Biography of Matilda Flanders Queen Consort England 1031-1083

Paternal Family Tree: Flanders

Maternal Family Tree: Gerberge Unknown Viscountess Anjou

1035 Death of Duke Robert II of Normandy

1047 Battle of Val-ès-Dunes

1054 Battle of Lille

14th October 1066 Battle of Hastings

1066 Coronation of William the Conqueror

1068 Coronation of Queen Matilda

1069 Murder of Robert de Comines Earl Northumbria

1071 Battle of Cassel

1072 Accord of Winchester

1080 Christening of Edith Matilda of Scotland

1087 Death of King William "The Conqueror"

In January 1027 Richard Normandy III Duke Normandy [aged 25] and [her mother] Adela Capet Duchess Normandy [aged 18] were married. She by marriage Duchess Normandy. She the daughter of [her grandfather] Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks [aged 54] and [her grandmother] 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.

In 1028 [her father] Baldwin "The Good" V Count Flanders [aged 15] and [her mother] Adela Capet Duchess Normandy [aged 19] were married. She the daughter of [her grandfather] Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks [aged 55] and [her grandmother] 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.

Around 1031 Matilda Flanders Queen Consort England was born to Baldwin "The Good" V Count Flanders [aged 18] and Adela Capet Duchess Normandy [aged 22].

Death of Duke Robert II of Normandy

On 2nd July 1035 Robert "Magnificent" Normandy I Duke Normandy [aged 35] died at Nicaea. His son [her future husband] William [aged 7] succeeded II Duke Normandy.

Battle of Val-ès-Dunes

In 1047 [her future husband] King William "Conqueror" I of England [aged 19], supported by [her uncle] 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.

Before 1051 King William "Conqueror" I of England [aged 22] and Matilda Flanders Queen Consort England [aged 19] were married. She the daughter of Baldwin "The Good" V Count Flanders [aged 38] and Adela Capet Duchess Normandy [aged 41]. He the illegitmate son of Robert "Magnificent" Normandy I Duke Normandy and Herleva of Falaise. They were third cousin once removed.

Around 1051 [her son] Robert Curthose III Duke Normandy was born to [her husband] King William "Conqueror" I of England [aged 23] and Matilda Flanders Queen Consort England [aged 20]. He married before 25th October 1102 Sybilla Conversano Duchess Normandy and had issue.

After 25th October 1053 Lambert Flanders II Count Lens [aged 38] and [her sister-in-law] Adelaide Normandy Countess Troyes and Meaux Champagne Aumale Ponthieu [aged 23] were married. She the daughter of Robert "Magnificent" Normandy I Duke Normandy. He the son of Eustace Flanders I Count Boulogne and Matilda Reginar Countess Boulogne. They were fifth cousins.

Around 1054 [her son] Richard Normandy was born to [her husband] King William "Conqueror" I of England [aged 26] and Matilda Flanders Queen Consort England [aged 23].

Battle of Lille

In 1054 Lambert Flanders II Count Lens [aged 38] died at Lille during the Battle of Lille when fighting for [her father] Baldwin "The Good" V Count Flanders [aged 41].

Before 1055 [her brother] Baldwin VI Count Flanders I Count Hainaut [aged 24] and [her sister-in-law] Richilde Countess Flanders and Hainault were married. She by marriage Countess Flanders, Countess Hainault. He the son of [her father] Baldwin "The Good" V Count Flanders [aged 42] and [her mother] Adela Capet Duchess Normandy [aged 45].

Around 1056 [her son] King William II of England was born to [her husband] King William "Conqueror" I of England [aged 28] and Matilda Flanders Queen Consort England [aged 25].

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Around 1056 [her daughter] Cecilia Normandy Abbess Caen was born to [her husband] King William "Conqueror" I of England [aged 28] and Matilda Flanders Queen Consort England [aged 25].

In 1057 [her daughter] Constance Normandy Duchess Brittany was born to [her husband] King William "Conqueror" I of England [aged 29] and Matilda Flanders Queen Consort England [aged 26]. She married 1087 her third cousin Alan Canhiart IV Duke Brittany.

Around 1061 [her daughter] Matilda Normandy was born to [her husband] King William "Conqueror" I of England [aged 33] and Matilda Flanders Queen Consort England [aged 30].

Before 1065 [her brother] Robert "The Frisian" I Count Flanders [aged 31] and [her sister-in-law] Gertrude Billung Countess Holland [aged 34] were married. She the daughter of Bernard II Duke of Saxony and Eilika Schweinfurt Duchess Saxony. He the son of [her father] Baldwin "The Good" V Count Flanders [aged 52] and [her mother] Adela Capet Duchess Normandy [aged 55]. They were second cousin twice removed.

Before 1066 [her brother-in-law] Robert Mortain Count Mortain 1st Earl Cornwall [aged 34] and Matilda or Maud Montgomery were married. She the daughter of Roger "The Great" Montgomery 1st Earl of Shrewsbury and Mabel de Bellême [aged 30].

14th October 1066 Battle of Hastings

                    On 14th October 1066 the Norman army led by [her husband] King William "Conqueror" I of England [aged 38] defeated the English army of King Harold II of England [aged 44] at the 14th October 1066 Battle of Hastings fought at Senlac Hill Hastings. Aimery Thouars [aged 42], Ralph de Gael 2nd Earl East Anglia [aged 24], Eustace II Count Boulogne [aged 51], William Fitzosbern 1st Earl Hereford [aged 46], Geoffrey Chateaudun II Count Mortain III Count Perche, William Warenne 1st Earl of Surrey, Raoul Tosny, Robert Beaumont 1st Earl of Leicester Count Meulan [aged 26], Hugh Grandesmil [aged 34], Roger "The Great" Montgomery 1st Earl of Shrewsbury (possibly), [her brother-in-law] Robert Mortain Count Mortain 1st Earl Cornwall [aged 35] and Bishop Odo of Bayeux fought for William.
                
                    King Harold II of England was killed. Earl Wessex, Earl Hereford extinct.
                
                    Leofwine Godwinson 2nd Earl Kent [aged 31] was killed. Earl Kent extinct.
                
                    His brothers Gyrth Godwinson Earl East Anglia [aged 34] and Engenulphe Aigle [aged 56] were killed.

Coronation of William the Conqueror

On 25th December 1066 [her husband] King William "Conqueror" I of England [aged 38] was crowned I King of England at Westminster Abbey [Map] by Archbishop Ealdred.

Around 1067 [her daughter] Adela Normandy Countess Blois was born to [her husband] King William "Conqueror" I of England [aged 39] and Matilda Flanders Queen Consort England [aged 36]. She married 1080 her third cousin Stephen Blois II Count Blois and Chartres, son of Theobald Blois III Count Blois and Gersenda Maine Countess Blois, and had issue.

On 1st September 1067 [her brother] Baldwin VI Count Flanders I Count Hainaut [aged 37] succeeded VI Count Flanders.

On 1st September 1067 [her father] Baldwin "The Good" V Count Flanders [aged 55] died at Lille.

Coronation of Queen Matilda

On 11th May 1068 Matilda Flanders Queen Consort England [aged 37] was crowned Queen Consort England at Westminster Abbey [Map].

Chronicon ex Chronicis by Florence and John of Worcester. 1068. After Easter [23rd March], the countess Matilda [aged 37] came to England from Normandy, and was crowned queen by Aldred, archbishop of York, on Whitsunday [1lth May]. After this, Mariesweyn and Cospatric, and some of the most noble of the Northumbrian nation, in order to escape the king's tyranny, and fearing that, like others, they might be thrown into prison, took with them Edgar [aged 17] the etheling, with his mother Agatha and his two sisters, Margaret [aged 23] and Christina [aged 11], and, embarking for Scotland, wintered there under favour of Malcolm [aged 36], king of Scots. Meanwhile, king [her husband] William [aged 40] marched his army to Nottingham, Nottinghamshire [Map], and, having fortified the castle there, proceeded to York [Map], where he erected two strong forts, and having stationed in them five hundred men, he gave orders that strong castles should be built at Lincoln, Lincolnshire [Map] and other places.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 11th May 1068. This Easter came the [her husband] king [aged 40] to Winchester, Hampshire [Map]; and Easter was then on the tenth before the calends of April. Soon after this came the Lady Matilda [aged 37] hither to this land; and Archbishop Eldred hallowed her to queen at Westminster on Whit Sunday.

Flowers of History. Matilda [aged 37], the wife of king [her husband] William [aged 40], was consecrated queen on the day of Pentecost, by Aeldred, archbishop of York, on the twenty-second of March¹. This year also, William had a son born in England, who was called Henry. For his first-born, William Rufus [aged 12], and also Robert [aged 17], were born in Normandy, before their father had conquered England.

Note 1. The date a mistake. Pentecost the seventh Sunday after Easter. In 1068 Easter was the 23rd March so Pentecost the 11th May 1068.

Around 1068 [her son] King Henry I "Beauclerc" England was born to [her husband] King William "Conqueror" I of England [aged 40] and Matilda Flanders Queen Consort England [aged 37]. He married (1) 11th November 1100 Edith aka Matilda Dunkeld Queen Consort England, daughter of King Malcolm III of Scotland and Margaret Wessex Queen Consort Scotland, and had issue (2) 24th January 1121 his half fourth cousin once removed Adeliza of Louvain Queen Consort England, daughter of Godfrey Reginar I Count Louvain and Ida Chiny Countess Louvain (3) his half fourth cousin once removed Adeliza of Louvain Queen Consort England, daughter of Godfrey Reginar I Count Louvain and Ida Chiny Countess Louvain.

Murder of Robert de Comines Earl Northumbria

On 28th January 1069 Robert de Comines Earl Northumbria was burned to death in Durham, County Durham [Map] when a rebel army set fire to the house in which he was staying. All his men were killed. In retaliation [her husband] King William "Conqueror" I of England [aged 41] commenced the Harrying of the North.

In 1070 Waltheof Northumbria 1st Earl of Northampton 1st Earl Huntingdon and Judith Flanders Countess Huntingdon [aged 16] were married. She by marriage Earldorman Northumbria, Countess Huntingdon. She, Judith, a niece of [her husband] King William "Conqueror" I of England [aged 42]. She the daughter of Lambert Flanders II Count Lens and [her sister-in-law] Adelaide Normandy Countess Troyes and Meaux Champagne Aumale Ponthieu [aged 40]. He the son of Siward "Stout" Earl of Northumbria and Aelfflaed Northumbria.

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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 17th July 1070 [her brother] Baldwin VI Count Flanders I Count Hainaut [aged 40] died. His son [her nephew] Arnulf [aged 15] succeeded III Count Flanders.

Battle of Cassel

                    On 20th February 1071 Battle of Cassel was fought between uncle Robert "The Frisian" I Count Flanders [aged 38] and nephew Arnulf III Count Flanders [aged 16], supported by his mother Richilde Countess Flanders and Hainault and Philip I King of the Franks [aged 18], over the succession of Flanders.
                
                    Arnulf III Count Flanders was killed. His brother Baldwin [aged 15] succeeded II Count Hainault. Robert "The Frisian" I Count Flanders was appointed I Count Flanders.
                
                    William Fitzosbern 1st Earl Hereford [aged 51] was killed. His son Roger succeeded 2nd Earl Hereford.
                
                    Eustace II Count Boulogne [aged 56] and his son Eustace Flanders III Count Boulogne fought for Robert. During the battle Robert "The Frisian" I Count Flanders and Richilde Countess Flanders and Hainault were captured, and subsequently exchanged for each other.

Accord of Winchester

                    In 1072 the Accord of Winchester established the primacy of the Archbishop of Canterbury over the Archbishop of York. It was signed by...
                
                    [her husband] King William "Conqueror" I of England [aged 44] and Matilda Flanders Queen Consort England [aged 41].
                
                    Archbishop Stigand.
                
                    Archbishop Ealdred who signed "I concede" whereas other signatories signed "I subscribe".
                
                    Bishop Wulfstan [aged 64].
                
                    Herfast Bishop Chancellor.

In or before 1074 [her son] Richard Normandy [aged 19] died in a hunting accident at New Forest, Hampshire. He was buried at Winchester Cathedral [Map].

On 8th January 1079 [her mother] Adela Capet Duchess Normandy [aged 70] died at Messines.

Christening of Edith Matilda of Scotland

Around 1080 [her future daughter-in-law] Edith aka Matilda Dunkeld Queen Consort England was christened at Dunfermline [Map]. [her son] Robert Curthose III Duke Normandy [aged 29] was godfather, Matilda Flanders Queen Consort England [aged 49] godmother.

In 1080 [her son-in-law] Stephen Blois II Count Blois and Chartres [aged 35] and Adela Normandy Countess Blois [aged 13] were married at Chartres [Map]. She by marriage Countess Blois. The difference in their ages was 22 years. She the daughter of King William "Conqueror" I of England [aged 52] and Matilda Flanders Queen Consort England [aged 49]. He the son of Theobald Blois III Count Blois [aged 68] and Gersenda Maine Countess Blois. They were third cousins.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1083. And in this same year departed Matilda [aged 52], queen of [her husband] King William [aged 55], on the day after All-Hallow-mass [2nd November 1083].

On 2nd November 1083 Matilda Flanders Queen Consort England [aged 52] died.

Death of King William "The Conqueror"

On 9th September 1087 [her former husband] King William "Conqueror" I of England [aged 59] died at the Priory of St Gervaise, Rouen [Map]. He was buried at the Abbaye aux Hommes, Caen [Map], at a ceremony presided over by Gilbert Arques Bishop Evreux. King Henry I "Beauclerc" England [aged 19] attended. His son William [aged 31] succeeded II King of England. His son Robert [aged 36] succeeded III Duke Normandy.