Henry I, Duke of Brabant

Henry I
Duke of Brabant Duke of Lothier
17th century depiction
Spouse(s)	Mathilde of Boulogne Marie, Princess of France
Issue Marie of Brabant, Holy Roman Empress Adelaide Margaret Mathilde Henry II, Duke of Brabant Godfrey Elizabeth Marie
Detail Titles and styles The Duke of Brabant and Lothier
Noble family	House of Reginar
Father	Godfrey III, Count of Leuven
Mother	Marguerite of Limbourg
Born	c. 1165
Died	5 September 1235 Cologne, Kingdom of Germany, Holy Roman Empire

Henry I of Brabant (French: Henri I de Brabant, Dutch: Hendrik I van Brabant; 1165 – 5 September 1235), named "The Courageous", was a member of the House of Reginar and first Duke of Brabant from 1183/84 until his death.

He was possibly born in Leuven (Louvain), the son of Count Godfrey III of Louvain and his wife Margaret, daughter of Duke Henry II of Limburg. His father also held the title of a Landgrave of Brabant, Duke of Lower Lorraine and margrave of Antwerp. Henry early appeared as a co-ruler of his father. In 1179 he married Matilda of Boulogne (Matilda of Flanders), daughter of Marie of Boulogne and Matthew of Alsace and on this occasion received the County of Brussels from his father. He acted as a regent while Count Godfrey III went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem from 1182 to 1184.

In 1183 Henry took the title of a Duke of Brabant. Upon the death of his father in 1190, King Henry VI confirmed the elevation of Brabant, while he de facto abolished the Duchy of Lower Lorraine by creating the empty title of a Duke of Lothier. Duke Henry sought to expand his power and soon picked several quarrels with the Count Baldwin V of Hainaut. He also was in opposition to the German king (Emperor from 1191) when his brother Albert of Louvain was elected Bishop of Liège and murdered shortly afterwards.