The House of Flanders
The beginnings of the House of Flanders :
The House owes its name to the fact that it was the first family to settle permanently in a hereditary territory (9th century) among the Frankish nobility. In addition to its geographical name, the House was also called the Baudouins or the Baudouinides because of its founder, Baudouin I Bras-de-Fer.
Baldwin I is said to be the son of a forester. Later, he became a formidable warrior, which earned him his nickname. According to tradition, he won a fight with a bear as a young man, a feat that brought him to the attention of King Charles the Bald, who made him a noble.
During a stay at the royal court in Senlis around 862, Baldwin kidnapped the princess Judith, daughter of King Charles the Bald. Judith seems to have followed him of her own free will. Fearing the consequences of their marriage, Baldwin and Judith travel to Rome and plead their case to Pope Nicholas I. The pontiff is finally convinced and confirms Baldwin in the northern defence of the kingdom. The marriage was solemnly ratified in Auxerre, according to the sources, in 862 or 863, although the king was not present. Charles the Bald also granted the march of Flanders to the forester as a dowry benefit.
Baudouin was in fact the last count of Belgium II. Around 877 (death of Charles the Bald), the office became hereditary in the house of Baldwin. Flanders enters the feudal era.
The House of Flanders at the beginning of the campaign :
The death of Baldwin VI in 1070 caused a dynastic crisis within the county of Flanders and the county of Hainaut, which had both been united under his father in 1051.
In 1070, the son of Baldwin VI, Arnoul III (aged 16), succeeded him. But at his father's request, he was placed under the supervision of his uncle, Robert the Friesian, who was busy in the north. Richilde, Arnoul's mother, decided to impose her own government, which led the Flemish nobles to revolt and to call Robert, who then led the insurgents against his nephew and mother Richilde of Hainaut. A year later, Arnoul was defeated and killed at the battle of Cassel. The county of Hainaut falls to his younger brother, Baldwin II (House of Hainaut) and Robert becomes Count of Flanders.
It is 1080 and even though many years have passed, Robert the Friesian still fears an attempt by what is now the House of Hainaut to take over the county of Flanders and reunite them. But who knows? Perhaps the roles will be reversed and Robert will reunite his father's legacy under his own House...
Description of the faction :
- Faction leader: Robert I of Flanders, known as "The Friesian".
- Heir to the faction: Robert II of Flanders, known as "The Hierosolymitan".
- Diplomacy at the beginning of the campaign: Is allied with the House of Holland and House of Leuven. Is at war with no one.
- Faction location : In the current Belgian province of East Flanders.
- Strength(s) : Has an average territory, has 2 allies, has a good mix of cities and castles and access to the sea.
- Weakness(es): Has many neighbouring Houses.
Composition of the House of Flanders (present from the beginning of the campaign) :
Direct family (present in the game's family tree):
Robert I the Friesian of Flanders (45) married to Gertrude of Saxony (52). They have 2 children: Robert II of Flanders (15) and Adele of Flanders (15).
Indirect family (brother(s) and/or sister(s) of the faction leader) : None found.
Thank you for reading the article to the end! I hope you enjoyed it! Please feel free to comment on the article, give your opinion and make objective remarks. If I have forgotten something, please let me know and I will correct the article.
Sources used for the article :
- Encyclopaedia Britannica article: "Baldwin I".
- Encyclopaedia Britannica article: "Flanders".
- Wikipedia article : "Comté de Flandre".
- Wikipedia article : "Baudouin Ier de Flandre".
