Hugues CAPET, King of France
(Abt 940-996)
Adelais DE POITOU
(Abt 953-1004)
Cte Guillaume II "le Libérateur" D' ARLES
(Abt 955-Aft 993)
Adélaïde D' ANJOU
(Est 945-1026)
Robert II "Le Pieux" CAPET, King of France
(972-1031)
Constance D' ARLES, Queen of France
(Abt 988-1032)

Henri I CAPET, King of France
(1008-1060)

 

Family Links

Spouses/Children:
1. Mathilde VON BRAUNSCHWEIG
2. Anna Yaroslavna RURIK, Grand Duchess of Kiev

Henri I CAPET, King of France

  • Born: 18 Sep 1008, Reims, Champagne-Ardenne, France
  • Married (1): 1034
  • Married (2): 19 May 1051, Reims, Champagne-Ardenne, France
  • Died: 2 Aug 1060, Vitry-aux-Loges, Loiret, Orleanais/Centre, France
  • Buried: St Denis Abbey, Seine, Ile-de-France, France

  Research Notes:

The Historia Francorum names (in order) "Hugonem qui cognominatus est Magnus, Henricum, Robertum, Odonem" as the four sons of King Robert and Constance.

His father installed him as Duke of Burgundy 25 Jan 1016 after completing his conquest of the duchy. He was consecrated associate-king 14 May 1027, at Notre-Dame, Reims, despite the opposition of his mother. He rebelled against his father, together with his brother Robert, 1029-1031, and captured Dreux, Beaune and Avallon.

He succeeded his father in 1031 as HENRI I King of France, at which time the duchy of Burgundy was given to his younger brother Robert. In light of his mother’s continuing opposition to his succession, he was obliged to take refuge briefly in Normandy in 1033. He regained control with the help of Robert II Duke of Normandy. A fragmentary chronicle records the death “Vitriaci” in 1059 of “Ainricus”.

Betrothed (May 1033) to Mathilde of Germany, daughter of Emperor Konrad II King of Germany & his wife Gisela of Swabia... Wipo names "filia imperatoris Chuonradi et Giselæ, Mahthilda" when recording her death and burial at Worms in 1034, specifying that she was betrothed to "Heinrico regi Francorum". Her marriage was arranged to confirm a peace compact agreed between King Henri and Emperor Konrad at Deville in May 1033. Her absence from the list of deceased relatives in the donation of "Chuonradus…Romanorum imperator augustus" to the church of Worms by charter dated 30 Jan 1034 suggests that Mathilde died after that date, while her absence from the list of the children of Emperor Konrad named in the same charter is explicable on the basis of her youth.

The Chronicle of Saint-Pierre de Sens records the death in 1060 “apud Vitriacum castrum in Brieria” of “Rex Hainricus” and his burial “in Basilica S. Dionysii”. Merlet reviews all these sources but, based on other documentation, concludes that the king must have died at Dreux. He refers to the charter of King Henri dated 1060 at Dreux (“Drocis castro”), under which the king confirmed the foundation of the priory of Saint-Germain de Brezolles, which records the presence of Agobert Bishop of Chartres and various other members of the chapter of Chartres. Merlet refers to Orderic Vitalis who states that at the end of his life the king was treated by a doctor, also from Chartres “Joanne...Surdus cognominabatur”, but died suddenly from the effects of drinking water against the medical advice. He then highlights the supplementary addition at the end of the charter in question which states that “post mortem patris, Philippus rex cum matre regina” signed the document “Drocis castro in sua aula”. This addition is dated “anno secundo sui regni”, but Merlet attributes the delay to the frequent lapse of time which in medieval times occurred between the action, and finalising the corresponding documentation, a phenomenon which is discussed in detail by Giry. The monastery of Saint-Denis´s Historia Regum Francorum records that King Henri died “civitate Senonis”. The Annales Nivernenses record the death "1060 II Non Aug" of "Henricus rex, Rotberti regis filius". The necrology of the Eglise Cathédrale de Paris records the death "IV Non Aug" of "Henrici regis Francorum". The necrology of the abbey of Saint-Denis records the death "II Non Aug" of "Henricus rex". The necrology of Auxerre cathedral records the death 4 Aug of "Henricus rex Franciæ". 1

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"Henry was anointed king at Reims (1026) in his father's lifetime, following the death of his elder brother Hugh. His mother, Constance, however, favoured his younger brother Robert for the throne, and civil war broke out on King Robert II's death (1031). The younger Robert was given Burgundy in 1032, after Henry had sought refuge with Robert, Duke of Normandy. From 1033 to 1043 Henry struggled with his eudatories, notably Eudes of Blois and his brother Robert. In 1055, as the result of an agreement made by Robert II, the county of Sens came to the crown as the sole territorial gain of Henry's reign.

"Henry helped William (the future William I of England), Robert's successor as duke of Normandy, to quell his rebellious vassals at the Battle of Val-aux-Dunes (or Val-âaes-Dunes; 1047), but he was thereafter usually at war with him--a notable defeat for the king being that at Varaville (1058). Henry tried to resist papal interference but could not prevent Pope Leo IX from holding a council at Reims (1049). Philip, elder son of Henry's marriage to a Russian princess, was crowned in 1059. " 2

  Marriage Information:

Henri married Mathilde VON BRAUNSCHWEIG, daughter of Liudolf VON BRAUNSCHWEIG, Markgraf von Friesland, and Gertrude VON EGISHEIM, in 1034. (Mathilde VON BRAUNSCHWEIG was born in 1025/6 and died in 1044 in Paris, Île-de-France, France.)

  Marriage Information:

Henri also married Anna Yaroslavna RURIK, Grand Duchess of Kiev, daughter of Yaroslav I Vladimirovich "Mudriy" RURIK, Grandduke of Kiev, and Ingigerd OLAFSDÓTTIR, Princess of Sweden, on 19 May 1051, Reims, Champagne-Ardenne, France. (Anna Yaroslavna RURIK Grand Duchess of Kiev was born in 1036 in Kiev, Ukraine, died on 5 Sep 1075/8.)

Sources


1 Foundation for Medieval Genealogy, Medlands: Henri de France.

2 Encyclopædia Britannica, Henry I, King of France.


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