Arnulf II (960 or 961 – 30 March 987) was
Count of Flanders
The count of Flanders was the ruler or sub-ruler of the county of Flanders, beginning in the 9th century. Later, the title would be held for a time, by the rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and Spain. During the French Revolution, in 1790, the ...
from 965 until his death.
Life
He was the son of
Baldwin III of Flanders and Mathilde Billung of Saxony, daughter of
Herman, Duke of Saxony.
[Detlev Schwennicke, '' Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten'', Neue Folge, Band II (Verlag von J. A. Stargardt, Marburg, Germany, 1984), Tafel 5] His father Baldwin III died in 962, when Arnulf was just an infant, whilst Arnulf's grandfather,
Arnulf I, was still alive.
When Arnulf I died three years later (965), the regency was held by his kinsman Baldwin Balso, who died in 973.
[Jean Dunbabin, ''France in the Making, 843–1180'', Second Edition (Oxford University Press, 2005), p. 73]
By the time Arnulf attained his majority in 976,
Flanders
Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...
had lost some of the southern territory acquired by Arnulf I.
The latter had given some parts of
Picardy
Picardy (; Picard and french: Picardie, , ) is a historical territory and a former administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region of Hauts-de-France. It is located in the northern part of France.
Hist ...
to King
Lothar of France
Lothair (french: Lothaire; la, Lothārius; 941 – 2 March 986), sometimes called Lothair II,After the emperor Lothair I. IIICounting Lothair II of Lotharingia, who ruled over modern Lorraine and Belgium. or IV,Counting Lothair II of Italy. ...
to help assure his grandson's succession, and gave
Boulogne
Boulogne-sur-Mer (; pcd, Boulonne-su-Mér; nl, Bonen; la, Gesoriacum or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department of Pas-de-Calais. Boulogne lies on the C ...
as a
fief
A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of f ...
to another relative.
Then early in Arnulf's minority Lothar had taken
Ponthieu
Ponthieu (, ) was one of six feudal counties that eventually merged to become part of the Province of Picardy, in northern France.Dunbabin.France in the Making. Ch.4. The Principalities 888-987 Its chief town is Abbeville.
History
Ponthieu play ...
and given it to
Hugh Capet
Hugh Capet (; french: Hugues Capet ; c. 939 – 14 October 996) was the King of the Franks from 987 to 996. He is the founder and first king from the House of Capet. The son of the powerful duke Hugh the Great and his wife Hedwige of Saxony, ...
, and the first counts of
Guînes
Guînes (; vls, Giezene, lang; pcd, Guinne) is a commune in the northern French department of Pas-de-Calais. Historically it was spelt ''Guisnes''.
On 7 January 1785, Jean-Pierre Blanchard, a French pioneer in hydrogen-balloon flight, comple ...
had established themselves.
Arnulf died on 30 March 987 at age 26.
[Frederick Lewis Weis, ''Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists, Who Came To America before 1700'', Seventh Edition (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1993), Line 162-20] Shortly after Arnulf's death his widow married King
Robert II of France
Robert II (c. 972 – 20 July 1031), called the Pious (french: link=no, le Pieux) or the Wise (french: link=no, le Sage), was King of the Franks from 996 to 1031, the second from the Capetian dynasty.
Crowned Junior King in 987, he assisted his ...
.
Family
In 976, he married
Rozala of Italy, daughter of
Berengar II of Italy
Berengar II ( 900 – 4 August 966) was the King of Italy from 950 until his deposition in 961. He was a scion of the Anscarid and Unruoching dynasties, and was named after his maternal grandfather, Berengar I. He succeeded his father as Margra ...
, and had two children:
*
Baldwin IV (980–1035), who succeeded his father. He married twice and fathered
Baldwin V.
* Mathilde, who died before 995.
Notes
References
*
See also
*
Counts of Flanders family tree
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arnulf 02,
House of Flanders
Arnulf 2
Medieval child rulers
960s births
987 deaths
Year of birth uncertain