General Notes

REFN: 4283AN
REFN: P4284
Capet, Henry I of France, King of France
Born: APR 1008
Acceded: 1031
Died: 4 AUG 1060, Vitry-en-Brie,France
Interred: St. Denis,France
Fath er: Capet, Robert II the Pious of France, King of France, b. 27 MAR
972
Moth er: , Constance of Arles\Tolouse, b. ABT 973
Married to , Matilda of Germany
Child 1: De Crépi, Hugh the Great of Vermandois, Count of Vermandois, b.
1057
Married 29 JAN 1044 to Yaroslavna, Anna of Kiev, Princess
Child 2: Capet, Ph ilip I the Fair of France, King of France, b. 1052
Henry I (French: Henri Ier) (May 4, 1008 – August 4, 1060) was King of Fra
nce from 1031 to his death.
A member of the Capetian Dynasty, Henry was born in Reims, the son of Ki
ng Robert II (996–1031) and Constance of Arles (973–1032). He was crown
ed King of France at the Cathedral in Reims on May 14, 1027, in the Capeti
an tradition, while his father still lived. He had little influence and po
wer until he became sole ruler on his father's death.
The reign of Henry I, like those of his predecessors, was marked by territ
orial struggles. Initially, he joined his brother Robert, with the suppo
rt of their mother, in a revolt against his father (1025). His mother, how
ever, supported Robert as heir to the old king, on whose death Henry was l
eft to deal with his rebel sibling. In 1032, he placated his brother by gi
ving 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 nep
hew-in-law, the newly appointed Duke William of Normandy (who wou
ld 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 decisi
ve victory over the vassals at the Battle of Val-ès-Dunes near Caen.
A few years later, when William, who was cousin to King Edward the Confess
or of England (1042–66), married Matilda, the daughter of the count of Fla
nders, Henry feared William's potential power. In 1054, and again in 105
8, Henry went to war to try to conquer Normandy from William, but on bo
th occasions he was defeated. Despite his efforts, Henry I's twenty-nine-y
ear reign saw feudal power in France reach its pinnacle.
Henry had three meetings with Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor—all at Ivoi
s. In early 1043, he met him to discuss the marriage of the emperor with A
gnes of Poitou, the daughter of Henry's vassal. In October 1048, the two H
enries met again, but the subject of this meeting eludes us. The final mee
ting took place in May 1056. It concerned disputes over Lorraine. The deba
te over the duchy became so heated that the king of France challenged h
is German counterpart to single combat. The emperor, however, was not so m
uch a warrior and he fled in the night. But Henry did not get Lorraine.
King Henry I died on August 4, 1060 in Vitry-en-Brie, France, and was inte
rred in Saint Denis Basilica. He was succeeded by his son, Philip I of Fra
nce, who was 7 at the time of his death; for six years Henry I's Queen, An
ne of Kiev, ruled as regent.
He was also Duke of Burgundy from 1016 to 1032, when he abdicated the duc
hy to his brother Robert Capet.
Henry I was betrothed to Matilda, the daughter of the Emperor Conrad II (1
024–39), but she died prematurely in 1034. Henry I then married Matilda, d
aughter of Liudolf, Margrave of Frisia, but she died in 1044, followi
ng a Caesarean section. Casting further afield in search of a third wif
e, Henry I married Anne of Kiev on May 19, 1051. They had four children:
Philip I (May 23, 1052 – July 30, 1108)
Hugues le Grand (1057–1102)
Robert (c. 1055–c. 1060)
Emma (dates unknown)