Robert I, Duke of Normandy
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| Robert "The Magnificent" | |
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| Robert the Magnificent as part of the Six Dukes of Normandy statue in the town square of Falaise. | |
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| Reign | 1027–1035 |
| Predecessor | Richard III |
| Successor | William I |
| Issue | |
| William I "the Conqueror" of England (illegitimate) Adelaide of Normandy (illegitimate) |
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| Father | Richard II, Duke of Normandy |
| Mother | Judith of Brittany |
| Born | 22 June 1000 Normandy, France |
| Died | 3 July 1035 (aged 35) Nicaea |
Robert the Magnificent[1] (French: le Magnifique) (22 June 1000 – 3 July 1035), also called Robert the Devil (French: le Diable)[2], was the Duke of Normandy from 1027 until his death. Owing to uncertainty over the numbering of the Dukes of Normandy he is usually called Robert I, but sometimes Robert II with his ancestor Rollo as Robert I. He was the son of Richard II of Normandy and Judith, daughter of Conan I of Rennes. He was the father of William the Conqueror.
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[edit] Life
When his father died, his elder brother Richard succeeded, whilst he became Count of Hiémois. When Richard died a year later, there were great suspicions that Robert had Richard murdered, hence his other nickname, "the Devil". He is sometimes identified with the legendary Robert the Devil.[citation needed]
Robert aided King Henry I of France against Henry's rebellious brother and mother, and for his help he was given the territory of the Vexin (1032). He also intervened in the affairs of Flanders, supported his cousin Edward the Confessor, who was then in exile at Robert's court, and sponsored monastic reform in Normandy.
After making his illegitimate son William his heir, he set out on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. According to the Gesta Normannorum Ducum he travelled by way of Constantinople, reached Jerusalem, and died on the return journey at Nicaea on 2 July 1035. Some sources attribute his death to poison and date it to 1 or 3 July. His son William, aged about eight, succeeded him.
According to the historian William of Malmesbury, William sent a mission to Constantinople and Nicaea, charging it with bringing his father's body back to be buried in Normandy. Permission was granted, but, having travelled as far as Apulia (Italy) on the return journey, the envoys learned that William himself had meanwhile died. They then decided to re-inter Robert's body in Italy.
[edit] Issue
By his mistress, Herleva of Falaise,[3] he was father of:
- William I of England (c.1028–1087).[4]
- Adelaide of Normandy[a] married firstly, Enguerrand II, Count of Ponthieu. She married secondly, Lambert II, Count of Lens. She married thirdly, Odo II of Champagne.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ His nickname refers to his love of finery.
- ^ François Neveux, A Brief History of the Normans, trans. Howard Curtis (Constable & Robinson, Ltd. London, 2008), p. 97 & n. 5. Note - Robert I was never known by the nickname 'the devil' in his lifetime. 'Robert the Devil' was a fictional character who was confused with Robert I, Duke of Normandy sometime near the end of the Middle Ages
- ^ The Gesta Normannorum Ducum of William of Jumièges, Orderic Vitalis, and Robert of Torigni, Ed. & Trans. Elizabeth M.C. Van Houts, Vol. I (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1992), p. lxxv
- ^ David C. Douglas, William the Conqueror (University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1964), p. 15, passim
- ^ David C. Douglas, William the Conqueror (University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1964), p. 380
[edit] Notes
- ^ It is probable although not certain she was a daughter of Robert I by Herleva. It is certain the Conqueror had a sister or possibly a half-sister of this name. See David C. Douglas, William the Conqueror (University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1964), pp. 380-1.
[edit] External references
- "The House of Normandy." English Monarchs. 2005. Web. August 14, 2011. http://www.englishmonarchs.co.uk/dukes_of_normandy.htm
| French nobility | ||
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| Preceded by Richard III |
Duke of Normandy 1027–1035 |
Succeeded by William II |
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