Floris II, called Floris the Fat ( – 2 March 1121), was the first from the native dynasty of
Holland
Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...
to be called
Count of Holland
The counts of Holland ruled over the County of Holland in the Low Countries between the 10th and the 16th century.
The Frisian origins
While the Frisian kingdom had comprised most of the present day Netherlands, the later province of Friesland ...
, reigning from 1091 until his death.
Life
Floris was the son of his predecessor
Dirk V and his wife Othilde. Floris II ended the conflict with the
Bishop of Utrecht
List of bishops and archbishops of the diocese and archdioceses of Utrecht.
Medieval diocese from 695 to 1580
Founders of the Utrecht diocese
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(which he inherited from his father, and should be seen in light of the
power struggle between the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor), most likely by becoming his
vassal
A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain ...
. In 1101, he was endowed with the title of
Count of Holland
The counts of Holland ruled over the County of Holland in the Low Countries between the 10th and the 16th century.
The Frisian origins
While the Frisian kingdom had comprised most of the present day Netherlands, the later province of Friesland ...
by the bishop of Utrecht, after acquiring Rhineland (Leiden and surroundings) ('comes de Hollant', up until that time the counts' dominion had been officially referred to as
Frisia
Frisia () is a Cross-border region, cross-border Cultural area, cultural region in Northwestern Europe. Stretching along the Wadden Sea, it encompasses the north of the Netherlands and parts of northwestern Germany. Wider definitions of "Frisia" ...
).
Around 1108, Floris II married
Gertrude, the daughter of
Theodoric II, Duke of Lorraine
Theodoric II (died 30 December 1115), called the Valiant, was the Duke of Lorraine from 1070 to his death. He was the son and successor of Gerhard and Hedwige of Namur. He is sometimes numbered ''Theodoric I'' if the Dukes of the House of Ardenn ...
. Gertrude changed her name to
Petronilla (after a saint venerated as the daughter of
Peter
Peter may refer to:
People
* List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Peter (given name)
** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church
* Peter (surname), a su ...
), in recognition of her loyalty to the
Holy See
The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...
. Petronilla and Floris II had four children, three boys and one girl: Dirk, Floris, Simon and Hedwig, respectively. Dirk became his successor,
Dirk VI of Holland, while Floris became known as
Floris the Black and contested his brother's power.
Bibliography
*Wessels, Johannes Willhelmus (1908). ''History of the Roman-Dutch Law''. Cape Town: The African Book Company.
{{Authority control
Counts of Holland
11th-century births
1121 deaths
Burials at Egmond Abbey
People from Vlaardingen
11th-century nobility from the Holy Roman Empire
12th-century nobility from the Holy Roman Empire
11th-century counts in Europe
12th-century counts in Europe