Henry I of France
| Henry I | |
|---|---|
| King of the Franks (more...) | |
A depiction of Henry from Chroniques de France ou de St Denis
|
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| King of the Franks | |
| Junior king Senior king |
14 May 1027 – 20 July 1031; 20 July 1031 – 4 August 1060 |
| Coronation | 14 May 1027, Cathedral of Reims |
| Predecessor | Robert II |
| Successor | Philip I |
| Born |
4 May 1008 Reims, France |
| Died | 4 August 1060 (aged 52) Vitry-aux-Loges, France |
| Burial | Saint Denis Basilica, Paris, France |
| Spouse |
Matilda of Frisia Anne of Kiev |
| Issue |
Philip I Emma of France Robert of France Hugh I, Count of Vermandois |
| House | House of Capet |
| Father | Robert II |
| Mother | Constance of Arles |
Henry I (4 May 1008 – 4 August 1060) was King of the Franks from 1031 to his death. The royal demesne of France reached its smallest size during his reign, and for this reason he is often seen as emblematic of the weakness of the early Capetians. This is not entirely agreed upon, however, as other historians regard him as a strong but realistic king, who was forced to conduct a policy mindful of the limitations of the French monarchy.
A member of the House of Capet, Henry was born in Reims, the son of King Robert II (972–1031) and Constance of Arles (986–1034). He was crowned King of France at the Cathedral in Reims on 14 May 1027, in the Capetian tradition, while his father still lived. He had little influence and power until he became sole ruler on his father's death.
The reign of Henry I, like those of his predecessors, was marked by territorial struggles. Initially, he joined his brother Robert, with the support of their mother, in a revolt against his father (1025). His mother, however, supported Robert as heir to the old king, on whose death Henry was left to deal with his rebel sibling. In 1032, he placated his brother by giving him the duchy of Burgundy which his father had given him in 1016.
In an early strategic move, Henry came to the rescue of his very young nephew-in-law, the newly appointed Duke William of Normandy (who would go on to become William the Conqueror), to suppress a revolt by William's vassals. In 1047, Henry secured the dukedom for William in their decisive victory over the vassals at the Battle of Val-ès-Dunes near Caen; however, Henry would later support the barons against William until the former's death in 1060.
In 1051, William married Matilda, the daughter of the count of Flanders, which Henry saw as a threat to his throne. In 1054, and again in 1057, Henry invaded Normandy, but on both occasions he was defeated.
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Wikipedia