Robert Curthose
Robert Curthose's monument at Gloucester Cathedral
Duke of Normandy
Reign	9 September 1087 – 1105
Predecessor	William I of England
Successor	William II of England
Consort	Sybilla of Conversano
Detail Issue
William Clito, Count of Flanders Henry of Normandy
Royal house	House of Normandy
Father	William I of England
Mother	Matilda of Flanders
Born	c. 1051 or 1054 Normandy, France
Died	10 February 1134 (aged c. Duke of Normandy is a Title held or claimed by various Norman, French, English and British rulers from the 10th century until the Events 1000 - Battle of Svolder, Viking Age. 1379 - Treaty of Neuberg, splitting the Austrian William I of England ( 1027 His reign which brought Norman culture to England had an enormous impact on the subsequent course of England in the Middle Ages William II (c 1056 &ndash 2 August 1100) the third son of William I of England (William the Conqueror was King of England from 1087 William Clito ( 25 October 1102 &ndash 28 July 1128) was the son of Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy, by his marriage counts of Flanders were the Rulers over the county of Flanders from the 9th century until the abolition of the Countship by the French revolutionaries A royal house or royal dynasty is a familial designation or Family name of sorts used by Royalty. The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. William I of England ( 1027 His reign which brought Norman culture to England had an enormous impact on the subsequent course of England in the Middle Ages Matilda of Flanders (c 1031 – 2 November 1083 was Queen consort of the Kingdom of England and the wife of William I the Conqueror. Circa (often abbreviated c, ca, ca or cca and sometimes Italicized to show it is Latin) means "about" Normandy (Normandie Norman: Normaundie) is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Events 1355 - The St Scholastica's Day riot breaks out in Oxford, England, leaving 63 scholars and perhaps 30 locals dead 79–83) Cardiff Castle, Glamorgan
Burial	Gloucester Cathedral, Gloucestershire

Robert Curthose or Robert II (c. Cardiff Castle (Castell Caerdydd is a medieval Castle and Victorian revival Mansion, transformed from a Norman keep erected over a Roman fort in Cardiff Glamorgan or Glamorganshire (Morgannwg is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. Gloucester Cathedral, or the Cathedral Church of St Peter and the Holy and Undivided Trinity, in Gloucester, England, stands in the north of the city History See also History of Gloucestershire Gloucestershire is a historic county mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in the 10th century 1051 or 1054–February 10, 1134) was the Duke of Normandy from 1087 until 1106 and an unsuccessful claimant to the throne of England. Events 1355 - The St Scholastica's Day riot breaks out in Oxford, England, leaving 63 scholars and perhaps 30 locals dead Duke of Normandy is a Title held or claimed by various Norman, French, English and British rulers from the 10th century until the England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland His nickname, Curthose, comes from the Norman French Courtheuse, meaning short stockings(or in English - curt [short] & hose [stockings] ), as it is sometimes translated, Shortstockings. Norman is a Romance language and one of the Oïl languages. The northern Norman can be classified in the septentrional Oil languages with Picard and William of Malmesbury and Orderic Vitalis report that Robert's father, King William, called him brevis-ocrea (short-boot) in derision. Biography The education William received at Malmesbury Abbey included a smattering of Logic and Physics; Moral philosophy and History, Orderic Vitalis (1075&ndashc 1142 was an English chronicler who wrote one of the great contemporary Chronicles of 11th and 12th century Normandy and

Biography

He was the eldest son of William the Conqueror, the first Norman king of England, and Matilda of Flanders, and a participant in the First Crusade. William I of England ( 1027 His reign which brought Norman culture to England had an enormous impact on the subsequent course of England in the Middle Ages Norman dynasty is the usual designation for the English monarchs which immediately followed the Norman conquest and lasted until the Plantagenet dynasty The Kings of Wessex, who conquered Kent and Sussex from Mercia in 825 became increasingly dominant over the other kingdoms of England during Matilda of Flanders (c 1031 – 2 November 1083 was Queen consort of the Kingdom of England and the wife of William I the Conqueror. The First Crusade was launched in 1095 by Pope Urban II with the dual goals of conquering the sacred city of Jerusalem and the Holy Land and freeing His reign as Duke is noted for the discord with his brothers in England, eventually leading to the absorption of Normandy as a possession of England. Normandy (Normandie Norman: Normaundie) is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy.

His birthdate is usually given as 1054, but may have been 1051. As a child he was betrothed to Margaret, the heiress of Maine, but she died before they could be wed, and Robert didn't marry until his late forties. In his youth, he was reported to be courageous and skillful in military exercises. He was, however, also prone to a laziness and weakness of character that discontented nobles and the King of France exploited to stir discord with his father William. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. He was unsatisfied with the share of power allotted to him, and quarreled with his father and brothers fiercely.

In 1077, he instigated his first insurrection against his father as the result of a prank played by his younger brothers William Rufus and Henry, who had dumped fetid water on him. William II (c 1056 &ndash 2 August 1100) the third son of William I of England (William the Conqueror was King of England from 1087 Henry I (c 1068/1069 – 1 December 1135) was the fourth son of William I the Conqueror, the first King of England after the Norman Robert was enraged, and urged on by his companions, started a brawl with his brothers that was only interrupted by the intercession of their father. Feeling that his dignity was wounded, Robert was further angered when King William failed to punish his brothers. The next day Robert and his followers attempted to seize the castle of Rouen. Rouen (ʁwɑ̃ in French) is the historical capital city of Normandy, in northwestern France on the River Seine, and currently the capital The siege failed, but when King William ordered their arrest, Robert and his companions took refuge with Hugh of Chateauneuf-en-Thymerais. They were forced to flee again when King William attacked their base at Rémalard.

Robert fled to his uncle's court in Flanders before plundering the county of the Vexin and causing such mayhem that his father King William allied himself with King Philip I of France to stop his rebellious son. The Vexin is a former region in France, divided since the 10th century between the Norman Vexin ( Vexin normand) and the French Vexin ( Vexin français Philip I ( 23 May 1052 &ndash 29 July 1108) called the Amorous or the Fat, was King of France from 1060 Relations were not helped when King William discovered that Robert's mother, Queen Matilda, was secretly sending her son money. Matilda of Flanders (c 1031 – 2 November 1083 was Queen consort of the Kingdom of England and the wife of William I the Conqueror. At a battle in January 1079 Robert unhorsed King William in combat and succeeded in wounding him, stopping his attack only when he recognized his father's voice. Humiliated, King William cursed his son, then raised the siege and returned to Rouen.

At Easter 1080 father and son were reunited by the efforts of Queen Matilda, and a truce lasted until 1083. TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. William I of England ( 1027 His reign which brought Norman culture to England had an enormous impact on the subsequent course of England in the Middle Ages Richard was born in 1054 in Normandy, France, the second legitimate son of William the Conqueror, King of England and Duke of Normandy. William II (c 1056 &ndash 2 August 1100) the third son of William I of England (William the Conqueror was King of England from 1087 also Adelaide of Normandy sister of William I of England. Adela of Normandy also known as Adela of Blois and Adela of Henry I (c 1068/1069 – 1 December 1135) was the fourth son of William I the Conqueror, the first King of England after the Norman Robert seems to have left court soon after the death of his mother, Queen Matilda, and spent several years traveling throughout France, Germany and Flanders. He visited Italy seeking the hand of the great heiress Matilda of Tuscany (b. Matilda of Canossa ( Italian: Matilde, Latin: Mathilde; 1046 &ndash 24 July 1115) called la Gran Contessa 1046), but was unsuccessful.

During this period as a wandering knight, Robert sired several illegitimate children. His illegitimate son, Richard, seems to have spent much of his life at the royal court of his uncle, William Rufus. William II (c 1056 &ndash 2 August 1100) the third son of William I of England (William the Conqueror was King of England from 1087 Like his uncle, this Richard was killed in a hunting accident in the New Forest in 1099. The New Forest is an area of southern England which includes the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land heathland and Forest in the heavily-populated An illegitimate daughter was later married to Helias of Saint-Saens. Helias of Saint Saens, Count of Arques was a Norman nobleman of the eleventh and twelfth century who came into conflict with Henry I of England.

In 1087, the Conqueror died of wounds suffered during a riding accident during a siege of Rouen. At his death, he reportedly wanted to disinherit his eldest son, but was persuaded to divide the Norman dominions between his two eldest sons. To Robert, he granted the Duchy of Normandy and to William Rufus he granted the Kingdom of England. The Duchy of Normandy stems from various Danish, Hiberno-Norse, Orkney Viking and Anglo-Danish ( from the Danelaw) invasions of The youngest son Henry was given money to buy land. Of the two elder sons, Robert was considered to be much the weaker and was generally preferred by the nobles who held lands on both sides of the English Channel, since they could more easily circumvent his authority. At the time of their father's death, the two brothers made an agreement to be each other's heir. However, this peace lasted less than a year when barons joined with Robert to displace Rufus in the Rebellion of 1088. The Rebellion of 1088 occurred after the death of William the Conqueror and concerned the division of lands in the Kingdom of England and the Duchy of Normandy It was not a success, in part because Robert never showed up to support the English rebels.

Robert took as his close advisor Ranulf Flambard, who had been previously a close advisor to his father. Ranulf Flambard, also known as Ralph Flambard or Ranulph Flambard and sometimes Ranulf Passiflamme, (c Flambard later became an astute but much-disliked financial advisor to William Rufus until the latter's death in 1100. William II (c 1056 &ndash 2 August 1100) the third son of William I of England (William the Conqueror was King of England from 1087

Robert Curthose at the Siege of Antioch (1097-1098). For other uses please see Siege of Antioch (disambiguation The Siege of Antioch took place during the First Crusade in 1097

In 1096, Robert left for the Holy Land on the First Crusade. The Holy Land ( Arabic: الأرض المقدسة al-Arḍ ul-Muqaddasah;Ancient Aramaic: ארעא קדישא Ar'a Qaddisha; Hebrew: ארץ_הקודש The First Crusade was launched in 1095 by Pope Urban II with the dual goals of conquering the sacred city of Jerusalem and the Holy Land and freeing At the time of his departure he was reportedly so poor that he often had to stay in bed for lack of clothes. In order to raise money for the crusade, he mortgaged his duchy to his brother William for the sum of 10,000 marks.

Robert and William had agreed to name each other the Heir Presumptive of England and Normandy respectively. An heir presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne peerage or other hereditary honor but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an Heir apparent Therefore, when William II died on August 2, 1100, Robert should have inherited the throne of England. Events 338 BC - A Macedonian army led by Philip II defeated the combined forces of Athens and Thebes in the But he was on his return journey from the Crusade, marrying a wealthy young bride to raise funds to buy back his duchy. As a result, his brother Henry was able to seize the crown of England for himself.

Upon his return, Robert, urged by Flambard and several Anglo-Norman barons, led an invasion of England to retake the crown from his brother Henry. In 1101, Robert landed at Portsmouth with his army, but his lack of popular support among the English as well as Robert's own mishandling of the invasion tactics enabled Henry to resist the invasion. History See also History of Portsmouth There have been settlements in the area since before Roman times mostly being offshoots of Portchester, which Robert was forced by diplomacy to renounce his claim to the English throne in the Treaty of Alton. The Treaty of Alton was an agreement signed in 1101 between Henry I of England and his older brother Robert Duke of Normandy in which Robert agreed to It is said that Robert was a brilliant field commander, but a terrible general in the First Crusade. His government (or misgovernment) of Normandy as well as his failed invasion of England proves that his military skills were better than his political skills.

In 1105, however, Robert's continual stirring of discord with his brother in England, as well as civil disorder in Normandy itself, prompted Henry to invade Normandy. Orderic reports on an incident at Easter 1105, when Robert was supposed to hear a sermon by the venerable Serlo, Bishop of Sées. Robert spent the night before sporting with harlots and jesters, and while he lay in bed, sleeping off his drunkenness, his unworthy friends stole his clothes. He awoke to find himself naked, and had to remain in bed and missed the sermon.

In 1106, Henry defeated Robert's army decisively at the Battle of Tinchebray and claimed Normandy as a possession of the English crown, a situation that endured for almost a century. The Battle of Tinchebray (alternate spellings Tinchebrai or Tenchebrai) was fought 28 September 1106, in the town of Tinchebray Captured after the battle, Robert was imprisoned in Devizes castle for 20 years, before being moved to Cardiff. Devizes is a small Market town and Civil parish in the heart of the English county of Wiltshire, in the southern United Kingdom Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales.

In 1134, he died while imprisoned in Cardiff Castle in his early eighties. Cardiff Castle (Castell Caerdydd is a medieval Castle and Victorian revival Mansion, transformed from a Norman keep erected over a Roman fort in Cardiff Robert Curthose, sometime Duke of Normandy, eldest son of the Conqueror, was buried in the abbey church of St. Peter in Gloucester. Gloucester (ˈɡlɒstɚ) is a city, district and County town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. The exact place of his burial is difficult to establish - legend states the he requested to be buried before the High Altar. However, his effigy, carved in bog oak, lies on a mortuary chest decorated with the attributed arms of the Nine Worthies (missing one - Joshua, and replaced with the arms of Edward the Confessor). The effigy dates from about 100 years after his death, and the mortuary chest much later. The church subsequently has become Gloucester Cathedral. Gloucester Cathedral, or the Cathedral Church of St Peter and the Holy and Undivided Trinity, in Gloucester, England, stands in the north of the city

The name 'Curthose' can still be seen today, in France as Courtoise and in Britain as Curthoys. The Curthoys name is thought to originate from Robert Curthose, the eldest son of William the Conqueror.

Ancestors

Family

Robert married Sybilla, daughter of Geoffrey of Brindisi, Count of Conversano (and a grandniece of Robert Guiscard, another Norman duke) on the way back from Crusade. William I of England ( 1027 His reign which brought Norman culture to England had an enormous impact on the subsequent course of England in the Middle Ages Robert the Magnificent ( June 22, 1000 – 3 July 1035) also called Robert the Devil or Robert I, was the Duke of Richard II (born 23 August 963, in Normandy, France &ndash 28 August 1027, in Normandy called the Good Herleva (c 1003 - c 1050 also known as Arlette, Arletta, and Herlève, was the mother of William I of England. Fulbert of Falaise (fl 11th century) was the father of Herleva, mother of the illegitimate William the Conqueror, the 11th-century Duke of Normandy Matilda of Flanders (c 1031 – 2 November 1083 was Queen consort of the Kingdom of England and the wife of William I the Conqueror. Baldwin V of Flanders (died 1 September 1067 was Count of Flanders from 1036 until his death Baldwin IV of Flanders (980– May 30, 1035) known as the Bearded, was Count of Flanders from 988 until his death Adela Capet, Adèle of France or Adela of Flanders, known also as Adela the Holy or Adela of Messines; (1009 – 8 January, 1079 Robert II ( 27 March 972 &ndash 20 July 1031) called the Pious or the Wise, was King of France from 996 Constance of Arles (also known as Constance of Provence ( 986 - July 25, 1034) was the third wife and queen of King Robert II of France. Geoffrey the Elder (died after 1085) a nephew of Robert Guiscard through one of his sisters was the count of Conversano, Brindisi, and Conversano is an ancient town and Comune of Bari province in the Italian region of Puglia. Robert Guiscard (from Latin Viscardus and Old French Viscart, often rendered the Resourceful, the Cunning, the Wily Their son, William Clito, was born October 25, 1102 and became heir to the Duchy of Normandy. William Clito ( 25 October 1102 &ndash 28 July 1128) was the son of Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy, by his marriage Events 1147 - The Portuguese, under Afonso I, and Crusaders from England and Flanders conquer Lisbon after a Sybilla, who was admired and often praised by the chroniclers of the time, died shortly after the birth. William of Malmesbury claims she died as a result of binding her breasts too tightly; both Robert of Torigny and Orderic Vitalis suggest she was murdered by a cabal of noblewomen led by her husband's mistress, Agnes Giffard. Biography The education William received at Malmesbury Abbey included a smattering of Logic and Physics; Moral philosophy and History, Robert of Torigni was a Norman monk and chronicler He was born at Torigni-sur-Vire in central Normandy, at an unknown date Orderic Vitalis (1075&ndashc 1142 was an English chronicler who wrote one of the great contemporary Chronicles of 11th and 12th century Normandy and William Clito was unlucky all his life; his attempts to invade Normandy failed twice (1119) and (1125), his first marriage to a daughter of the count of Anjou was annulled by his uncle's machinations, and even his late inheritance of the county of Flanders was mishandled. William Clito died in 1128 leaving no issue, thus leaving the field clear in the Norman succession (at least until Henry I died).

Robert also had at least two illegitimate children - Richard who died hunting in the New Forest in 1099 (like his uncle a year later), and an unnamed daughter who married Helias of Saint-Saens (a worthy and loyal protector of his young brother-in-law in 1112).

References

• Barlow, Frank. The Kings of Wessex, who conquered Kent and Sussex from Mercia in 825 became increasingly dominant over the other kingdoms of England during William II (c 1056 &ndash 2 August 1100) the third son of William I of England (William the Conqueror was King of England from 1087 This is a list of the individuals who were at any given time considered the next in line to inherit the thrones of England Great Britain or the United Kingdom should the incumbent monarch An heir presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne peerage or other hereditary honor but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an Heir apparent Events 338 BC - A Macedonian army led by Philip II defeated the combined forces of Athens and Thebes in the William (1103– 25 November 1120) surnamed Adelin (alternately rendered as Adelinus, Adelingus, Audelin or Ætheling The Nobility (la noblesse in France, in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period had specific legal and financial rights and William I of England ( 1027 His reign which brought Norman culture to England had an enormous impact on the subsequent course of England in the Middle Ages Duke of Normandy is a Title held or claimed by various Norman, French, English and British rulers from the 10th century until the Henry I (c 1068/1069 – 1 December 1135) was the fourth son of William I the Conqueror, the first King of England after the Norman Frank Barlow (born 1911 is a British historian known particularly for biographies of medieval figures William Rufus, 2000
• David, Charles Wendell. Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy. Cambridge, Mass.  : Harvard University, 1920.
• Green, Judith. "Robert Curthose Reassessed". Anglo-Norman Studies, 22 (1999).
• Mooers, Stephanie L. " 'Backers and Stabbers' : Problems of Loyalty in Robert Curthose's Entourage". Journal of British Studies, 21. 1 (1981): 1-17.

External links

• Robert II, Duke of Normandy at Find A Grave