Adela of Normandy, of Blois, or of England (c. 1067 – 8 March 1137),LoPrete, Kimberly. "Adela of Blois." ''Women and Gender in Medieval Europe: An Encyclopedia.'' Ed. Margaret Schaus. New York: Routledge, 2006. 6–7. also known as in Roman Catholicism, was a daughter of

William the Conqueror William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England The monarchy of the United Kingdom, ...

and Matilda of Flanders who later became the countess of Blois, Chartres, and Meaux by marriage to Stephen II of Blois. Her husband greatly benefited from the increased social status and prestige that came with such a marriage. She brought with her not only her bloodline but a

dowry A dowry is a payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price and dower. While bride price or bride service is a payment ...

of money and other movable goods from the prodigious store of Anglo-Norman wealth. She was

regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state ''pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy, ...

of Blois during the absence of her spouse in 1096–1100 and 1101–02, and during the minority of her son from 1102 until 1120. Adela was the mother of King Stephen of England and Bishop Henry of Winchester.

Early life

It is generally believed that Adela was born between 1066 and 1070 after her father's accession to the English throne. Her royal blood marked her as noble in the eyes of her peers. She was the favorite sister of King Henry I of England, and they were probably the youngest of the Conqueror's children. Adela was a high-spirited and educated woman with a knowledge of

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...

. She had three older brothers and one younger, and thus she would not inherit her father's honors; however her bloodline would be a valuable asset to a spouse. Adela married Stephen Henry, son and heir to the count of Blois, between 1080 and 1083, around her fifteenth birthday.LoPrete, Kimberly A. "Adela of Blois: Familial Alliances and Female Lordship." Aristocratic Women in Medieval France. Ed. Theodore Evergates. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 1999. 15. Stephen was nearly twenty years her senior. Stephen inherited Blois, Chartres and Meaux upon his father's death in 1089, as well as lands and right in parts of Berry and Burgundy. The Thibaudian dynasty had other possessions east of Paris, and by the end of Adela's life these were coalescing into the county of Champagne. While Theobald IV takes most of the credit for the emergence of that principality, Adela helped lay its foundations.Daniel Power, Review of: “Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy (C.1050–1134), by William M. Aird Adela of Blois: Countess and Lord (C.1067–1137), by Kimberley LoPrete , The English Historical Review , Oxford Academic." OUP Academic, Oxford University Press, 1 December 2011, academic.oup.com/ehr/article/CXXVI/523/1498/673178. Adela and her husband had a relationship based on trust and mutual respect, if not affection, and she made decisions along with Stephen.Evergates, Theodore, and Kimberly A. LoPrete. "Adela of Blois: Familial Alliances and Female Leadership." Aristocratic Women in Medieval France, 1999, 8–43. Accessed 19 March 2018. She swore, for instance, to bind herself and her husband to protect the bishop of Chartres, then in a dispute with the king of France.

First regency

Stephen-Henry joined the

First Crusade The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a series of religious wars, or Crusades, initiated, supported and at times directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Islamic ...

in 1096, along with his brother-in-law Robert Curthose. Adela filled in as regent for her husband during his extended absence as a leader of the

(1095–1098) as well as during his second expedition in 1101. Stephen's letters to Adela form a uniquely intimate insight into the experiences of the Crusade's leaders and show that he trusted Adela to rule as regent while he was on crusade. Adela's regency included granting monks the right to build new churches, as well as other charters. Adela also worked with Ivo of Chartres at various points, exchanging letters throughout her regency to discuss matters such as the control of misbehaving nuns and larger issues such as disputes about sworn oaths. While her husband was away, Adela would continue to tour their lands, settling disputes, promoting economic growth, and even commanding knights to go to battle with the king. This however was not unique, as during the crusades it was common for noble women to take upon themselves the duties of their male counterparts. The Count of Blois returned to France in 1100 bringing with him several cartloads of maps, jewels and other treasures, which he deposited at Chartres. According to Orderic Vitalis, when Stephen-Henry abandoned the First Crusade returning to France in ignominy, "Adela constantly berated him, even during their love-making", urging him to return to the Holy Land. He was under an obligation to the pope for agreements made years earlier and returned to Antioch to participate in the crusade of 1101. He was ultimately killed in a last stand after the Battle of Ramla in 1102. The image of Adela persuading her ease-loving husband to redeem his reputation through action has proved popular with historians attempting to account for the crusader motivations.

Second regency

Adela continued to act as regent after her husband's death and through her son Thibaud's early rule until her retirement in 1120. Even after Thibaud came of age and no longer needed a regent, Adela continued to issue charters and act as co-ruler of many parts of their land. Adela did not secure a marriage alliance for Thibaud, who did not get married until after Adela's retirement, which helped to maintain her power and influence over both her son and her lands. Adela, a devout Benedictine sympathizer, employed several high-ranking tutors to educate her children. Her youngest son, Henry, was conceived during the single year Stephen was in France between crusading duties. At two years of age Henry was pledged to the Church at Cluny Abbey, Saône-et-Loire, France, as an oblate child, that is, he was dedicated to the service of God, according to medieval practice. Henry went on to be appointed Abbot of Glastonbury and Bishop of Winchester. In that capacity, he sponsored hundreds of constructions including bridges, canals, palaces, forts, castles, and whole villages. In addition, Bishop Henry built dozens of abbeys and chapels and sponsored books including the treasured Winchester Bible. In 1105, after St Anselm visited her during a sickness, she was responsible for communicating the archbishop's earnestness in threatening

excommunication Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...

to her brother Henry I. Orderic Vitalis praises her as a "''wise and spirited woman''" who ably governed her husband's estates and her own. Adela's power and interests are reflected in letters collected, they demonstrate her religiosity and intellect. In one such letter to the public from 1104, Adela gifts a monastery a portion of land with all the wildlife inhabiting it, but she reserves the power to pass judgment upon crimes committed in the area. She also makes sure to mark her place as a woman, tying herself to not only her late husband but her sons. Adela quarrelled with her eldest son William and despite his previously being named heir-designate, she appointed his younger brother Theobald to replace him as heir in 1107. Another son, Stephen of Blois, moved to London in 1111 to join the court of his uncle, King Henry I (Beauclerc), and became his favorite. Upon Beauclerc's death in Normandy (1135), Stephen seized the English throne from Holy Roman Empress Dowager Matilda, King Henry I's daughter, whom the monarch had named as his successor. This started a protracted civil war in England that lasted nearly twenty years.

Retirement

Adela retired to

Marcigny Convent Marcigny () is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. History Marcigny was the site of the first Cluniac nunnery, founded in 1056. St Anselm was unsuccessful in attempting to e ...

in 1120. Though she may have considered retiring to an abbey in Normandy where members of her family, including sisters and nieces, may have already been living, Adela was drawn to and chose the larger, more prestigious convent at Marcigny near her son Henry at

Cluny Abbey Cluny Abbey (; , formerly also ''Cluni'' or ''Clugny''; ) is a former Benedictine monastery in Cluny, Saône-et-Loire, France. It was dedicated to Saint Peter. The abbey was constructed in the Romanesque architectural style, with three churc ...

. Adela may have acted as prioress within the community at Marcigny, though this is not certain. She continued to interact and communicate with her children and the ecclesiastical leaders of lands that she had once ruled, maintaining her influence over the area. In one instance, Adela sent letters to both her son Thibaud and Geoffrey, bishop of Chartres, reminding them of her settlement of a monastic case. In these letters she reminds her son how his father and she felt about alms gifting to monasteries. Later that same year, her daughter

Lucia-Mahaut Richard d'Avranches, 2nd Earl of Chester (1094 – 25 November 1120) was the son of Hugh d'Avranches, 1st Earl of Chester, and his wife, Ermentrude of Clermont. Early life He was seven years old when his father, known as Hugh the Fat, died. Due ...

drowned in the wreck of the '' White Ship'' alongside her husband. Adela lived long enough to see her son Stephen on the English throne, though any response she may have had to this development has been lost. She likely took pride in the ascension of her youngest child, Henry of Blois, to the bishopric of Winchester in 1129. After her death in 1137 at Marcigny, prayers were offered at a number of churches that she had endowed personally or had recognized at some point during her life. Her money, influence, and entry into the convent resulted in Adela becoming a saint of the Catholic Church.

Issue

Adela and Stephen's children are listed here in probable birth order. Their birth order is uncertain. * William, Count of Sully * Theobald II, Count of Champagne *Odo of Blois * Adela, married Milo II of Montlhéry * Stephen, King of England *Lucia-Mahaut, married Richard d'Avranches, 2nd Earl of Chester. Both drowned on 25 November 1120 in the '' White Ship'' disaster. *Agnes, married Hugh III of Le Puiset and were parents to Hugh de Puiset, Bishop of Durham * Alix, married Renaud III of Joigny * Henry, Bishop of Winchester (1096–1171), an oblate child raised at

in Saône-et-Loire, France * Eleanor of Champagne Some of the daughters may have been step-daughters of Adela, rather than biological children. It is known that Adela had five biological sons and may have had three or more daughters, though not all of the daughters were necessarily Adela's biological children. The daughters are not mentioned by name during their youth, only appearing when they reached marriageable age and played an important part in building alliances.

Legacy

Adela is a saint in the Roman Catholic church. Her feast day is 24 February. She was deeply religious and supported scholars and poets. Throughout her life she generously endowed various abbeys and churches, helping to expand and preserve the culture and art of her time.

In fiction

Adela was portrayed by

Nike Arrighi Nike Arrighi (born 9 March 1947) is a French visual artist and former actress, known for roles in several European horror and art house films in the 1960s and 1970s in addition to work in television. Early life Daughter of Italian diplomat and ...

in the two-part BBC TV play ''Conquest'' (1966), about her father's conquest of England, part of the series '' Theatre 625''.

In art

Adela is a featured figure on Judy Chicago's installation piece '' The Dinner Party'', being represented as one of the 999 names on the '' Heritage Floor.''Chicago, 121.

Ancestry

Note

References

External links

* (en)
''Women's Biography: Adela, countess of Blois, Chartres, and Meaux''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adela Of Normandy 1060s births 1137 deaths Female saints of medieval France 11th-century Christian saints 11th-century women rulers 11th-century English people 11th-century French people 12th-century Christian saints 12th-century women rulers 12th-century English people 12th-century French people English princesses House of Normandy Countesses of Chartres Medieval French saints Roman Catholic royal saints Female saints of medieval England Medieval English saints 11th-century English women 11th-century French women 12th-century English women 12th-century French women Children of William the Conqueror Anglo-Normans Daughters of kings