House of Flanders

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House of Flanders
Arms of Flanders.svg
Arms of the County of Flanders
CountryRoyal Standard of the King of France.svg  France
Banner of the Holy Roman Emperor (after 1400).svg  Holy Roman Empire
Vexillum Regni Hierosolymae.svg  Jerusalem
Blason Empire Latin de Constantinople.svg Latin Empire
Founded863
Founder Baldwin Iron Arm
Titles
Estate(s)Flanders, Hainaut, Constantinople, Boulogne
Dissolution10 February 1280
Cadet branches
  • House of Hainaut
  • House of Boulogne
  • House of Mons

The House of Flanders, also called the Baldwins (Latin : Balduini, French : Baudouinides), was a medieval ruling family of Frankish origin that was founded by Baldwin Iron Arm, son-in-law of Charles the Bald. The House of Flanders was the first dynasty to transform a county function of the Carolingian Empire into a hereditary fiefdom, the County of Flanders, falling under West Francia, created by the Treaty of Verdun in 843. [1]

Contents

From 1051, the House of Flanders also reigned over the County of Hainaut, with Baldwin I of Hainaut. In 1119, on the death of Baldwin VII, the family had a series of setbacks, but in 1191, the family recovered the title of Count of Flanders with Baldwin VIII (Baldwin V of Hainaut).

The dynasty established the Latin Empire of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade, and it also briefly ruled the County of Namur (1188–1212). The House of Flanders became extinct in 1280 with the death of Margaret II.

A cadet branch, the House of Boulogne, ruled over the County of Boulogne. Members of this house joined the First Crusade, established the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and produced its first kings.

Genealogy


Family tree

Family tree of the House of Flanders from Baldwin I in 862CE to Margaret II in 1280, with a King of Jerusalem and Emperors of Constantinople. M F Gervais House of Flanders Wiki Tree.pdf
Family tree of the House of Flanders from Baldwin I in 862CE to Margaret II in 1280, with a King of Jerusalem and Emperors of Constantinople.

Arms

Arms of the House of Flanders
Blason Flandre ancien.svg
Count of Flanders (attributed)
Blason Nord-Pas-De-Calais.svg
Count of Flanders
Blason fr Hainaut ancien.svg
Count of Hainaut (Ancient)
Blason Empire Latin de Constantinople.svg
Latin Emperor of Constantinople
Arms of the House of Boulogne
Blason comte fr Boulogne.svg
Count of Boulogne
Armoiries de Jerusalem.svg
King of Jerusalem

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Eustace I, Count of Boulogne, was a nobleman and founder of the Boulogne branch of the House of Flanders. He held the county of Boulogne from 1024 until his death in 1047.

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The County of Boulogne was a county within the Kingdom of France during the 9th to 15th centuries, centred on the city of Boulogne-sur-Mer. It was ruled by the counts of Flanders in the 10th century, but a separate House of Boulogne emerged during the 11th century. It was annexed by Philip II of France in 1212, after which it was treated as part of the county of Artois until it was finally annexed into the royal domain in 1550.

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The army of Godfrey of Bouillon, the duke of Lower Lorraine, in response to the call by Pope Urban II to both liberate Jerusalem from Muslim forces and protect the Byzantine Empire from similar attacks. Godfrey and his army, one of several Frankish forces deployed during the First Crusade, was among the first to arrive in Constantinople. The army was unique in that it included among its warriors the first three kings of Jerusalem, although Godfrey preferred the title Defender of the Holy Sepulchre, Advocatus Sancti Sepulchri, as he believed that the true King of Jerusalem was Christ. This article focuses on the members of the army rather that its exploits which are described in detail in Godfrey’s biography as well as numerous sources listed below.

References

  1. Le Glay, Edward (1814-1894) Auteur du texte (1843). Histoire des comtes de Flandre jusqu'à l'avènement de la maison de Bourgogne. 2 / par Edward Le Glay,... {{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)