mother] Madeleine de la Tour d'Auvergne [aged 21].
On 28th April 1519 [her mother] Madeleine de la Tour d'Auvergne [aged 21] died.
On 4th May 1519 [her father] Lorenzo de Medici Duke of Urbino [aged 26] died.
Letters and Papers Foreign and Domestic Henry VIII 1533. 11th March 1533. R. O. St. P. VII. 427. 230. Instructions for Lord Rochford [aged 30], sent to the French Court.
Is to present Francis with the letters written by the King's own hand, and express the delight he feels in his friendship and offers of service made by De Langeais, especially with regard to his asking the King's advice concerning the marriage of the [her future husband] duke of Orleans [aged 13] with the Pope's niece [aged 13]1. Has declared it already by De Langeais at his return; which Rochford is to enlarge upon, touching on the low extraction of the lady, which the King thinks is a great obstacle. Is to tell Francis that, according to his advice given at their last interview, and from his anxiety to have male issue for the establishment of his kingdom, he has proceeded effectually to the accomplishment of his marriage, trusting to find that his deeds will correspond with his promises, and that he will assist and maintain the King in the event of any excommunication from the Pope. That, in full consideration of the friendship of Francis, the King has opened to him his mind entirely, and asked his advice from time to time; and, considering he is now following the French king's counsel, he hopes that he will, as a true friend and brother, devise whatever he can for the establishment of the said marriage, preventing any impediment to it, or of the succession, which please God will follow, and which, to all appearance, is in a state of advancement already, as the King himself would do for Francis in like case.
Note 1. The marriage between the Duke of Orleans, future King Henry II of France, and Catherine Medici Queen Consort France took place on the 28th October 1533.
On 28th October 1533 King Henry II of France [aged 14] and Catherine Medici Queen Consort France [aged 14] were married. She by marriage Queen Consort of France. He the son of King Francis I of France [aged 39] and Claude Valois Orléans Queen Consort France. They were sixth cousins.
On 19th January 1544 [her son] Francis II King France King Consort Scotland was born to [her husband] King Henry II of France [aged 24] and Catherine Medici Queen Consort France [aged 24]. He married 24th April 1558 his third cousin Mary Queen of Scots, daughter of King James V of Scotland and Mary of Guise Queen Consort Scotland.
On 2nd April 1545 [her daughter] Elizabeth Valois Queen Consort Spain was born to [her husband] King Henry II of France [aged 26] and Catherine Medici Queen Consort France [aged 25]. She married 20th July 1559 her fourth cousin Philip "The Prudent" II King Spain, son of Charles V Holy Roman Emperor and Isabel Aviz Queen Consort Spain, and had issue.
On 31st March 1547 [her father-in-law] King Francis I of France [aged 52] died. His son [her husband] Henry [aged 28] succeeded II King France: Capet Valois Angoulême.
On 12th November 1547 [her daughter] Claude Valois Duchess Lorraine was born to [her husband] King Henry II of France [aged 28] and Catherine Medici Queen Consort France [aged 28]. She married 1559 her fourth cousin Charles "The Great" Lorraine III Duke Lorraine, son of Francis Lorraine I Duke Lorraine and Christina Oldenburg Duchess Lorraine, and had issue.
On 3rd February 1549 [her son] Louis Valois Duke Orléans was born to [her husband] King Henry II of France [aged 29] and Catherine Medici Queen Consort France [aged 29]. He died aged one in 1550.
On 29th April 1550 [her sister-in-law] Margaret Valois Duchess Berry and Savoy [aged 26] was created Duchess Berry.
Diary of Edward VI. 17th June 1550. [Note. Mistake for 27th]. The French quene [aged 31] was deliverid of a third sone, called mons. d'Angoulesme.1
Note 1. "The 27th day of this present, between three and five in the morning, the queen was delivered of a man-child, whom they call Monsieur d'Engoulesme. Here is divers talks who shall be godfathers. They that know much say that the queen is desirous to have the King our master to be one of them, and that for that purpose a gentleman shall be shortly sent from here to England." Letter from sir John Mason [aged 47] to the council, dated at Poissy June 29, 1550 (new style), in Tytler, i 307.
On 27th June 1550 [her son] Charles IX King France was born to [her husband] King Henry II of France [aged 31] and Catherine Medici Queen Consort France [aged 31]. He married 26th November 1570 his fourth cousin Elisabeth of Austria Queen Consort France, daughter of Maximilian Habsburg Spain II Holy Roman Emperor and Maria of Spain Holy Roman Empress, and had issue.
Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall
The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.
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On 24th October 1550 [her son] Louis Valois Duke Orléans [aged 1] died.
On 19th September 1551 [her son] Henry III King France was born to [her husband] King Henry II of France [aged 32] and Catherine Medici Queen Consort France [aged 32]. He married 14th February 1575 his fourth cousin Louise Lorraine Queen Consort France.
On 14th May 1553 [her daughter] Margaret Valois Queen Consort France was born to [her husband] King Henry II of France [aged 34] and Catherine Medici Queen Consort France [aged 34]. She married 18th August 1572 her second cousin Henry IV King France, son of Antoine King Navarre and Jeanne Albret III Queen Navarre.
On 18th March 1555 [her son] Francis Valois Duke Anjou was born to [her husband] King Henry II of France [aged 35] and Catherine Medici Queen Consort France [aged 35].
On 24th June 1556 [her daughter] Joan Valois was born to [her husband] King Henry II of France [aged 37] and Catherine Medici Queen Consort France [aged 37]. She died aged less than one years old.
On 24th June 1556 [her daughter] Victoria Valois was born to [her husband] King Henry II of France [aged 37] and Catherine Medici Queen Consort France [aged 37]. She died aged less than one years old.
On 24th June 1556 [her daughter] Joan Valois died.
On 17th August 1556 [her daughter] Victoria Valois died.
On 24th April 1558 Dauphin of France [aged 14] and Mary Queen of Scots [aged 15] were married at Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral [Map]. He by marriage King Consort Scotland. She the daughter of King James V of Scotland and Mary of Guise Queen Consort Scotland [aged 42]. He the son of King Henry II of France [aged 39] and Catherine Medici Queen Consort France [aged 39]. They were third cousins. She a great granddaughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland.
In 1559 Emmanuel Philibert Duke of Savoy [aged 30] and [her sister-in-law] Margaret Valois Duchess Berry and Savoy [aged 35] were married. She by marriage Duchess Savoy. He by marriage Duke Berry. She the daughter of [her father-in-law] King Francis I of France and Claude Valois Orléans Queen Consort France. He the son of Charles 3rd Duke Savoy and Beatrice Aviz Duchess Savoy. They were half first cousin once removed. He a great x 5 grandson of King Edward III of England.
In 1559 [her son-in-law] Charles "The Great" Lorraine III Duke Lorraine [aged 15] and Claude Valois Duchess Lorraine [aged 11] were married. She by marriage Duchess Lorraine. She the daughter of King Henry II of France [aged 39] and Catherine Medici Queen Consort France [aged 39]. He the son of Francis Lorraine I Duke Lorraine and Christina Oldenburg Duchess Lorraine [aged 37]. They were fourth cousins.
On 10th July 1559 [her husband] King Henry II of France [aged 40] was killed whilst jousting in celebration of his [her daughter] daughter's [aged 14] marriage to [her future son-in-law] Philip "The Prudent" II King Spain [aged 32]. His son Francis [aged 15] succeeded II King France: Capet Valois Angoulême. Mary Queen of Scots [aged 16] by marriage Queen Consort France. They would reign for eighteen months only with Francis dying in Dec 1560. Francis and Mary would have no issue.
On 20th July 1559 [her son-in-law] Philip "The Prudent" II King Spain [aged 32] and Elizabeth Valois Queen Consort Spain [aged 14] were married. She by marriage Queen Consort Spain. She the daughter of King Henry II of France [deceased] and Catherine Medici Queen Consort France [aged 40]. He the son of Charles V Holy Roman Emperor and Isabel Aviz Queen Consort Spain. They were fourth cousins. He a great x 5 grandson of King Edward III of England.
On 5th December 1560 [her son] Francis II King France King Consort Scotland [aged 16] died, possibly from an ear abscess, in the Hotel Groslot, Orléans. On 23rd December 1560 he was buried at the Basilica of St Denis [Map]. His brother Charles [aged 10] succeeded IX King France: Capet Valois Angoulême; his mother Catherine Medici Queen Consort France [aged 41] acted as Regent. His wife Mary Queen of Scots [aged 17] returned to Scotland arriving at Leith 19th August 1561 after having been in France for thirteen years.
On 3rd October 1568 [her daughter] Elizabeth Valois Queen Consort Spain [aged 23] died.
On 26th November 1570 Charles IX King France [aged 20] and Elisabeth of Austria Queen Consort France [aged 16] were married. She by marriage Queen Consort of France. She the daughter of Maximilian Habsburg Spain II Holy Roman Emperor [aged 43] and Maria of Spain Holy Roman Empress [aged 42]. He the son of King Henry II of France and Catherine Medici Queen Consort France [aged 51]. They were fourth cousins.
On 18th August 1572 [her son-in-law] Henry IV King France [aged 18] and Margaret Valois Queen Consort France [aged 19] were married. She by marriage Queen Consort of France. She the daughter of King Henry II of France and Catherine Medici Queen Consort France [aged 53]. He the son of Antoine King Navarre and Jeanne Albret III Queen Navarre. They were second cousins.
On 30th May 1574 [her son] Charles IX King France [aged 23] died. His brother Henry [aged 22] succeeded III King France: Capet Valois Angoulême.
On 14th February 1575 Henry III King France [aged 23] and Louise Lorraine Queen Consort France [aged 21] were married at Reims Cathedral; the day after his coronation. She by marriage Queen Consort France. He the son of King Henry II of France and Catherine Medici Queen Consort France [aged 55]. They were fourth cousins.
Around 21st February 1575 [her granddaughter] Claude of Lorraine was born to [her son-in-law] Charles "The Great" Lorraine III Duke Lorraine [aged 32] and [her daughter] Claude Valois Duchess Lorraine [aged 27]. She died a year later. Her mother died in childbirth. She had given birth to nine children during the course of her sixteen year marriage; she was married aged twelve.
Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes
Récits d’un bourgeois de Valenciennes aka The Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes is a vivid 14th-century vernacular chronicle written by an anonymous urban chronicler from Valenciennes in the County of Hainaut. It survives in a manuscript that describes local and regional history from about 1253 to 1366, blending chronology, narrative episodes, and eyewitness-style accounts of political, military, and social events in medieval France, Flanders, and the Low Countries. The work begins with a chronological framework of events affecting Valenciennes and its region under rulers such as King Philip VI of France and the shifting allegiances of local nobility. It includes accounts of conflicts, sieges, diplomatic manoeuvres, and the impact of broader struggles like the Hundred Years’ War on urban life in Hainaut. Written from the perspective of a burgher (bourgeois) rather than a monastery or royal court, the chronicle offers a rare lay viewpoint on high politics and warfare, reflecting how merchants, townspeople, and civic institutions experienced the turbulence of the 13th and 14th centuries. Its narrative style combines straightforward reporting of events with moral and civic observations, making it a valuable source for readers interested in medieval urban society, regional politics, and the lived experience of war and governance in pre-modern Europe.
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On 10th June 1584 [her son] Francis Valois Duke Anjou [aged 29] died of malaria unmarried.
On 5th January 1589 Catherine Medici Queen Consort France [aged 69] died.
Kings Wessex: Great x 15 Grand Daughter of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings England: Great x 8 Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 14 Grand Daughter of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 20 Grand Daughter of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 15 Grand Daughter of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 18 Grand Daughter of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: Giovanni di Bicci de Medici
Great x 3 Grandfather: Cosimo de Medici "The Elder"
Great x 2 Grandfather: Piero di Cosimo de Medici
Great x 1 Grandfather: Lorenzo de Medici
Great x 3 Grandfather: Francesco di Simone Tornabuoni
Great x 2 Grandmother: Lucrezia Tornabuoni
GrandFather: Piero "The Unfortunate" de Medici
Great x 4 Grandfather: Francesco Orsini
Great x 3 Grandfather: Orso Orsini
Great x 2 Grandfather: Giacomo Orsini
Great x 1 Grandmother: Clarice Orsini
Father: Lorenzo de Medici Duke of Urbino
Catherine Medici Queen Consort France 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Guy Seigneur de la Tour
Great x 3 Grandfather: Bertrand IV Count Auvergne
Great x 4 Grandmother: Marthe Rogier de Beaufort
Great x 2 Grandfather: Bertrand Auvergne V Count Auvergne
Great x 4 Grandfather: Godfroy of Auvergne Seigneur de Montgascon and Roche-Savine
Great x 3 Grandmother: Marie I Countess Auvergne
Great x 4 Grandmother: Jeanne de Ventadour
Great x 1 Grandfather: Bertrand Auvergne VI Count Auvergne
GrandFather: Jean IV Count Auvergne
Great x 2 Grandfather: Georges de La Trémoille
Great x 1 Grandmother: Louise de La Trémoïlle
Great x 2 Grandmother: Catherine de L'Isle-Bouchard
Mother: Madeleine de la Tour d'Auvergne 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Jacques Bourbon I Count La Marche and Ponthieu 
4 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Jean Bourbon I Count La Marche 5 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Jeanne Chatillon Countess La Marche 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King William "Conqueror" I of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Louis Bourbon 1st Count Vendôme 1st Count Castres 6 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Catherine Vendome
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Bourbon VIII Count Vendôme 5 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: RAOUL MONTFORT
Great x 3 Grandfather: Guy Montfort Baron Laval
Great x 2 Grandmother: Jeanne Laval Countess Vendôme and Castres 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Guy 12th de Laval Baron 2 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Anne 13th de Laval Baroness Laval 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
GrandMother: Jeanne Bourbon Duchess Bourbon 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Isabelle Beauvau Countess Vendôme