Richard II, Duke of Normandy
Encyclopedia
Richard II
Richard II (born 23 August 970, in Normandy
, France
– 28 August 1026, in Normandy), called the Good (French: Le Bon), was the eldest son and heir of Richard I the Fearless
and Gunnora.
in 996 but the first five years of his reign were spent with Count Ralph of Ivry
wielding power and putting down a peasant insurrection.
When he took power he strengthened his alliance with the Capetians
by helping Robert II of France
against the duchy of Burgundy
. He formed a new alliance with Brittany
by marrying his sister Hawise
to Geoffrey I, Duke of Brittany
and by his own marriage to Geoffrey's sister, Judith.
He also repelled an English
attack on the Cotentin Peninsula
that was led by Ethelred II of England. He pursued a reform of the Norman monasteries.
In 1013 AD, England was invaded by the Danes
and Æthelred the Unready fled to his brother-in-law in Normandy. His marriage to Emma of Normandy
, sister of Richard, had made them unpopular among the English.
In 1015 AD, Olaf II of Norway
was crowned king. Prior to this, Prince Olaf had been in England and on his way to unite Norway he wintered with Duke Richard II of Normandy. In 881 AD, this region had been conquered by the Norsemen. As Duke Richard was an ardent Christian, and the Normans had converted to Christianity, Prince Olaf was baptized in Rouen
.
's marriage to King Ethelred, but she was strongly disliked by the English. However, this connection later gave his grandson, William the Conqueror, part of his claim to the throne of England.
He married firstly (996) Judith
(982-1017), daughter of Conan I of Brittany
, by whom he had the following issue:
Secondly he married Poppa of Envermeu, by whom he had the following issue:
. This is extremely unlikely, however, given the political situation.
An illegitimate daughter of Richard I, sometimes called "Papia", is also at times given as a daughter of Richard II.
Tancred of Hauteville
's two wives Muriella and Fredensenda are likewise given as daughters of "Duke Richard of Normandy", referring to either Richard I or Richard II.
Richard II (born 23 August 970, in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
– 28 August 1026, in Normandy), called the Good (French: Le Bon), was the eldest son and heir of Richard I the Fearless
Richard I of Normandy
Richard I of Normandy , also known as Richard the Fearless , was the Duke of Normandy from 942 to 996; he is considered the first to have held that title.-Birth:He was born to William I of Normandy, ruler of Normandy, and Sprota...
and Gunnora.
Biography
Richard succeeded his father as Duke of NormandyDuke of Normandy
The Duke of Normandy is the title of the reigning monarch of the British Crown Dependancies of the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey. The title traces its roots to the Duchy of Normandy . Whether the reigning sovereign is a male or female, they are always titled as the "Duke of...
in 996 but the first five years of his reign were spent with Count Ralph of Ivry
Rodulf of Ivry
Rodulf of Ivry was a Norman noble, half-brother of Richard I of Normandy.- Regent in Normandy :Duke Richard I died in 996...
wielding power and putting down a peasant insurrection.
When he took power he strengthened his alliance with the Capetians
Capetian dynasty
The Capetian dynasty , also known as the House of France, is the largest and oldest European royal house, consisting of the descendants of King Hugh Capet of France in the male line. Hugh Capet himself was a cognatic descendant of the Carolingians and the Merovingians, earlier rulers of France...
by helping Robert II of France
Robert II of France
Robert II , called the Pious or the Wise , was King of France from 996 until his death. The second reigning member of the House of Capet, he was born in Orléans to Hugh Capet and Adelaide of Aquitaine....
against the duchy of Burgundy
Duchy of Burgundy
The Duchy of Burgundy , was heir to an ancient and prestigious reputation and a large division of the lands of the Second Kingdom of Burgundy and in its own right was one of the geographically larger ducal territories in the emergence of Early Modern Europe from Medieval Europe.Even in that...
. He formed a new alliance with Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
by marrying his sister Hawise
Hawise of Normandy
Hawise of Normandy was the daughter of Richard the Fearless and Gunnora. She was sister of:* Richard II "the Good", Duke of Normandy* Robert, Archbishop of Rouen, Count of Evreux, died 1037* Mauger, Earl of Corbeil...
to Geoffrey I, Duke of Brittany
Geoffrey I, Duke of Brittany
Geoffrey I of Rennes was duke of Brittany, from 992 to his death. He was son of Duke Conan I and Ermengarde of Anjou, whose parents were Geoffrey I of Anjou and Adele of Meaux....
and by his own marriage to Geoffrey's sister, Judith.
He also repelled an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
attack on the Cotentin Peninsula
Cotentin Peninsula
The Cotentin Peninsula, also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, is a peninsula in Normandy, forming part of the north-western coast of France. It juts out north-westwards into the English Channel, towards Great Britain...
that was led by Ethelred II of England. He pursued a reform of the Norman monasteries.
Connections to England
In 1013 AD, England was invaded by the Danes
Danes
Danish people or Danes are the nation and ethnic group that is native to Denmark, and who speak Danish.The first mention of Danes within the Danish territory is on the Jelling Rune Stone which mentions how Harald Bluetooth converted the Danes to Christianity in the 10th century...
and Æthelred the Unready fled to his brother-in-law in Normandy. His marriage to Emma of Normandy
Emma of Normandy
Emma , was a daughter of Richard the Fearless, Duke of Normandy, by his second wife Gunnora. She was Queen consort of England twice, by successive marriages: first as second wife to Æthelred the Unready of England ; and then second wife to Cnut the Great of Denmark...
, sister of Richard, had made them unpopular among the English.
Connections to Norway
In 1015 AD, Olaf II of Norway
Olaf II of Norway
Olaf II Haraldsson was King of Norway from 1015 to 1028. He was posthumously given the title Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae and canonised in Nidaros by Bishop Grimkell, one year after his death in the Battle of Stiklestad on 29 July 1030. Enshrined in Nidaros Cathedral...
was crowned king. Prior to this, Prince Olaf had been in England and on his way to unite Norway he wintered with Duke Richard II of Normandy. In 881 AD, this region had been conquered by the Norsemen. As Duke Richard was an ardent Christian, and the Normans had converted to Christianity, Prince Olaf was baptized in Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
.
Marriages
Richard attempted to improve relations with England through his sister Emma of NormandyEmma of Normandy
Emma , was a daughter of Richard the Fearless, Duke of Normandy, by his second wife Gunnora. She was Queen consort of England twice, by successive marriages: first as second wife to Æthelred the Unready of England ; and then second wife to Cnut the Great of Denmark...
's marriage to King Ethelred, but she was strongly disliked by the English. However, this connection later gave his grandson, William the Conqueror, part of his claim to the throne of England.
He married firstly (996) Judith
Judith of Brittany
Judith of Brittany was the daughter of Conan I, Duke of Brittany and Ermengarde of Anjou, and the mother of Robert the Magnificent.She was the first wife of Richard the Good, Duke of Normandy, whom she married in 996. They had six children:...
(982-1017), daughter of Conan I of Brittany
Conan I of Rennes
Conan I was the count of Rennes from 958 and duke of Brittany from 990 to his death. He became ruler of Brittany after a period of civil and political unrest, having first succeeded his father Judicael Berengar, as count of Rennes....
, by whom he had the following issue:
- RichardRichard III, Duke of NormandyRichard III was the eldest son of Richard II, who died in 1027. Before succeeding his father, perhaps about 1020, he had been sent by his father in command of a large army, to attack bishop/count Hugh of Chalon in order to rescue his brother-in-law, Reginald, later Count of Burgundy, whom the...
(c. 1002/4), duke of Normandy - AliceAlice of NormandyAlice was born circa 1002 and died around 1038, was the daughter of Duke Richard II of Normandy and Judith of Brittany .-Family:She married Renaud I of Burgundy and had the following children:...
(c. 1003/5), married Renaud I, Count of Burgundy - Robert (c. 1005/7), duke of Normandy
- William (c. 1007/9), monk at FécampFécampFécamp is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:Fécamp is situated in the valley of the river Valmont, at the heart of the Pays de Caux, on the Albaster Coast...
, d. 1025 - Eleanor (c. 1011/3), married to Baldwin IV, Count of FlandersBaldwin IV, Count of FlandersBaldwin IV of Flanders , known as the Bearded, was Count of Flanders from 988 until his death. He was the son of Arnulf II, Count of Flanders...
- Matilda (c. 1013/5), nun at Fecamp, d. 1033
Secondly he married Poppa of Envermeu, by whom he had the following issue:
- Mauger (c. 1019), Archbishop of RouenArchbishop of RouenThe Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rouen is an Archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. As one of the fifteen Archbishops of France, the ecclesiastical province of the archdiocese comprises the majority of Normandy....
- WilliamWilliam of TalouWilliam of Talou was the son of duke Richard II of Normandy and Papia from Envermeu. His brother was Mauger, who became archbishop of Rouen in 1037...
(c. 1020/5), count of ArquesArquesArques may refer to the following places in France:* Arques, Aude, in the Aude département* Arques, Aveyron, in the Aveyron département* Arques, Pas-de-Calais, in the Pas-de-Calais département...
Other marriages / children
Traditionally, Richard had a third wife named Astrid (Estritha), daughter of Sweyn Forkbeard, King of England, Denmark, and Norway, and Sigrid the HaughtySigrid the Haughty
Sigrid the Haughty, also known as Sigríð Storråda, is a queen appearing in Norse sagas as wife, first of Eric the Victorious of Sweden, then Sweyn Forkbeard of Denmark. While given the Nordic ancestry in sagas, she has been hypothesized to be identical to historically attested Polish or Pomeranian...
. This is extremely unlikely, however, given the political situation.
An illegitimate daughter of Richard I, sometimes called "Papia", is also at times given as a daughter of Richard II.
Tancred of Hauteville
Tancred of Hauteville
Tancred of Hauteville was an 11th-century Norman petty lord about whom little is known. His historical importance comes entirely from the accomplishments of his sons and later descendants...
's two wives Muriella and Fredensenda are likewise given as daughters of "Duke Richard of Normandy", referring to either Richard I or Richard II.
Genealogy