Matilda of Flanders - Family and Children

Family and Children

Matilda and William had at least nine children. The birth order of the boys is clear, but no source gives the relative order of birth of the daughters.

  1. Robert Born between 1051–1054, died 10 February 1134. Duke of Normandy, married Sybil of Conversano, daughter of Geoffrey of Conversano.
  2. Richard Born c.1054, died around 1075.
  3. William Born between 1056 and 1060, died 2 August 1100. King of England, killed in the New Forest.
  4. Henry Born late 1068, died 1 December 1135. King of England, married Edith of Scotland, daughter of Malcolm III of Scotland. His second wife was Adeliza of Louvain.
  5. Adeliza (or Adelida, Adelaide) Died before 1113, reportedly betrothed to Harold II of England, probably a nun of St Léger at Préaux.
  6. Cecilia (or Cecily) Born c.1056, died 1127. Abbess of Holy Trinity, Caen.
  7. Matilda Born around 1061, died perhaps about 1086. Mentioned in Domesday Book as a daughter of William.
  8. Constance died 1090, married Alan IV Fergent, Duke of Brittany.
  9. Adela died 1137, married Stephen, Count of Blois.

Another daughter, Agatha, who was reportedly betrothed to Alfonso VI of Castile, is often ascribed to William and Matilda, but her existence is doubtful, and may be a simple confusion with Adeliza. There is no evidence of any illegitimate children born to William.

Matilda was a seventh generation direct descendent of Alfred the Great and was a descendant of Charlemagne through her maternal grandfather, Robert II of France.

Read more about this topic:  Matilda Of Flanders

Famous quotes containing the words family and/or children:

    “The family environment in which your children are growing up is different from that in which you grew up. The decisions our parents made and the strategies they used were developed in a different context from what we face today, even if the “content” of the problem is the same. It is a mistake to think that our own experience as children and adolescents will give us all we need to help our children. The rules of the game have changed.”
    —Lawrence Kutner (20th century)

    “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, yet by no means clearing the guilty, but visiting the iniquity of the parents upon the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
    —Bible: Hebrew, Exodus 34:6,7.