Adèle (Capet) de France (abt. 1009 - 1079)

Born about 1009 in France

Ancestors

Wife of Richard (Normandie) de Normandie — married 1027 (to 1027) in Betrothed - No Proven Marriage

Wife of Baudouin Flandre — married 1028 in Amiens

Descendants

Died 8 Jan 1079 at about age 70 in Abbaye de Messines, comté de Flandre

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Adela de France (d. 08 Jan 1079)^[1]

bur. Messines, Benedictine monastery

Biography

Adèle is the second daughter of Robert II (the Pious), and Constance of Arles. In january 1026, she may have been betrothed to Richard, Duc de Normandie (d. Aug 1027), but it's uncertain and there is no evidence that the marriage took place.^[2]

What is certain is that Adela did marry Baldwin V, Count of Flanders and had three proven children with him.[4]

Titles

• Countess of Normandy (Jan 1027–Aug 1027),
• Countess of Flanders (1035–1067).^[3]
• Adela Comtesse de Corbie

Marriage

m. (1028) Baldwin V, Count of Flanders^[1][3][4]

• Badouin (c. 1030 - d. 17 Jul 1070)
• Mathilde (c. 1032 - d. 02 Nov 1083).
• Robert (c. 1035 - d. 13 Oct 1093)
• (unproven) Henry.[5]^[5]

Timeline

Church Reform: 1049

Adèle had a strong interest in Baldwin V’s church reforms and was behind his 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).

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. There she later died and was buried at the convent. Honoured as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church, her commemoration day is 8 September.^[3]

Regent of France: 1060

Adèle's influence lay mainly through her family connections. 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, Ann of Kiev, and on his brother-in-law, Adela's husband, so that from 1060 to 1067, they were Regents of France.[4]^[3]

Son invades Flanders: 1071

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.^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Cawley, 2006.[1]
2. ↑ Betrothal, (Cawley (2006) citing Kerrebrouck). In Jan 1026, Richard, duc de Normandie deeded property to a woman he married named Adela, but no proof it was Adela de France. The charter does not name his wife's parents (Cawley, 2006).[2] Baldwin (2006), is even more strict and eliminates Richard all together.[3]
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4} Wikipedia: Adèle of France, Countess of Flanders.
4. ↑ Cawley names documents which identify Adela, daughter of King Robert, as wife of Baldwin (Balduino, Baudouin) of Flanders.
5. ↑ Baldwin (2006) mentions that Henry is an alleged / uncertain child, while Cawley (2006), does not list him at all.

Bibliography

• "Royal Ancestry" 2013 by Douglas Richardson Vol. I page 17
• Baldwin, S. (2006, October 12). "Baldwin (Baudouin) V de Lille (Balduinus Insulanus, Balduinus Pius)." The Henry Project. Web.[6]

• Cawley, C. (2006). "Adela de France." Medieval Lands v.4. Fmg.ac.[7]

• Wikipedia: Adèle of France, Countess of Flanders

Citations and Notes See also...

• Rev. F. O. Morris, ed. A Series of Picturesque Views of Seats of the Noblemen and Gentlemen of Great Britain and Ireland. London, England: William Mackenzie, 1866?-1880?