Robert I, Count of Flanders
Encyclopedia
Count of Flanders
The Count of Flanders was the ruler or sub-ruler of the county of Flanders from the 9th century until the abolition of the position by the French revolutionaries in 1790....
from 1071 to 1092.
History
He was the younger son of Baldwin V of FlandersBaldwin 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:...
and Adèle, a daughter of King 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....
.
Robert was originally intended to secure the northern borders of Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
by his marriage to Gertrude of Saxony
Gertrude of Saxony
Gertrude of Saxony , also known as Gertrude Billung, was the daughter of Bernard II, Duke of Saxony and Eilika of Schweinfurt. She married Floris I, Count of Holland c. 1050, and upon his death, her son Dirk V became Count of Holland...
, Dowager Countess of Holland. After the death of his brother Baldwin VI, Count of Flanders
Baldwin VI, Count of Flanders
Baldwin VI of Flanders was briefly Count of Flanders, from 1067 to 1070. He was also count of Hainaut from 1051 to 1070....
in 1070 rebelled against Baldwin's widow Richilde, Countess of Hainaut and her son Arnulf III, Count of Flanders
Arnulf III, Count of Flanders
Arnulf III was Count of Flanders and Count of Hainaut, as Arnulf I from 1070 to his death.He was the eldest son of Baldwin VI, Count of Flanders and Richilde, Countess of Mons and Hainaut.-History and Family:...
. Arnulf was killed in the Battle of Cassel (1071)
Battle of Cassel (1071)
The Battle of Cassel was fought on 22 February 1071 between Robert I of Flanders and his nephew, Arnulf III . The battle was a victory for Robert I of Flanders, Arnulf III was killed in the battle....
. Richilde's younger son Baldwin II, Count of Hainaut
Baldwin II, Count of Hainaut
Baldwin II of Mons was count of Hainaut from 1071 to his death. He was the younger son of Baldwin VI, Count of Flanders and Richilde, Countess of Mons and Hainaut.-History:...
took possession of Hainault and Robert became Count of Flanders.
Family
Robert married Gertrude of Saxony, widow of Floris I, Count of HollandFloris I, Count of Holland
Floris I of Holland was Count of Holland from 1049 to 1061. He was a son of Dirk III and Othelindis....
and daughter of Bernard II, Duke of Saxony
Bernard II, Duke of Saxony
Bernard II was the Duke of Saxony , the third of the Billung dynasty, a son of Bernard I and Hildegard. He had the rights of a count in Frisia....
and Eilika of Schweinfurt. They had five children:
- Robert IIRobert II, Count of FlandersRobert II was Count of Flanders from 1093 to 1111. He became known as Robert of Jerusalem or Robert the Crusader after his exploits in the First Crusade.-History:...
, married Clementia of BurgundyClementia of BurgundyClementia of Burgundy was Countess of Flanders by marriage and acted as regent while her husband was on crusade.-Family:She was the daughter of William I, Count of Burgundy and a noblewoman named Stephanie de Etiennette. Pope Callixtus II was her brother.-Life:In 1097, she married Robert II, Count... - AdelaAdela of FlandersAdela of Flanders , also known as Ailanda, was a mediaeval Danish Queen and Italian Duchess and regent, Queen Consort of King Canute IV of Denmark, and Duchess consort of Duke Roger Borsa of Apulia, and then minor regent of Apulia in 1111–1115 as mother and guardian of William II of Apulia...
(d. 1115), who first married king Canute IV of Denmark, and was the mother of Charles the GoodCharles I, Count of FlandersBlessed Charles the Good was Count of Flanders from 1119 to 1127. He is most remembered for his murder and its aftermath.-History:...
, later count of Flanders. She then married Roger BorsaRoger BorsaRoger Borsa was the Norman Duke of Apulia and effective ruler of southern Italy from 1085 until his death. He was the son of Robert Guiscard, the conqueror of southern Italy and Sicily; Roger was not as adept as his father, and most of his reign was spent in feudal anarchy.-Biography:Roger was the...
, duke of ApuliaApuliaApulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
. - Gertrude, who married 1) Henry III, Count of Leuven and had 4 children.http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/BRABANT,%20LOUVAIN.htm#HenriIIILouvaindied1095 2) Thierry II, Duke of LorraineThierry II, Duke of LorraineTheodoric II , called the Valiant, was the duke of Lorraine from 1070 to his death. He was the son and successor of Gerhard and Hedwige de Namur...
, and was the mother of Thierry of AlsaceThierry, Count of FlandersThierry of Alsace , in Flanders known as Diederik van den Elzas, was count of Flanders from 1128 to 1168. He was the youngest son of Duke Thierry II of Lorraine and Gertrude of Flanders...
, also later count of Flanders - Philip of Loo, whose illegitimate son William of YpresWilliam of YpresWilliam of Ypres , styled count of Flanders, was King Stephen of England's chief lieutenant during the English civil wars of 1139–54...
was also a claimant to the county of Flanders - Ogiva, abbess of Messines
Count of Flanders
Robert's nephew Arnulf IIIArnulf III, Count of Flanders
Arnulf III was Count of Flanders and Count of Hainaut, as Arnulf I from 1070 to his death.He was the eldest son of Baldwin VI, Count of Flanders and Richilde, Countess of Mons and Hainaut.-History and Family:...
(son of Baldwin VI of Flanders) succeeded his father in 1070 and was supported by his mother Richilde, Countess of Mons and Hainaut
Richilde, Countess of Mons and Hainaut
Richilde, Countess of Mons and Hainaut .Since the county of Hainaut would pass to the Counts of Flanders through marriage to her, she has often been mistakenly recorded a daughter of Regnier V of Mons, who was actually her father-in-law.She was married firstly to Herman of Mons, count of Hainaut,...
. However, Robert challenged Arnulf's succession to the throne of Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
and began rallying support mainly in northern Flanders (where the bulk of Arnulf's forces were located). Arnulf's ranks contained individuals such as Count Eustace II of Boulogne
Eustace II of Boulogne
Eustace II, , also known as Eustace aux Gernons was count of Boulogne from 1049–1087, fought on the Norman side at the Battle of Hastings, and afterwards received a large honour in England. He is one of the few proven Companions of William the Conqueror.He was the son of Eustace I...
, Count Eustace III of Boulogne
Eustace III of Boulogne
Eustace III, was a count of Boulogne, successor to his father Count Eustace II of Boulogne. His mother was Ida of Lorraine.His father Eustace II appeared at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 as an ally of William the Conqueror, and is listed as a possible killer of Harold II; he is also believed to...
, and Godfrey of Bouillon
Godfrey of Bouillon
Godfrey of Bouillon was a medieval Frankish knight who was one of the leaders of the First Crusade from 1096 until his death. He was the Lord of Bouillon, from which he took his byname, from 1076 and the Duke of Lower Lorraine from 1087...
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Moreover, Arnulf was supported by King Philip I of France
Philip I of France
Philip I , called the Amorous, was King of France from 1060 to his death. His reign, like that of most of the early Direct Capetians, was extraordinarily long for the time...
since Philip's aunt, Adela, married Baldwin V of Flanders. A contingent of ten Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
knights led by William FitzOsborn
William Fitzosbern, 1st Earl of Hereford
William FitzOsbern , Lord of Breteuil, in Normandy, was a relative and close counsellor of William the Conqueror and one of the great magnates of early Norman England...
were among the forces sent by Philip to aid Arnulf. Robert's forces attacked Arnulf's numerically superior army at Cassel
Battle of Cassel (1071)
The Battle of Cassel was fought on 22 February 1071 between Robert I of Flanders and his nephew, Arnulf III . The battle was a victory for Robert I of Flanders, Arnulf III was killed in the battle....
before it could organize. Arnulf himself was killed along with William FitzOsborn while Richilde was captured by Robert's forces. However, Robert himself was captured by Eustace II. Ultimately, Richilde was exchanged for Robert's freedom. As a result of the battle Robert became count of Flanders. Robert gained the friendship of King Philip I of France
Philip I of France
Philip I , called the Amorous, was King of France from 1060 to his death. His reign, like that of most of the early Direct Capetians, was extraordinarily long for the time...
by offering him the hand in marriage of his stepdaughter, Bertha of Holland
Bertha of Holland
Bertha of Holland was the first wife of Philip I of France, the King of France.-Biography:She was the daughter of Floris I, Count of Holland, by his wife Gertrude of Saxony. After her father died in 1061, her mother remarried to Robert I, Count of Flanders. In 1072 her stepfather concluded a...
.