Son of Heinrich 1. Biography

The royal title was born on the shores of Foggy Albion in the 9th century. Since then, representatives of various English dynasties have occupied the highest throne of the state. However, the blood relationship of the kings and queens of England was continuous.

This was due to the fact that each new royal dynasty arose from the marriage of its founder with a representative of the previous one. is a state where for 12 centuries women became the head of the country six times.

History carefully preserves the names of Mary I, Elizabeth I, Mary II, Anna, Victoria and the now living Elizabeth II.

Normans

The first kings of England were representatives of the House of Normandy. Moreover, it is interesting that at first Normandy was just a special duchy, and only then - a French province. It began with Norman raids on this northern part of France, and the invaders found refuge between their predatory attacks at the mouth of the Seine River.

In the 9th century, the ranks of the invaders were led by the son of Rognvald - Rolf (Rollon), who had previously been expelled by the Norwegian king. After winning several major battles, Rollo took root in the lands that were called the Norman Country or Normandy.

Seeing that the enemy turned out to be worthy in order to hold power, King Charles of France met with the invader and offered him a coastal part of the state on his own terms: Rollo had to recognize himself as a royal vassal and be baptized. The ambitious exile from the Norwegian kingdom not only accepted the rite of baptism, but also took Gisella, the daughter of Karl, as his wife.

Thus, the beginning of the Dukes of Normandy was laid. Rollo's great-granddaughter became the wife of King Æthelred of England (House of Saxony) and thus the Norman dukes received the official right to claim the throne of Britain. Wilhelm II did an excellent job with this task, from which the royal roots of the Normans began.

This wise leader began his reign by distributing the lands of England to his friends in arms.

And since more and more Norman detachments continued to arrive from the north, there was no shortage of replenishment of the army of William II's associates. The new rulers of England adopted Christianity and began to speak English, retaining, however, traces of the Scandinavian beginning in the Norman dialect. The nature of the Normans was seen in their desire to travel and conquer new countries.

After the death of William "Long Sword", the young Richard became the heir to the Norman duchy. This served as the claims of the French king, which, despite numerous intrigues, ended in nothing, and after the accession to the throne of Richard II, Normandy began to draw closer to England.

This process, not without help, ended with the installation of the new King William on the English throne. Since then, the dynasties of British kings have made repeated attempts to connect England with Normandy, but each time the matter ends only with a new strengthening of family ties.

During the reign of Henry I, new claims to the throne of England began. This time the initiative came from his daughter Matilda, who was then recognized as the legitimate heiress.

After the death of the English king Henry I, Stephen of Blois and Matilda entered into an open war. Matilda was then married for the second time, her husband was Gottfried Plantagenet of Anjou. The latter captures Normandy in 1141, and then King Louis VII recognizes his son Henry as the head of the Norman duchy.

Plantagenets

Since that time, the Plantagenet dynasty originated. They ruled England from 1154-1399. The ancestor of this royal family, Gottfried, got his nickname for the habit of attaching to his military helmet a branch of gorse, the yellow flowers of which were pronounced like planta genista.

He became the husband of Matilda, from their marriage Henry was born (1133), who became, after the death of Stephen of Blois, the founder of the dynasty, that is, the man who ascended the throne of England.

This dynasty lasted for the reign of eight kings. These were Henry II, Richard I, John Landless, Henry III, Edward I, Edward II, Edward III and Richard II. Edward III became the ancestor of the next dynasty - the Lancasters.

Lancasters

This branch comes from the same house as the Plantagenets.

The first representative of the Lancastrian branch to officially ascend the royal throne was Henry IV.

And his father - John of Ghent - was the son of King Edward III. However, the genealogy introduced its reading into this alignment: John of Ghent was the third son of King Edward III, and his second son was Lionel of Clarensky, whose descendant in the person of Edmond Mortimer had more preferable chances for the royal crown.

From the same very prolific King Edward III, another royal branch of England, the York dynasty, also originates. She comes from Edmund, the fourth son of King Edward III.

Lancasters were holders of the titles of earls and dukes. Henry III Plantagenet became the parent of Edmund, he was the youngest son of the king and he bore the modest title of count. His grandson Henry became, through the efforts of Edward III, who ascended the throne in those days, a duke.

Henry's daughter, Blanca, became the wife of Edward III's son, John Plantagenet, who was later elevated to the Duke of Lancaster. The eldest son of John and Blanca became the founder of the dynasty, it was Henry IV.

This royal house stood from 1399 to 1461, not for long. And all because the grandson of Henry IV - Henry VI - died on the battlefield, just like the son of Henry VI - Edward. Twenty-four years after this surname representing the dynasties of England died out, the throne was headed by Henry from the Tudor family - relatives of the Lancasters in the female line.

Tudors

The history of this royal house is very interesting. It originates from Wales, it is a branch of the Coilchen family, and any member of this family automatically has the right to own England. Owen Tudor's son, Maredud, married Henry V's widow, Catherine of France.

The sons of these Tudors, named Edmund and Jasper, were half-brothers of Henry IV. Having ascended the throne, this king of England granted earls to the sons of the Tudor family.

Thus Edmund became Earl of Richmon and Jasper became Earl of Pembroke. After this, the family ties of Lancaster and Tudor were sealed once more. Edmund took to wife Marguerite Beaufort.

She was the great granddaughter of the founder of the Lancastrian branch, John of Gaunt Plantagenet. Moreover, this happened thanks to the legitimized line, which included the descendants of John's mistress - Katherine Swynford, who could not previously claim the highest throne of England. From the marriage of Edmund and Margaret Beaufort, the future King of England, Henry VII, was born.

The fading branch of the Lancasters provided significant assistance to the Tudor dynasty, supporting Henry Tudor, despite the fact that the notorious Duke of Buckingham was also among the Beaufort relatives.

Power in England was seized by Richard III, but he could not hold it, and then Henry ascended the throne, marrying Elizabeth, daughter of Edward IV and initiating the unification of the Lancaster dynasty with the Yorks.

The royal Tudor dynasty after the death of Henry VII continued with the reign of Henry VIII. He had three children. It was they who headed the high throne of England after his death. These were representatives of the Tudor branch, King Edward VI and queens - Mary I "Bloody" and Elizabeth I.

After the death of Elizabeth I, the Tudor dynasty died out. The closest surviving relative was the Scottish King James VI, who was the son of Mary Stuart, the daughter of James V. He, in turn, was born into the world of Margaret Tudor, the sister of Henry VIII. Thus began a new royal dynasty - the Stuarts.

Stuarts

The Stuart dynasty came to the throne in 1603. This surname belongs to the descendants of Walter, who rose to prominence under Malcolm III (XI century). Since then, the glorious dynasty has known many heroes, victories and downfalls.

There is a lot of French blood in the Stuart branch (Magdalene of Valois, Mary of Guise and other royal names).

Mary Stuart, mother of James V, was an orphan and ended up entirely in the hands of Elizabeth I. She deposed the Scottish heiress from the throne and executed her in England. The surviving son of Mary - James VI - united England, Scotland and Ireland, although he ruled for only 22 years.

In general, historians speak of the rule of the Stuarts unfriendly. Representatives of this dynasty are Charles I, James II, Mary Stuart, Anna Stuart and James III. This branch died out with the death of Henry Benedict, who was the grandson of James II.

Hanover

These royal dynasty ruled England from 1714-1901. They originate from the German Welfs. They ascended the throne due to the fact that Catholics, close in kinship to the Tudors, were cut off from the opportunity to take control of the country in their own hands.

The first Hanoverian king did not speak English at all. Historians believe that we are talking about the Regency, which was replaced by the Victorian era. Ruling persons: George III, George IV, William IV and Victoria. Another branch of this dynasty is the Dukes of Cambridge.

Yorks, Windsors and other dynasties

The list of royal dynasties would not be complete without the Yorks, whose reigns were minimal (Edward IV, Edward V and Richard III), the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha dynasty (Edward VII and George V), and the reigning Windsor dynasty (George V, Edward VIII, George VI and Elizabeth II).

Plan
Introduction
1 Youth
2 Character
3 Accession to the throne
4 Conquest of Normandy
5 Reign of Henry I
5.1 Politics in Normandy
5.2 Politics in England
5.3 Church politics
5.4 Foreign policy
5.4.1 France
5.4.2 Germany
5.4.3 Scotland
5.4.4 Wales

6 Succession problem and death
7 Children
Bibliography

Introduction

Henry I, nicknamed Beauclerc (Eng. Henry I Beauclerc; September 1068, Selby, Yorkshire, England - December 1, 1135, Lyon-la-Foret, Normandy) - the youngest son of William the Conqueror, King of England (1100-1135) and Duke of Normandy (1106-1135). According to legend, Henry I was distinguished by learning, for which he received his nickname (fr. Beauclerc - well educated). The reign of Henry I was marked by the restoration of the unity of the Anglo-Norman monarchy after the victory over Robert Curthose in 1106, as well as a whole series of administrative and financial reforms that formed the basis of the state system of England of the High Middle Ages. In particular, the Chamber of the Chessboard was created, the tradition of the approval of the Magna Carta by the English monarchs arose, the local administration and the judicial system were streamlined. The marriage of Henry I with Matilda of Scotland, a descendant of the Anglo-Saxon kings, was an important milestone on the path of rapprochement between the Norman aristocracy and the Anglo-Saxon population of the country, which later led to the formation of the English nation. Henry I left no legitimate male heirs, and after his death, a long civil war broke out in England between his daughter Matilda and his nephew Stephen.

Henry was the youngest son of the English King William the Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders. He was born sometime between May 1068 and May 1069 in Yorkshire, thus becoming the only son of William I born in England after the Norman Conquest. The young prince received his name in honor of King Henry I of France. According to the customs of that time, Henry, as the youngest in the family, was initially prepared for a church career, which apparently explained a more thorough education compared to his older brothers Robert and Wilhelm. According to William of Malmesbury, Henry once said that an uneducated king is like a donkey with a crown. Obviously, he was the first after the conquest by the king of England, who spoke the Anglo-Saxon language. However, there is no exact data on Henry's teachers and places where he received his education, therefore, probably, the enthusiasm of medieval chroniclers regarding the level of education of the future king was greatly exaggerated.

Before his death in 1087, William the Conqueror divided his possessions between his two eldest sons: Robert Kurtgoz received Normandy, and William Rufus - England. He bequeathed only 5,000 pounds of silver to Henry, which, however, made the young prince one of the richest aristocrats in England. Soon he managed to purchase the Cotentin Peninsula and the Avranches region from Duke Robert for 3,000 pounds. This allowed Henry to play an important role in the struggle that unfolded in the 1090s between older brothers to unite the hereditary possessions of William the Conqueror. In 1090, Henry supported Duke Robert against William Rufus and participated in the brutal suppression of the uprising of the citizens of Rouen, but the very next year, when the English king landed in Normandy, he went over to the side of the latter. Soon, however, Wilhelm and Robert reconciled and turned their forces against Henry. The troops of the older brothers invaded the Cotentin and expelled Henry from there. Abandoned by everyone, he retired to Vexen and lived there for several years practically in poverty. According to legend, only three people remained faithful to him: a priest, a knight and a squire who left with him. Later, Henry managed to reconcile with his brothers and he returned to England. In 1094, with the support of William, Henry recaptured a significant part of the Cotentin, despite the resistance of other major Norman barons, led by Robert of Bellem.

2. Character

From his Norman ancestors, Henry inherited a strong character. But, in addition, like other children of William, he was unfriendly, cruel, mean and dissolute, which was manifested in the king's numerous extramarital affairs. Although he spoke Anglo-Saxon and occasionally flirted with the native population of the country, Henry, like other Norman aristocrats, had an aversion to the Anglo-Saxons, and when he became king, did not appoint them to administrative and church positions. However, of all the sons of William the Conqueror, only Henry inherited his father's state talents, which ensured stability for his rule in England and made it possible to significantly increase the efficiency of the state apparatus.

According to William of Malmesbury,

Heinrich was taller than short people, but inferior to tall ones; black hair, thinning from the forehead, eyes with a soft sheen, muscular chest, full body. He liked to joke at the right time, and the variety of affairs did not prevent him from being pleasant in society. Not striving for military glory, he said, imitating the words of Scipio Africanus: "My mother gave birth to me as a ruler, not a soldier." If he could, he won victory without bloodshed; if he could not otherwise, then with little bloodshed. In food, he is not capricious, he rather satisfies hunger than was fed up with various food; he never drank, but only quenched his thirst, condemning the slightest deviation from abstinence both in himself and in others. His eloquence was rather accidental than elaborate, not impetuous, but sufficiently developed.

Henry I was also very fond of exotic animals. A royal menagerie was organized in Woodstock, where, in particular, lions, leopards, lynxes, camels and the king's favorite - a porcupine, presented to the king by Guillaume de Montpellier, were kept. Like his predecessors, Henry's main pastime was hunting. The territory of the royal forest during his reign grew significantly, and the penalties for illegal hunting were sharply tightened, up to the death penalty.

3. Accession to the throne

On August 2, 1100, Henry, along with some other Norman aristocrats, participated in that hunt in the New Forest, during which King William was unexpectedly killed by a random arrow. There is a version that the assassination of the king was not unintentional, but was part of a conspiracy by a group of barons, led by Gilbert Fitz-Richard, in which Henry himself could participate. Be that as it may, as soon as the news of William's death spread among the hunters, Henry, leaving his brother's corpse on the ground, galloped at full speed to Winchester and took possession of the royal treasury. The next day, the Anglo-Norman barons elected him king, despite the protests of supporters of his older brother, Duke Robert, who was returning at that time from the First Crusade. Already on August 5, Henry was crowned King of England in Westminster.

In the first months of his reign, Henry I did a great job of legitimizing his power and gaining the trust of the population. For the first time in English history, a king at his coronation signed a Magna Carta, in which he condemned the methods of government of his predecessor and promised to be guided exclusively by the principles of justice and concern for his subjects. He immediately approached Anselm, the exiled Archbishop of Canterbury, and invited him to return to the country, promising to meet his demands. William II's chief adviser Ranulf Flambard was thrown into prison. On November 11, 1100, Henry I married Matilda, daughter of King Malcolm III of Scotland and Margaret the Holy, granddaughter of the Anglo-Saxon king Edmund Ironside. This gave additional strength to the claims of Henry I to the English throne. He also managed to win the support of the King of France, whose son and heir took part in the first meeting of the Grand Royal Council of Henry I.

4. Conquest of Normandy

Normandy by 1106

At the beginning of 1101, Robert Curthose returned to Normandy, surrounded by a halo of glory for the exploits that he performed in the crusade. At the same time, Ranulf Flambard fled from the Tower, who joined Duke Robert and began to prepare the Norman invasion of England. Some of the English barons, including Robert of Bellemsky, Earl of Shrewsbury, who controlled a significant territory in the west of the country, came out in support of Kurtgoz's claims to the English throne. However, the king acted quickly: confirmation of the coronation charter of Henry I and his oath of "good government" was sent to all the counties, the king personally supervised the preparation of the Anglo-Saxon fird, teaching the peasants how to resist the knightly cavalry, and secured the support of the clergy, led by Archbishop Anselm. This paid off: the rebellion of 1101 did not acquire the same magnitude as the rebellion of Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, in 1088, and most of the English barons remained loyal to the king. Although on July 21, 1101, Duke Robert's troops landed unexpectedly at Portsmouth and soon captured Winchester, their further advance was halted. In Altona, the brothers concluded a peace agreement: Robert recognized Henry as king of England in exchange for the payment of an annual pension of 3,000 marks and Henry's renunciation of all his lands in Normandy, with the exception of Domfront. The king also guaranteed amnesty for the participants in the uprising.

However, as soon as the threat to the throne of Henry I was eliminated, the promise of amnesty was forgotten. In 1102 the king confiscated the lands and titles of Robert of Bellem, the chief supporter of Curthuse in England, and seized his castles. Robert's flight to Normandy provided the king with an excuse to renew the war with his brother. The invasion of Normandy was well prepared: Henry I concluded treaties of alliance and military assistance with all the neighbors of the Duchy of Normandy (King of France, Counts of Flanders and Anjou, Duke of Brittany). In Normandy itself, a significant number of barons and cities tended to support the English king. Already in 1104, Henry I undertook the first campaign in Normandy, fortifying Domfront, placing English garrisons in the castles of his supporters and forcing Duke Robert to cede the county of Evreux to him. At the beginning of 1105, a large English army landed at the Cotentin and soon subjugated the entire peninsula, as well as the territory of Lower Normandy up to Caen. In 1106, the English, supported by contingents from Anjou, Flanders and Brittany, laid siege to Tanchebrey, an important fortress to the east of Avranches. To remove the blockade, Duke Robert himself arrived, who, despite the numerical advantage of the enemy, decided to give a general battle. The Battle of Tanchebray on September 28, 1106 ended with the complete victory of Henry I. The Normans were defeated, and Duke Robert was captured. As a result, Normandy was conquered and the unity of the Anglo-Norman monarchy of the time of William the Conqueror was restored.

Elena Arsenieva

Beautiful Slav

Anna Yaroslavovna and King Henry I of France

I hope you are the king? - with some fear she asked, leaning back and taking a breath after a passionate kiss.

He looked at her wet, swollen lips and answered, thinking only that from now on he could kiss those fresh lips as much as he pleased:

Yes, my beauty. I'm a king.

These words were the first exchanged at the meeting between the King of France Henry I and his bride, the Russian princess Anna Yaroslavovna, who had just arrived from Kyiv.

* * *

On one of the May days of 1051 from the Nativity of Christ, a caravan of carts and horsemen was slowly moving along the road leading to the French city of Reims. The villagers, who worked in the fields that lay near the road, looked at the passers-by with curiosity.

They were blond-haired, light-eyed, tall people, dressed, in a French look, very strange. They looked around curiously. And at the same time they tried to stay as close as possible to the girl sitting on a tall golden-red filly. It was immediately clear that this was not only their mistress, but also a tribeswoman, because she, too, was fair-haired and fair-eyed, with an upturned nose and wide-set eyes. The girl's long braids, intertwined with blue and scarlet ribbons, were almost the same color as the filly's mane. The villagers were not allowed to know that when the Scandinavian skalds sang this beauty in their songs, they called the girl Red for her hair color. She was wearing a strange sleeveless blue dress, and under it was a thin shirt with puffy long sleeves. A small round hat trimmed with fur sat deftly on her proud head. It all looked rich and luxurious, but, by the way, no one had any doubts that only very rich gentlemen could travel with such a long convoy, under such powerful protection.

But this Russian bride is being taken to our king! - suddenly, with amazement, some Peyzanin said - one of those rogues who, in some unknown way, manage to always be perfectly aware of the secrets of the most high-ranking persons. “Our king is planning to marry again!”

Well, she's definitely not related to him! - With pleasure, stopping work and straightening her overworked back so that her breasts stared boldly at the sky, his wife said.

The husband looked at his wife's impressive body with pleasure, then looked at the horsewoman's chiseled frame and shook his head sadly:

Henrio will not like her [A diminutive form of the French version of the name Heinrich - Henri. // Lilya was born in 1891, Ella - in 1896. 1 1 11 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 1 1 11 1 11 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1]. No, you won't like it. Well, what kind of breasts, just look! You don't even see them. Don't worry, you won't feel it. And it is known that our king loves round ones ...

Can you suggest me to him? - the wife grinned lecherously, catching the hubby's greedy glance. - Why not? And round, and we, of course, are not relatives!

The mood of her lord and master changed so abruptly, his hitherto absent-minded look filled with such ferocity that the overly cheerful young woman considered it good to stop dangerous conversations and began zealously waving her hoe.

The villager followed the departing caravan with a stern gaze, then, softening a little, slapped his wife on the magnificent backside and also set to work, muttering philosophically:

Yes, the devil is with them, with her breasts. The main thing is not a sister!

This villager and his playful wife, by the way, did not just scratch their tongues at their bon roi [Good King (fr.).]. They discussed the most important state issue!

The essence of the issue was that the King of France, Heinrich Capet, was desperately unlucky in his personal life. Unlike his ancestors, by the way. He was the grandson of the founder of the new Capetian dynasty, Hugo Capet, who replaced the completely waning Carolingians on the throne. Hugh Capet, Duke of France and Count of Paris, was the son of Duke Hugh the Great and daughter of Henry the Fowler, King of Germany. The first Capet, married to a lovely woman named Adelaide of Aquitaine, cheated on her with a certain person whose name the chronicles have not preserved for us. The second of the Capets, Robert the Pious, was excommunicated for the too passionate love that he had all his life for the Duchess of Burgundy, Bertha ... alas, a married woman. Forced by state considerations to marry Constance of Aquitaine, he found her ugly, quarrelsome, hard-hearted, vindictive and greedy.

However, one merit from Constance, whatever one may say, cannot be taken away. She gave birth to Robert's sons: Henrio and Robert. The eldest subsequently succeeded his father on the throne, becoming Henry I and inheriting his father's bad luck in regard to the intimate side of life. No, not in the sense that he burned with passion for a married lady. Quite the opposite! He loved his fiancee, the daughter of the German Emperor Conrad II, but it was a platonic love - moreover, at a great distance. The poor thing died before she met her fiancé. This made such a heavy impression on the twenty-five-year-old Anriot that for ten years he was looking for a suitable wife for himself, fearing to break his heart again. And finally, he got lucky. Princess Mathilde, niece of Emperor Henry III of Germany, married him. But three months after the wedding, Matilda died!

It was just some kind of curse! Looking for a wife again! There is nothing else for him to do!

And there was something to do. Almost the entire reign of Henry I was spent in an attempt to somehow strengthen the prestige of his small kingdom. In fact, Henry was the king only of Paris and Orleans, and France itself at that time was a scattered fief. Heinrich fought against his younger brother Robert and his mother, Madame Constance, who strove to pull Burgundy from him - and pulled back, against the counts of Valois, who constantly strove to escape from the power of the king, against the German emperor Henry III for possession of Lorraine. Even his only ally, the Duke of Normandy Robert the Devil, and he, in return for loyalty, pulled Vexin from him!

And yet, Henry felt: it would be easier for him to live if, returning after all these bloody battles, he knew that his wife was meeting him on the tower of the royal castle. Not some kind of concubine, of which he had many. Spouse! Henrio desperately gravitated towards decency and dreamed of children. But for this, you first had to get married.

It is only in fairy tales that beauties from large and small kingdoms line up in front of the prince, and he walks between them, thinking that he is ready to marry each, but you need to choose only one. Although ... there were plenty of princesses in large and small kingdoms and at the time described. But here's the problem! All of them were in one degree or another related to Anriot. And I must say that at that time the church forbade all marriages between close relatives. And not in vain! After all, kings, wanting to increase their possessions, married mainly their cousins ​​- cousins, second cousins, fourth cousins, nieces, aunts ... They did not care at all about the bad consequences for offspring - they did not want to look into the future! This, by the way, was the reason for the actual degeneration of the Carolingian dynasty: the descendants of Charlemagne were called Gentle, Bald, Stutterer, Rustic ... All kings were somehow connected by family ties. And where were they to look for highborn brides? Don't marry shepherdesses! This is only good in songs and fairy tales, but in life, alas ...

Why should I send to Turkey for my wife?! - shouted in the hearts of Anriot after ten candidates for the title of Queen of France were rejected because they were relatives of him. Furthermore! His previous marriage to Matilda now turned out to be, one might say, forbidden, for she, too, was some kind of distant relative to him. And none of her many sisters and cousins ​​was fit for his wife. But Germany was his last hope. And, joking sadly about Turkey, he suddenly thought that this might not be a joke at all ...

Well, immediately to Turkey! Why such extremes? - muttered his relative Baudouin, with whom the king discussed his plight. And he grimaced: in the garden where they were talking, sorrowful cries were heard from the window of the castle. It was one of Anrio's mistresses, Clotilde, sobbing. A few minutes ago, Anriot had tried the strength of his fists on her. By the way, it's only considered an honor to be a royal mistress. Being Anrio's mistress was quite dangerous. The French king had several of them, and each often had to be beaten. For what? Yes, because this fool Pope forbade marriages between relatives up to the seventh generation!

Henriot and Baudouin walked a few steps further away, where Clotilde's lamentations were less audible, and Baudouin spoke again:

Why go straight to Turkey? There are other countries! For example, Rabation.

Where is it? - Anrio asked frightened, who possessed a mass of undoubted virtues, but only not an overabundance of learning.

In the far north, - Baudouin answered competently. “Besides, you'd better ask Bishop Gauthier Savoir. It is not for nothing that he bears the nickname Know-It-All.

The Bishop from the city of Me Gauthier Savoir was not in vain called the Know-It-All! He really knew a lot of interesting things, which he immediately reported to the king. So, Gauthier said that, firstly, Rabation is actually called Rus and Russ or Slavs live there. Secondly, it is not in the far north, but only in the northeast. The capital of Russia is the city of Kyiv. It is ruled by Prince Yaroslav, who, oddly enough, bears almost the same nickname as him, Gauthier: the Wise. They say that this prince has daughters at the age of brides, but what they are like, good or not, this Gauthier does not know. To such limits his own wisdom and education do not extend.

What's the difference! Anrio shouted excitedly. - The main thing is that they are not related to me!

That's for sure! - Baudouin chuckled, and Gauthier bowed respectfully:

Indeed so!

Glory to Jesus! the king proclaimed. - Now here's the thing, Gauthier: get ready for the journey.

Can I return to Mo? rejoiced the bishop, who did not like Paris very much.

Which Mo? Who's talking about Mo? The king grimaced in annoyance. "You're going immediately to Rabation, that is, to this one, like her..." He snapped his fingers impatiently. - You must ask Prince Yaroslav for the hand of one of his daughters. Understandably? And let's get ready as soon as possible before someone intercepts my Slavic bride!

Several minutes passed before Gauthier was able to close his gaping mouth in amazement and horror. But, as you know, only fools argue with kings, but he was still nicknamed the Know-It-All ...

And so it happened that in 1044 Bishop Gauthier Savoir went from Paris to Russia, accompanied by the knight Goslin de Chavignac de Chaunet. Neither the king nor his messengers doubted that "these northern, or rather, northeastern barbarians" would gladly give their princess to France.

However, they were greatly disappointed. Or rather, a very large one. They were expected to be rejected.

And Yaroslav the Wise, who answered Anrio with a polite but adamant refusal, could be understood! Kievan Rus at that time was a prosperous, strong state, moreover, widely spread from the Dnieper to the northern seas.

Having won a battle with the Pechenegs near Kiev, Prince Yaroslav founded a magnificent church on the site of the battle and named it Hagia Sophia Metropolitan - in imitation of Sophia of Constantinople. In the same way, in imitation of Constantinople, he erected the Golden Gates in the new, expanded walls of Kyiv. Both of these buildings amazed visitors - even foreigners - with their splendor. By order of Yaroslav, divine books were translated from Greek into Slavonic. Soon one of the world's most impressive libraries of handwritten books gathered in Kyiv. Famous artists came to paint the temples built on the orders of Yaroslav, and the best Greek singers taught Russian churchmen how to sing in chorus. The fame of Russian trading cities spread throughout the world.

Yaroslav, as a very educated and well-read person, of course, heard about France, but not the best. The greatness of the country seems to be in the past. Some kind of insignificant kingdom, and even this trifle is being torn apart by neighbors. The king unsuccessfully tries to strengthen and expand his possessions, but is too weak for this. France has absolutely no influence on other states.

Whether business Germany! To intermarry with Germany is worth a lot. The descendants of the Kiev princes will reign in Poland (through Yaroslav's sister Maria Dobrogneva, who is married to Casimir), in Hungary (through Yaroslav's daughter Anastasia - she is now the wife of the Hungarian king Andras I), in Sweden (through Yaroslav's daughter Elizabeth, who married Harald Norwegian), in Saxony (the son of Yaroslav Igor is married to Kunigunde, daughter of the Margrave of Saxony). It would be nice to put them on the throne of Germany! The ambitious Yaroslav glanced at the German Caesar Heinrich. Caesar was a widow. A man needs a wife. Why not become Anna Yaroslavovna?

Yaroslav sent ambassadors to Emperor Heinrich, who lived at that time in Goslar, with a marriage proposal to his daughter. This was the custom of the time. Yaroslav had no doubts about the agreement. It was at this time that he refused Henry of France, so Gauthier the Know-It-All went from Yaroslav the Wise without salty slurping.

Henriot was very upset by the news he received. He was already dreaming exciting dreams about the beauty of the Slavic princess. He had already seen her in his castle, on his bed - wife, lover, mother of his children! Oddly enough, the refusal of the Kiev prince did not offend him, but only provoked him. Apparently, this girl is really extremely good, if they don’t want to give her away for him, for the French king!

Meanwhile, Emperor Henry of Germany refused Yaroslav. He had other plans for his marriage! It seemed to him much more profitable to marry Agnes of Aquitaine in order to strengthen the influence of the Roman Church in Europe with the help of the noble and influential dukes of Aquitaine.

The refusal of Henry of Germany became known to Henry of France. This did not in the least humiliate Anna Yaroslavovna in his eyes. Henriot understood perfectly well what state interests were. He was very happy with the news. The fact is that over the years that have passed since the first matchmaking with the daughter of the Kiev prince, Anrio continued to look for a wife in large and small kingdoms, however, like a damned one, he stumbled upon cousins ​​everywhere. They became the nightmare of his life, those numerous cousins! And he again asked in 1048 for the hand of the daughter of Prince Yaroslav.

First there was an exchange of letters, then a formal matchmaking. This time, not only Bishop Gauthier and the knight Goslin de Chavignac de Chauny went to Kyiv. Their ranks were reinforced by Roger, Bishop of Châlons-sur-Marne. The king had special confidence in his eminence. And Roger did not disappoint! This time the embassy was successful.

It’s not that during this time Yaroslav tempered his pride ... No, he just looked at what was happening from the other side: after all, an alliance with Paris would further strengthen his position in front of the arrogant Tsargrad-Constantinople! .. Through Svyatoslav, Izyaslav, Anastasia, Elizabeth, Mary- Dobrognev Russia entered into fairly good relations with Rome. An alliance with Henry of France will strengthen these relations. With Tsargrad, Yaroslav was connected only by the marriage of Vsevolod, married to Mary, the daughter of Emperor Constantine Monomakh from his first marriage. Let Byzantium know that if it has a common religion with Kiev, this still does not give it the right to constantly dictate its will in internal and external affairs. Anna will marry a Frenchman - and this will be another flick on the nose of the arrogant Greeks!

And so it happened that the ambassadors not only received the consent of the Kiev prince, but also set off on their way back, not alone, but taking with them a bride for Anrio, Henry I of France: Princess Anna Yaroslavovna.

The path for Yaroslavovna was chosen round, long. Not for the sake of safety, but in order to see relatives: in Gniezno - with aunt Maria Dobrogneva, and in Esztergom, in Hungary - with sister Anastasia.

The whole long, long road - through Gniezno, Krakow, Prague, then towards Esztergom, from there to Rennesburg along the Danube in a boat, then through Worms and Mainz overland to France - Anna consoled herself with the words of Casimir, King of Poland, that there are few countries as beautiful as France. And the mountains there are curly and green, and the forests are abundant with game, and the vineyards are fruitful, and the summer is hot and long, and winter, one might say, is not there ... Well, forests and game - that's all there is at home, but here is a long, hot summer and vineyards ... It's probably good to live in a country where there is almost no snow. Anna didn't like winter.

And finally, the travelers ended up in France. Another day or two, Anna thought, and she would meet a man about whom she had learned a lot of interesting things along the way. King Henry is an excellent rider and a strong man. Perhaps he is not a dazzling handsome man and not as well versed in the sciences and theology as his father, Robert the Pious, but an active and hardworking king who cares about the good of his country. This is a rich sovereign, who owns not only land and vineyards, but also populous cities. He has his own mint. In a word, he will be an excellent husband for the Kievan princess.

For her part, Anna had no doubt that she would be a good wife to him. In any case, will try very hard! To begin with, she taught French all the way with the help of her companions. Since Anna knew Latin perfectly, it was given to her without much difficulty. She had already memorized the first words with which she would greet her future husband in Paris: “Sire! I have come from distant countries to make your life happy! Seeing in you only unsurpassed virtues, I promise you love and fidelity, but I myself expect kindness, love and fidelity from you.

Sir, je suis arrivee… she repeated over and over again. - Sir, je suis arrivee des pays lointains... [Sir, I have arrived... Sovereign, I have arrived from distant lands... (fr.) // - It's time to finally put an end to these omissions (French). ]

Reims is ahead, said Bishop Roger, who was riding next to Anna. - Not far from there to Paris. The king must have already met the messenger I sent and...

Suddenly the bishop broke off and, rising on the stirrups of his mule (both bishops, as befits their rank, had come all the way on animals that did not have the ability to procreate), peered almost frightened ahead. From above, from the hill, the cavalcade rushed.

The blue and red cloaks of the riders fluttered, hooves clattered loudly along the rocky road, and cheers were heard. The rider on the white horse surged forward.

Jesus! Roger exclaimed. - Yes, it's a king!

He raised his hand, stopping the caravan, but Anna involuntarily squeezed the sides of her horse tighter with her knees, she obediently moved forward and soon found herself ahead of everyone. The rider on the white horse also made a sharp gesture, stopping the escorts. Now the white horse and the golden filly alone were moving towards each other.

And so they stopped. Dark brown male eyes and light green female eyes stared at each other with equal concern.

The King shook his head, and Sir Roger, who had been watching him closely from afar, broke out in a cold sweat. However, in the next moment, I saw a smile on the lips of the monarch and realized that this was not a movement of disapproval at all. The king thus expressed admiration for the fact that he was so infinitely lucky!

Finally some luck...

Yes, Anrio simply could not believe his eyes when he saw this bright-eyed beauty. None of his notorious cousins ​​could match her! Not to mention the concubines, who have already managed to gossip about the savagery of the Slavs and their ugliness.

King of England from the Norman dynasty, who ruled from 1100-1135. Son

William I the Conqueror and Matilda. Woman: 1) from 1100 Matilda, daughter

Scottish king Malcolm III (born 1079, died 1118); 2) from 1121

Adelaide of Brabant, daughter of Godfried I, Duke of Lorrian (born 1104 (?)

Henry was the youngest son of William the Conqueror. Father in his will

endowed him with older brothers, leaving England to one, and Normandy to the other.

He gave Henry nothing but 5,000 pounds of silver. In 1090 Henry

united with older brother Robert against his other brother Wilhelm

Red, but the following year Wilhelm landed in Normandy and bowed

Robert to the world. Heinrich, abandoned by everyone, retired to the Vexenian region and

lived there for several years in poverty. Only three people remained faithful to him:

a priest, a knight and a squire who left with him. During these troubled years,

accustomed to own their passions. Later he reconciled with his brother and

came to England.

ill-fated hunt, during which Wilhelm was so unexpectedly slain

shot and died on the spot. As soon as the news of the death of the king spread among

hunters, Henry, leaving the corpse of his brother on the ground, galloped at full speed into

Winchester and took possession of the royal treasury. Norman barons elected

his king, despite the protests of supporters of older brother Robert,

crowned Some time later, at the beginning of 1101, he returned to Normandy

Robert, surrounded by a halo of glory of those feats that he performed in the war with

unfaithful. He was a generous and faithful man, but at the same time

frivolous and willful. Heinrich did not have in character any of those shortcomings,

nor the virtues that his brother had. He was prone to pretense and

double-mindedness and very capable of business. To enlist the support of the Saxons, he,

first of the Norman kings, granted them a charter of liberty, in which he promised

humbly rule the country, observe ancient laws and respect ancient rights.

He married Matilda, daughter of the Scottish king, who belonged to

to the ancient Saxon dynasty. Thus, when Robert came to England

to demand the crown from his brother, the people in the bulk already held the side of Henry.

Negotiations began after several skirmishes. Robert was in dire need of

money and after a short resistance conceded the rights to the throne,

satisfied with an annual pension of 3,000 marks of silver. Then between

the brothers quarreled again. Henry landed with a large army

Normandy. Robert, in his complacency, managed it very badly.

state, so cities and lands began to go over to the side of Henry. AT

September 1106 there was a decisive battle in which the king won

complete victory. Many Norman warriors were killed, 400 noble knights

and Robert himself was taken prisoner. Henry imprisoned his brother in one of his castles,

where he lived for 28 years until his death.

The following years, Henry ruled both parts of his kingdom firmly.

i-arbitrarily. All his previous promises to the Anglo-Saxons, given in the year of adoption

authorities were soon forgotten, and the granted charter was withdrawn from all churches.

Contemporaries complained that the people were brutally oppressed and completely ruined

requisitions. However, the king was just as severe towards the Norman barons, strictly

punishing any breach of order. A lot of trouble brought him rich nobles

on the Continent, in Normandy. He waged stubborn wars with them, gradually pacifying

recalcitrant. At the same time, Henry patronized the sciences and arts, was

an amiable knight, had many mistresses and side children. First wife gave birth

his son William and daughter Matilda, but in 1120 the ship on which

Wilhelm sailed to England, crashed on the rocks. Almost all who were on it, including

heir, drowned. The king first gave his daughter to the German king

Henry V, and after his death in 1126 for Gottfried Plantagenet, son

Angevin Count Fulk. When his son died, he declared Matilda

heir to the throne. He later quarreled with her, but the oath given by the barons

Matilda, remained in force.

Heinrich was greatly deprived by his father in the distribution of the inheritance. If he received Normandy, and England, then Henry got only 5,000 pounds of silver. Henry supported in the war against, but when the brothers reconciled and even made each other heirs, Henry had no choice but to quietly retire to the side. For several years he lived in the wilderness, in the company of a priest, knight and squire, and then, reconciled with, moved to England.

Heinrich took part in the ill-fated hunt, during which he was killed. Taking advantage of the fact that the official heir had not yet returned from the crusade, Henry rushed headlong to the capital to take possession of the royal treasury. The barons proclaimed him king, and three days later he was crowned.

Henry immediately signed the Magna Carta. The document returned to the Saxon nobles part of the freedoms taken away. Henry reconciled with the church, allowing Archbishop Anselm to return to England, and arrested the favorite of the previous king, treasurer Ranulf Flambard, responsible for collecting taxes, and therefore extremely unpopular with the people. In addition, Henry married Edith (Matilda), the daughter of the Scottish king, in whom the blood of the former Saxon kings flowed. By these actions, Henry attracted both barons and commoners to his side, and therefore, who returned from the crusade in 1101, there was no chance of winning. He, of course, invaded England, but behind Henry stood the mountain and the barons, and the common people, and the church. Strongly in need of money, Robert agreed to peace. He renounced his claim to the English crown in exchange for Henry's similar renunciation of Normandy and an annual compensation of 3,000 marks in silver.

Robert was a fearless knight, but a useless ruler. After the iron hand of William the Conqueror, the barons felt weak. In Normandy, strife and anarchy began. Taking advantage of this, in 1106 the English army landed in Normandy and laid siege to Tanchebray. Robert arrived there, determined to give a pitched battle and raise the siege. In a bloody battle, the Norman army was defeated, and Robert Kurtgoz was captured.

Having united England with Normandy, Henry began to rule more firmly and autocratically. The provisions enshrined in the Magna Carta were soon forgotten, and the document itself was withdrawn from all churches. Heinrich treated both the common people and the nobles equally harshly, imposing severe requisitions on both of them, which is why he spent a lot of time on punitive expeditions both on the island and on the mainland. Relations with the church also deteriorated: the king sought to retain the right to appoint bishops, hoping to receive bribes from them. Only in 1107, under the threat of excommunication, did he compromise: the bishops were appointed by the pope, but they swore an oath of allegiance to the king.

Heinrich was no less successful in foreign policy. Due to the marriages of his daughters, he entered into an alliance with the Holy Roman Empire and Anjou, and by taking Matilda of Scotland as his wife, he attracted northern neighbors to his side. Thanks to close contact with England, Scotland almost completely broke with its Celtic past.

Henry died at the end of 1135, believed to have been poisoned by lampreys. He had many illegitimate children, while his only legitimate son, William Adelin, died in a shipwreck on November 25, 1120. Left without male heirs, Henry took an unprecedented step, forcing the barons to swear allegiance to the heiress - his daughter and her son. Among those sworn in was the king's son-in-law. However, this oath did not save England from the civil strife that began immediately after the death of Henry.