Richard 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

Hugh of Chalon (999-1039)

Hugh of Chalon was a member of the house of Chalon. He was bishop of Auxerre and Count of Chalon.He was the only son of Lambert of Chalon and was made canon of the Cathedral of Autun. After his father death, he was proclaimed bishop of Auxerre in 999 by request of Henry I, Duke of Burgundy...

 in order to rescue his brother-in-law, Reginald

Reginald I, Count of Burgundy

Reginald I, Count Palatine of Burgundy was the second Count of the Free County of Burgundy. Born in 986, he was the son of Otto-William, Count of Burgundy and Ermentrude of Reims and Roucy.In 1016, Reginald married Alice of Normandy....

, later Count of Burgundy

County of Burgundy

The Free County of Burgundy , was a medieval county , within the traditional province and modern French region Franche-Comté, whose very French name is still reminiscent of the unusual title of its count: Freigraf...

, whom the count/bishop had captured and imprisoned. He was betrothed to Adela, countess of Corbie (1009 – 5 June 1063), second daughter of 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....

 and Constance of Arles

Constance of Arles

Constance of Arles , also known as Constance of Provence, was the third wife and queen of King Robert II of France. She was the daughter of William I, count of Provence and Adelais of Anjou, daughter of Fulk II of Anjou...

, but they never married. After his father's death, he ruled the Duchy of Normandy

Duchy of Normandy

The Duchy of Normandy stems from various Danish, Norwegian, Hiberno-Norse, Orkney Viking and Anglo-Danish invasions of France in the 9th century...

 only briefly, dying mysteriously, perhaps by poison, soon after his father. The duchy passed to his younger brother Robert I. Adela later married Baldwin V, Count of Flanders

Baldwin V, Count of Flanders

Baldwin V of Flanders was Count of Flanders from 1035 until his death.He was the son of Baldwin IV, Count of Flanders, who died in 1035.-History:...

.



By unknown women, he had two known children:

• Alice/Alix of Normandy who married Ranulf, Viscount of Bayeux.
• Nicolas, the Lay Abbot of Rouen (died 27 Feb 1092). He helped his cousin, Duke William II the Conqueror with the contribution of 15 ships and 100 soldiers for the invasion of England in 1066. He would probably have been chosen to succeed his father as Duke of Normandy if he had not been "immediately relegated first to the monastery of Fécamp and then to that of Saint-Quen in Rouen."