Eleanor of Normandy
Encyclopedia
Eleanor of Normandy was a Norman noblewoman and the daughter of Richard II, Duke of Normandy
. She was born between the years 1011 and 1013 in Normandy
, the daughter of Richard and his wife Judith of Brittany
. She had two sisters and three brothers including Robert I, Duke of Normandy, whose illegitimate son was William the Conqueror a.k.a. King William I of England. In 1017, when Eleanor was still a child, her mother Judith died. Duke Richard married secondly Poppa of Envermeu, by whom he had two more sons.
In 1031 she married, as his second wife, Baldwin IV, Count of Flanders
, who was about 30 years her senior. He had a son and heir, Baldwin
, by his first marriage to Ogive of Luxembourg. Eleanor was styled Countess of Flanders
upon her marriage to Baldwin, and together they had one daughter:
Eleanor died in Flanders
sometime after 1071. Her husband had died in 1035, two years after the birth of their only child.
Despite her common nomenclature it is not certain that Eleanor
was her proper name. Eleanor of Aquitaine
, who lived a century later (and married as her second husband Henry II of England
, the great-great-grandson of Eleanor of Normandy's brother Robert), is the first individual in recorded history known to bear the name Eleanor.
Richard II, Duke of Normandy
Richard II , called the Good , was the eldest son and heir of Richard I the Fearless and Gunnora.-Biography:...
. She was born between the years 1011 and 1013 in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, the daughter of Richard and his wife Judith of Brittany
Judith of Brittany
Judith of Brittany was the daughter of Conan I, Duke of Brittany and Ermengarde of Anjou, and the mother of Robert the Magnificent.She was the first wife of Richard the Good, Duke of Normandy, whom she married in 996. They had six children:...
. She had two sisters and three brothers including Robert I, Duke of Normandy, whose illegitimate son was William the Conqueror a.k.a. King William I of England. In 1017, when Eleanor was still a child, her mother Judith died. Duke Richard married secondly Poppa of Envermeu, by whom he had two more sons.
In 1031 she married, as his second wife, Baldwin IV, Count of Flanders
Baldwin IV, Count of Flanders
Baldwin IV of Flanders , known as the Bearded, was Count of Flanders from 988 until his death. He was the son of Arnulf II, Count of Flanders...
, who was about 30 years her senior. He had a son and heir, Baldwin
Baldwin V, Count of Flanders
Baldwin V of Flanders was Count of Flanders from 1035 until his death.He was the son of Baldwin IV, Count of Flanders, who died in 1035.-History:...
, by his first marriage to Ogive of Luxembourg. Eleanor was styled Countess of Flanders
Countess of Flanders
- House of Flanders, 862-1119 :- House of Estridsen, 1119-1127 :- House of Normandy, 1127-1128 :- House of Metz, 1128-1194 :- House of Hainaut, 1194-1278 :- House of Dampierre, 1247-1405 :- House of Valois-Burgundy, 1405-1482 :...
upon her marriage to Baldwin, and together they had one daughter:
- JudithJudith of Flanders, Countess of NorthumbriaJudith of Flanders, Countess of Northumbria, and later Duchess of Bavaria was the wife firstly of Tostig Godwinson, Earl of Northumbria, and secondly of Welf I, Duke of Bavaria...
(1033 – 5 March 1094), married firstly Tostig GodwinsonTostig GodwinsonTostig Godwinson was an Anglo-Saxon Earl of Northumbria and brother of King Harold Godwinson, the last crowned english King of England.-Early life:...
, Earl of NorthumbriaEarl of NorthumbriaEarl of Northumbria was a title in the Anglo-Danish, late Anglo-Saxon, and early Anglo-Norman period in England. The earldom of Northumbria was the successor of the ealdormanry of Bamburgh, itself the successor of an independent Bernicia. Under the Norse kingdom of York, there were earls of...
, by whom she allegedly had issue; and secondly Welf I, Duke of BavariaWelf I, Duke of BavariaWelf I was duke of Bavaria from 1070 to 1077 and from 1096 to his death. He was the first member of the Welf branch of the House of Este. In the Welf genealogy he is counted as Welf IV.-Life and reign:...
, by whom she had surviving issue.
Eleanor died in Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
sometime after 1071. Her husband had died in 1035, two years after the birth of their only child.
Despite her common nomenclature it is not certain that Eleanor
Eleanor
Eleanor is a female given name....
was her proper name. Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages. As well as being Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, she was queen consort of France and of England...
, who lived a century later (and married as her second husband Henry II of England
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
, the great-great-grandson of Eleanor of Normandy's brother Robert), is the first individual in recorded history known to bear the name Eleanor.