Goda of England or Godgifu or Gode (c.1004 – c.1049/1056) was the daughter of King Æthelred the Unready and his second wife Emma of Normandy, and sister of King Edward the Confessor. She married firstly

Drogo of Mantes Drogo of Mantes (996–1035) (In French: Dreux de Vexin) was the count of Valois and the Vexin in the early eleventh century from 1027 to his death. He was the oldest son of Walter II, count of Valois, Vexin and Amiens, and his wife Adela. His f ...

, count of the Véxin, probably on 7 April 1024, and had sons by him: *

Ralph the Timid Ralph the Timid, also known as Ralf of Mantes (died 1057), was Earl of Hereford between 1051 and 1055 or 1057. His mother was Godgifu, the daughter of King Æthelred the Unready and his second wife Emma. His father was Drogo of Mantes, Coun ...

earl of Hereford Earl of Hereford is a title in the ancient feudal nobility of England, encompassing the region of Herefordshire, England. It was created six times. The title is an ancient one. In 1042, Godwin, Earl of Wessex severed the territory of Herefordshir ...

. *Gautier (or Walter) III, Count of the Vexin (d.1063), married Biota of Maine (d.1063), daughter of Herbert I of Maine, they both died in suspicious circumstances in the captivity of William Duke of Normandy, the future

William I of England William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was ...

. *Foulques (Fulk) de Vexin (d.1068) She married secondly

Eustace II, Count of Boulogne Eustace II, (), also known as Eustace aux Grenons ("Eustace with long moustaches"),Heather J. Tanner, 'Eustace (II), count of Boulogne (d. c.1087)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004. was Count of Boulogne fro ...

in 1035. This marriage was childless. Historians disagree about the date of her death. Heather Tanner dates it c.1047 and says that Eustace remarried c.1049, whereas Elisabeth van Houts dates her death c. 1056. According to David Bates, the marriage between Godgifu and Eustace was criticised for unspecified reasons at the Council of Reims in 1049, which was presided over by the Pope. This seems to have resulted in an end to the marriage and her return to England, where she was treated generously by her brother. After the

Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...

of England by

William the Conqueror William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was D ...

, the lands owned by Goda in

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...

were given to the Flemish-Norman

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

Bertram de Verdun Bertram de Verdun was the name of several members of the Norman family of de Verdun, native to the Avranchin. According to the historian Mark Hagger, the de Verdun family lived originally in Normandy where they held land, and after the Norman ...

, lord of Farnham Royal, and the

Breton Breton most often refers to: *anything associated with Brittany, and generally **Breton people **Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany ** Breton (horse), a breed **Gale ...

knight Raoul,

count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

Fougères Fougères (; ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Foujerr'') is a Communes of France, commune and a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine Departments of France, department, located in Brittany (administrative region), Brittany, no ...

Notes

References

* Hynde, Thomas (ed). ''The

Domesday Book Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...

: England's History Then and Now''. (1995)

External links

Fit for a King's Sister, British Library
1000s births 1040s deaths 11th-century English people 11th-century English women English princesses Anglo-Saxon royalty Anglo-Saxon women Daughters of kings {{Europe-royal-stub