Adela of France

Adela of France,[lower-alpha 1] known also as Adela the Holy or Adela of Messines; (1009 – 8 January 1079, Messines), was, by marriage, the Duchess of Normandy (January 1027 – August 1027), and Countess of Flanders (1035–1067).

Adela of France
Countess of Flanders
Born	1009
Died	8 January 1079 Messines
Burial	Benedictine Convent of Messines
Spouse	Richard III, Duke of Normandy Baldwin V, Count of Flanders
Issue	Baldwin VI Matilda, Queen of England Robert I, Count of Flanders
House	Capet
Father	Robert II of France
Mother	Constance of Arles

Life

Adela was the second daughter of Robert II (the Pious), and Constance of Arles.[1] She is usually identified with the noble Adèle who in January 1027 married Richard III, Duke of Normandy.[2] The marriage was short-lived for on 6 August of that same year Richard III suddenly died.[2] This identification, however, is incorrect, as Adèle of France was sent in infancy to be raised in the Flanders court.[3] Adèle of France married Baldwin V, Count of Flanders in 1028.[4]

Countess of Flanders

Adela managed to gain influence in the policy of Flanders, through her family connections, and was described as very proud of her rank, a pride she passed on to her children.[5] She had been given a higher education than normal for a woman by monks from the St Peter's convent in Ghent and could speak and read Latin, which she taught also her children regardless of their gender.[5] It is evident that she acted as the active political partner of her spouse, which is illustrated by the fact that half of the charters issued during the reign of her spouse is co-signed by her (often with the title "Sister to the King of France"), which was far from a given thing for a consort. [5] She was particularly active within church reform, such as enforcing the priest celibate.[5]

On the death of her brother, Henry I of France, the guardianship of his seven-year-old son Philip I fell jointly on his widow, Anne of Kiev, and on his brother-in-law, Adela's husband, so that from 1060 to 1067, they were regents of France.[6]

Adela had a strong interest in Baldwin V's church reforms and was behind her husband's founding of several collegiate churches. Directly or indirectly, she was responsible for establishing the Colleges of Aire (1049), Lille (1050) and Harelbeke (1064) as well as the abbeys of Messines (1057) and Ename (1063).

Nun

After Baldwin's death in 1067, she went to Rome, took the nun's veil from the hands of Pope Alexander II and retired to the Benedictine convent of Messines, near Ypres.

In 1071, Adela's third son, Robert the Frisian, planned to invade Flanders even though at that time the Count of Flanders was Adela's grandson, Arnulf III. When she heard about Robert's plans, she asked Philip I to stop him. Philip sent soldiers to support Arnulf including a contingent of ten Norman knights led by William FitzOsborn. Robert's forces attacked Arnulf's numerically superior army at Cassel before it could organize, and Arnulf was killed along with William FitzOsborn. Robert's overwhelming victory led to Philip making peace with Robert and investing him as Count of Flanders. A year later, Philip married Robert's stepdaughter, Bertha of Holland, and in 1074, Philip restored the seigneurie of Corbie to the crown.

She died in the convent of Messines and was buried at the convent. Honoured as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church, her commemoration day is 8 September.[7]

Family

Her possible first marriage was in 1027 to Richard III, Duke of Normandy (died 1027). They had no children.

Her marriage in 1028 was to Baldwin V, Count of Flanders (died 1067).[4] Their children were:

• Baldwin VI, Count of Flanders (c. 1030–1070).[4]
• Matilda of Flanders (c. 1032–1083). In c. 1053 she married William, Duke of Normandy, the future King of England and had issue.[4]
• Robert I, Count of Flanders (c. 1035–1093).[4]

Ancestry

Ancestors of Adela of France

16. Robert I of France[8]^:68 8. Hugh the Great[8]^:68–69 17. Béatrice[8]^:68 4. Hugh Capet[8]^:69–71 18. Henry the Fowler[9] 9. Hedwige of Saxony[8]^:68–69 19. Matilda[9] 2. Robert II of France 20. Ebalus, Duke of Aquitaine[10] 10. William III, Duke of Aquitaine[11] 5. Adelaide of Aquitaine[8]^:69–71 22. Rollo[12] 11. Gerloc (Adele)[11] 23. Poppa[12] 1. Adèle of France 12. Boso II of Arles[13] 6. William I of Provence[8]^:71 13. Constance[13] 3. Constance of Arles 28. Fulk I, Count of Anjou[14] 14. Fulk II, Count of Anjou[14] 29. Roscilla de Loches[14] 7. Adelaide of Anjou[8]^:71 15. Gerberga[14]

Notes

1. Other forms of her name are Adèle, Adélaïde, Adelheid, Aelis and Alix.

References

1. Detlev Schwennicke, Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten, Neue Folge, Band II (Marburg, Germany: Verlag von J. A. Stargardt, 1984), Tafel 11
2. Detlev Schwennicke, Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten, Neue Folge, Band II (Marburg, Germany: Verlag von J. A. Stargardt, 1984), Tafel 79
3. Stewart, Peter. "Adèle of France". The Henry Project. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
4. Detlev Schwennicke, Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten, Neue Folge, Band II (Marburg, Germany: Verlag von J. A. Stargardt, 1984), Tafel 5
5. Tracy Joanne Borman: Queen of the Conqueror: The Life of Matilda, Wife of William I, Bantam Books, 2012
6. Detlev Schwennicke, Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten, Neue Folge, Band II (Marburg, Germany: Verlag von J. A. Stargardt, 1984), Tafeln 5, 11
7. http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1125
8. Anselme de Sainte-Marie, Père (1726). Histoire généalogique et chronologique de la maison royale de France [Genealogical and chronological history of the royal house of France] (in French). 1 (3rd ed.). Paris: La compagnie des libraires.
9.  Ott, Michael T. (1913). "St. Matilda". In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Catholic Encyclopedia. 10. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
10. Ravan, Hilaire (1864). Essai historique sur l'abbaye de Saint-Maixent et sur ses abbés, depuis l'année 459 jusqu'en 1791 (in French). L. Clouzot. p. 26.
11. "Adelaide of Poitou (c. 950–c. 1004)". Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia. Gale Research Inc. 2002 – via Encyclopedia.com.
12. William of Jumièges (1992). van Houts, Elizabeth (ed.). The Gesta Normannorum Ducum of William of Jumièges, Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni. 1. pp. 68–69.
13. Detlev Schwennicke, Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten, Neue Folge, Band II (Marburg, Germany: Verlag von J. A. Stargardt, 1984), Tafel 187
14. Detlev Schwennicke, Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten, Neue Folge, Band III Teilband 1 (Verlag von J. A. Stargardt, Marburg, Germany, 1984), Tafel 116