Louis VI the Fat, king of France

LOUIS VI OF FRANCE

From Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_VI_of_France

Louis VI (1 December 1081 – 1 August 1137), called the Fat (French: le Gros), was King of France from 1108 until his death (1137). Chronicles called him "roi de Saint-Denis".

The first member of the House of Capet to make a lasting contribution to the centralizing institutions of royal power, Louis was born in Paris, the son of Philip I and his first wife, Bertha of Holland. Almost all of his twenty-nine-year reign was spent fighting either the "robber barons" who plagued Paris or the Norman kings of England for their continental possession of Normandy. Nonetheless, Louis VI managed to reinforce his power considerably and became one of the first strong kings of France since the division of the Carolingian Empire. His biography by his constant advisor Abbot Suger of Saint Denis renders him a fully-rounded character to the historian, unlike most of his predecessors.

In his youth, Louis fought the duke of Normandy, Robert Curthose, and the lords of the royal demesne, the Île de France. He became close to Suger, who became his adviser. He succeeded his father on Philip's death on July 29, 1108. Louis's half-brother prevented him from reaching Rheims and so he was crowned on August 3 in the cathedral of Orléans. The archbishop of Reims, Ralph the Green, sent envoys to challenge the validity of the coronation and anointing, but to no avail.

On Palm Sunday 1115, Louis was present in Amiens to support the bishop and inhabitants of the city in their conflict with Enguerrand I of Coucy, one of his vassals, who refused to recognize the granting of a charter of communal privileges. Louis came with an army to help the citizens to besiege Castillon (the fortress dominating the city, from which Enguerrand was making punitive expeditions). At the siege, the king took an arrow to his hauberk, but the castle, considered impregnable, fell after two years.

Louis VI died on August 1, 1137, at the castle of Béthisy-Saint-Pierre, nearby Senlis and Compiègne, of dysentery caused by his excesses, which had made him obese. He was interred in Saint Denis Basilica. He was succeeded on the throne by his son Louis VII, called "the Younger," who had originally wanted to be a monk.

His descendants include Winston Churchill, George Washington and Lady Diana.

He married in 1104 Lucienne de Rochefort — the marriage was annulled. Their child:

1) Isabelle (c.1105 – before 1175), married (ca 1119) William of Vermandois, seigneur of Chaumont

He married in 1115 Adélaide de Maurienne (1092–1154)

Their children:

1) Philip (1116 – October 13, 1131), King of France (1129–31), not to be confused with his brother of the same name; died from a fall from a horse.

2) Louis VII (1120 – November 18, 1180), King of France

3) Henry (1121–75), archbishop of Reims

4) Hugues (born ca 1122)

5) Robert (ca 1123 – October 11, 1188), count of Dreux

6) Constance (ca 1124 – August 16, 1176), married first Eustace IV, count of Boulogne and then Raymond V of Toulouse.

7) Philip (1125–61), bishop of Paris. not to be confused with his elder brother

8) Peter of France (ca 1125–83), married Elizabeth, lady of Courtenay

Louis VI (1 December 1081 – 1 August 1137), called the Fat (French: le Gros), was King of France from 1108 until his death (1137). Chronicles called him "roi de Saint-Denis". The first member of the House of Capet to make a lasting contribution to the centralizing institutions of royal power,[1] Louis was born in Paris, the son of Philip I and his first wife, Bertha of Holland. Almost all of his twenty-nine-year reign was spent fighting either the "robber barons" who plagued Paris or the Norman kings of England for their continental possession of Normandy. Nonetheless, Louis VI managed to reinforce his power considerably and became one of the first strong kings of France since the division of the Carolingian Empire. His biography by his constant advisor Abbot Suger of Saint Denis renders him a fully-rounded character to the historian, unlike most of his predecessors.

In his youth, Louis fought the duke of Normandy, Robert Curthose, and the lords of the royal demesne, the Île de France. He became close to Suger, who became his adviser. He succeeded his father on Philip's death on July 29, 1108. Louis's half-brother prevented him from reaching Rheims and so he was crowned on August 3 in the cathedral of Orléans by Daimbert, Archbishop of Sens. The archbishop of Reims, Ralph the Green, sent envoys to challenge the validity of the coronation and anointing, but to no avail.

On Palm Sunday 1115, Louis was present in Amiens to support the bishop and inhabitants of the city in their conflict with Enguerrand I of Coucy, one of his vassals, who refused to recognize the granting of a charter of communal privileges. Louis came with an army to help the citizens to besiege Castillon (the fortress dominating the city, from which Enguerrand was making punitive expeditions). At the siege, the king took an arrow to his hauberk, but the castle, considered impregnable, fell after two years.

Louis VI died on August 1, 1137, at the castle of Béthisy-Saint-Pierre, nearby Senlis and Compiègne, of dysentery caused by his excesses, which had made him obese. He was interred in Saint Denis Basilica. He was succeeded on the throne by his son Louis VII, called "the Younger," who had originally wanted to be a monk.

He married in 1104: 1) Lucienne de Rochefort — the marriage was annulled.

	Their child: 

1) Isabelle (c.1105 – before 1175), married (ca 1119) William of Vermandois, seigneur of Chaumont
He married in 1115: 2) Adélaide de Maurienne (1092–1154)

	Their children: 

1. Philip (1116 – October 13, 1131), King of France (1129–31), not to be confused with his brother of the same name; died from a fall from a horse.

2. Louis VII (1120 – November 18, 1180), King of France

3. Henry (1121–75), archbishop of Reims

4. Hugues (born ca 1122

5. Robert (ca 1123 – October 11, 1188), count of Dreux

6. Constance (ca 1124 – August 16, 1176), married first Eustace IV, count of Boulogne and then Raymond V of Toulouse.

7. Philip (1125–61), bishop of Paris. not to be confused with his elder brother.

8. Peter of France (ca 1125–83), married Elizabeth, lady of Courtenay

Louis VI (1 December 1081 – 1 August 1137), called the Fat (French: le Gros), was King of France from 1108 until his death (1137). Chronicles called him "roi de Saint-Denis". The first member of the House of Capet to make a lasting contribution to the centralizing institutions of royal power,[1] Louis was born in Paris, the son of Philip I and his first wife, Bertha of Holland.

He married in 1104: 1) Lucienne de Rochefort — the marriage was annulled.

   * Their child:

o 1) Isabelle (c.1105 – before 1175), married (ca 1119) William of Vermandois, seigneur of Chaumont
He married in 1115: 2) Adélaide de Maurienne (1092–1154)

   * Their children:

o
1. Philip (1116 – 13 October 1131), King of France (1129–31), not to be confused with his brother of the same name; died from a fall from a horse.
2. Louis VII (1120 – 18 September 1180), King of France
3. Henry (1121–75), archbishop of Reims
4. Hugues (born ca 1122)
5. Robert (ca 1123 – 11 October 1188), count of Dreux
6. Constance (ca 1124 – 16 August 1176), married first Eustace IV, count of Boulogne and then Raymond V of Toulouse.
7. Philip (1125–61), bishop of Paris. not to be confused with his elder brother.
8. Peter of France (ca 1125–83), married Elizabeth, lady of Courtenay

Louis VI (1 December 1081 – 1 August 1137), called the Fat (French: le Gros), was King of France from 1108 until his death (1137). Chronicles called him "roi de Saint-Denis". The first member of the House of Capet to make a lasting contribution to the centralizing institutions of royal power,[1] Louis was born in Paris, the son of Philip I and his first wife, Bertha of Holland. Almost all of his twenty-nine-year reign was spent fighting either the "robber barons" who plagued Paris or the Norman kings of England for their continental possession of Normandy. Nonetheless, Louis VI managed to reinforce his power considerably and became one of the first strong kings of France since the division of the Carolingian Empire. His biography by his constant advisor Abbot Suger of Saint Denis renders him a fully-rounded character to the historian, unlike most of his predecessors.

In his youth, Louis fought the duke of Normandy, Robert Curthose, and the lords of the royal demesne, the Île de France. He became close to Suger, who became his adviser. He succeeded his father on Philip's death on 29 July 1108. Louis's half-brother prevented him from reaching Rheims and so he was crowned on 3 August in the cathedral of Orléans by Daimbert, Archbishop of Sens. The archbishop of Reims, Ralph the Green, sent envoys to challenge the validity of the coronation and anointing, but to no avail.

On Palm Sunday 1115, Louis was present in Amiens to support the bishop and inhabitants of the city in their conflict with Enguerrand I of Coucy, one of his vassals, who refused to recognize the granting of a charter of communal privileges. Louis came with an army to help the citizens to besiege Castillon (the fortress dominating the city, from which Enguerrand was making punitive expeditions). At the siege, the king took an arrow to his hauberk, but the castle, considered impregnable, fell after two years.

Louis VI died on 1 August 1137, at the castle of Béthisy-Saint-Pierre, nearby Senlis and Compiègne, of dysentery caused by his excesses, which had made him obese. He was interred in Saint Denis Basilica. He was succeeded on the throne by his son Louis VII, called "the Younger," who had originally wanted to be a monk.

[edit] Marriages and children

He married in 1104: 1) Lucienne de Rochefort — the marriage was annulled.

Their child:

1) Isabelle (c.1105 – before 1175), married (ca 1119) William of Vermandois, seigneur of Chaumont

He married in 1115: 2) Adélaide de Maurienne (1092–1154)

Their children:

Philip (1116 – 13 October 1131), King of France (1129–31), not to be confused with his brother of the same name; died from a fall from a horse.

Louis VII (1120 – 18 September 1180), King of France

Henry (1121–75), archbishop of Reims

Hugues (born ca 1122

Robert (ca 1123 – 11 October 1188), count of Dreux

Constance (ca 1124 – 16 August 1176), married first Eustace IV, count of Boulogne and then Raymond V of Toulouse.

Philip (1125–61), bishop of Paris. not to be confused with his elder brother.

Peter of France (ca 1125–83), married Elizabeth, lady of Courtenay

 Louis VI of France "the Fat"1

M, b. 1081, d. 1 August 1137, #2905

Father Philip I of France2,3 b. 1053, d. 29 July 1108

Mother Bertha of Holland (?)2,4 b. circa 1055, d. 1094

Pop-up Pedigree

Reference 5152

Birth* Louis VI of France "the Fat" was born in 1081 at Herbst, France.1,2

Event-Misc* Simon fought for William Rufus in Normandy and was taken prisoner by Louis, son of the the King of France in 1098.5

Title* He held the title of King of France between 1108 and 1137.6

Event-Misc* King Louis VI beseiged Robert de Beaumont at Meulan and took the castle by storm in 1110.7

Marriage* He married second Adelaide of Savoy, daughter of Count Humbert II of Savoy and Gisela of Burgundy, in April 1115 his 2nd wife.1,2

Battle-Bremule* On 20 Aug 1119, Louis VI of France "the Fat" and Henry I Beauclerc led their forces at the Battle of Bremule . See also a href="http://www.deremilitari.org/RESOURCES/SOURCES/bremule.htm"The Battle of Bremule /a. Louis was defeated.8

Death* He died on 1 August 1137 at Chateau Bethizy, Paris, France.1,2

Burial* He was buried at St. Denis, France.2

HTML* Br Weblinks:;

National Politics Web Guide.

Family Adelaide of Savoy b. circa 1092, d. 1 August 1154

Marriage* He married second Adelaide of Savoy, daughter of Count Humbert II of Savoy and Gisela of Burgundy, in April 1115 his 2nd wife.1,2

Children

  1. Louis VII of France "the Young" b. 1121, d. 18 Sep 1180

2. Robert I (?) b. c 1123, d. 11 Oct 1188
3. Peter of France b. c 1125, d. 10 Apr 1183
4. Constance (?) b. 1128, d. 16 Aug 1176
Last Edited 3 Dec 2004

Citations

  1. [S168] Frederick Lewis Weis, Ancestral Roots, 153-24.

2. [S218] Marlyn Lewis, Ancestry of Elizabeth of York.
3. [S168] Frederick Lewis Weis, Ancestral Roots, 101-24.
4. [S168] Frederick Lewis Weis, Ancestral Roots, 101-23.
5. [S347] Carl Boyer 3rd, Medieval English Ancestors of Certain Americans, p. 114.
6. [S338] Frederick Lewis Weis, Ancestral Roots, 8th ed., 101-24.
7. [S347] Carl Boyer 3rd, Medieval English Ancestors of Certain Americans, p. 18.
8. [S347] Carl Boyer 3rd, Medieval English Ancestors of Certain Americans, p. 185.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_VI_of_France

and in French: http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_VI_de_France

Louis VI (1 December 1081 – 1 August 1137), called the Fat (French: le Gros), was King of France from 1108 until his death (1137). Chronicles called him "roi de Saint-Denis". The first member of the House of Capet to make a lasting contribution to the centralizing institutions of royal power,[1] Louis was born in Paris, the son of Philip I and his first wife, Bertha of Holland. Almost all of his twenty-nine-year reign was spent fighting either the "robber barons" who plagued Paris or the Norman kings of England for their continental possession of Normandy. Nonetheless, Louis VI managed to reinforce his power considerably and became one of the first strong kings of France since the division of the Carolingian Empire. His biography by his constant advisor Abbot Suger of Saint Denis renders him a fully-rounded character to the historian, unlike most of his predecessors.

In his youth, Louis fought the Duke of Normandy, Robert Curthose, and the lords of the royal demesne, the Île de France. He became close to Suger, who became his adviser. He succeeded his father on Philip's death on 29 July 1108. Louis's half-brother prevented him from reaching Rheims and so he was crowned on 3 August in the cathedral of Orléans by Daimbert, Archbishop of Sens. The archbishop of Reims, Ralph the Green, sent envoys to challenge the validity of the coronation and anointing, but to no avail.

On Palm Sunday 1115, Louis was present in Amiens to support the bishop and inhabitants of the city in their conflict with Enguerrand I of Coucy, one of his vassals, who refused to recognize the granting of a charter of communal privileges. Louis came with an army to help the citizens to besiege Castillon (the fortress dominating the city, from which Enguerrand was making punitive expeditions). At the siege, the king took an arrow to his hauberk, but the castle, considered impregnable, fell after two years.

Louis VI died on 1 August 1137, at the castle of Béthisy-Saint-Pierre, nearby Senlis and Compiègne, of dysentery. He was interred in Saint Denis Basilica. He was succeeded on the throne by his son Louis VII, called "the Younger," who had originally wanted to be a monk.

Marriages and children

He married in 1104: 1) Lucienne de Rochefort — the marriage was annulled.

   * Their child:

o 1) Isabelle (c.1105 – before 1175), married (ca 1119) William of Vermandois, seigneur of Chaumont
He married in 1115: 2) Adélaide de Maurienne (1092–1154)

   * Their children:

o
1. Philip (1116 – 13 October 1131), King of France (1129–31), not to be confused with his brother of the same name; died from a fall from a horse.
2. Louis VII (1120 – 18 September 1180), King of France
3. Henry (1121–75), archbishop of Reims
4. Hugues (born ca 1122)
5. Robert (ca 1123 – 11 October 1188), count of Dreux
6. Constance (ca 1124 – 16 August 1176), married first Eustace IV, count of Boulogne and then Raymond V of Toulouse.
7. Philip (1125–61), bishop of Paris. not to be confused with his elder brother.
8. Peter of France (ca 1125–83), married Elizabeth, lady of Courtenay

The family of Louis VI le Gros de FRANCE and Adélaïde de SAVOIE

[10402] FRANCE (de), Louis VI le Gros (Philippe Ier & Berthe de HOLLANDE [10403]), roi de France, born about 1078, died 1137-08-01 Paris (Paris : 750056), France, buried Saint-Denis (Seine-Saint-Denis : 930066), France

• married 1115 .. (France)

SAVOIE (de), Adélaïde (Humbert II & Gisle ou Gisèle de BOURGOGNE-IVRÉE [127720])

1) Constance, married France ? (France) 1140-02 Eustache de BLOIS, married between 1153 and 1161 Raymond V ou VI de TOULOUSE

2) Louis VII le Jeune, roi de France, born 1120, died 1180-09-18 Paris (Paris : 750056), France, buried Notre-Dame de Barbeau près Fontainebleau (Seine-et-Marne : 770186), France, married Bordeaux (Gironde : 330063), France 1137-08 Aliénor d'AQUITAINE, married .. (France) 1160-10-18 Adèle de BLOIS de CHAMPAGNE

3) Pierre I, seigneur de Courtenay, etc., married about 1152 Élisabeth de COURTENAY

4) Robert Ier, comte de Dreux, died 1188-10-11, buried Saint-Ived de Braine (Aisne : 020110), France, married about 1144 Havise d'ÉVREUX, married about 1152 Agnès de BAUDEMENT

Bibliographie : Histoire de la maison royale de France (Père Anselme); Mémoires (Société généalogique canadienne-française)

http://www.francogene.com/quebec--genealogy/010/010402.php

Louis VI, Roi de France was a member of the House of Capet.1 Louis VI, Roi de France also went by the nick-name of Louis 'le Gros' (or in English, 'the Fat').1 He succeeded to the title of Roi Louis VI de France in 1108.

http://www.thepeerage.com/p10310.htm#i103092

Filho de Filipe I de França e da sua primeira esposa Berta da Holanda, o seu reinado foi marcado por iniciativas de concentração de poder na coroa. Foi a partir dos reinados de Luís VI e do seu filho, sob os conselhos do abade Suger, que a realeza começou a exercer um papel nacional,[1] em resposta ao apelo dos seus súbditos. A justiça do rei decidiria os conflitos entre diferentes vassalos, confirmaria as cartas de foral das comunas aos burgueses das cidades e garantiria as propriedades do clero.

Depois de repudiar a sua mãe em 1091, e apesar dos protestos do clero, o seu pai casou-se no ano seguinte com Bertranda de Monforte, condessa de Anjou. Desta união nasceram quatro filhos, dois deles varões. Luís, o jovem príncipe nascido do primeiro casamento do rei, foi educado por Suger, futuro abade de Saint-Denis, que se tornou seu amigo íntimo e depois conselheiro.

Depois de ser armado cavaleiro a 24 de Maio de 1098 em Abbeville, Somme, Luís foi associado ao trono depois de combater o duque da Normandia e os senhores castelões dos domínios reais que frequentemente se rebelavam contra a autoridade real.

A 29 de Julho de 1108, Filipe I de França morreu em Melun e, segundo a sua última vontade, foi sepultado na igreja da abadia de Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire. Quando a cerimónia terminou, suspeitando que o seu meio-irmão Filipe de Montlhéry estaria a tentar impedi-lo de chegar a Reims, local tradicional das coroações dos reis de França, apressou-se a chegar a Orleães, a alguns quilómetros de Saint-Benoît, a fim de se sagrar o mais depressa possível.

A 3 de Agosto recebeu «a unção muito santa» das mãos do arcebispo Daimbert de Sens, na catedral de Orleães. Temendo a perda de influência de Reims, o arcebispo desta cidade contestaria posteriormente a validade da sagração, mas o novo rei já fôra coroado.

Luís VI passou a maior parte do seu reinado a combater os nobres salteadores que abusavam do seu poder senhorial e bélico para aterrorizar as populações e diminuir o poder régio. Na mesma linha política encorajou os movimentos comunais, associações profissionais sociais ou religiosas. A partir de 1110, outorgou diversas vantagens fiscais aos habitantes das cidades e o direito de se administrarem sob a direcção de um magistrado. Em 1111 lutou contra os nobres salteadores, como Hugo de Puiset, no interior do domínio real.

No domingo de ramos de 1115, esteve em Amiens para apoiar o bispo e os habitantes da cidade no conflito contra o seu conde [2]. Acompanhado de um exército para ajudar os burgueses a cercar o Castillon (a fortaleza dominante da cidade de Amiens, a partir da qual as forças condais partiam em expedições punitivas), uma flecha penetrou na cota de malha do rei, que acabou por partir sem vencer o cerco da torre que tinha a reputação de inexpugnável.

Depois de iniciar outra expedição contra o nobre salteador de Saint-Brisson-sur-Loire, Luís adoeceu subitamente no castelo de Béthisy-Saint-Pierre, entre Senlis e Compiègne. Morreu a 1 de Agosto de 1137, de disenteria aparentemente causada excessos alimentares que o tinham tornado obeso. Foi sucedido pelo seu filho Luís VII de França, que preferiria ter seguido a vida monástica.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_VI_of_France

Louis VI of France

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Louis VI (1 December 1081 – 1 August 1137), called the Fat (French: le Gros), was King of France from 1108 until his death (1137). Chronicles called him "roi de Saint-Denis". The first member of the House of Capet to make a lasting contribution to the centralizing institutions of royal power,[1] Louis was born in Paris, the son of Philip I and his first wife, Bertha of Holland. Almost all of his twenty-nine-year reign was spent fighting either the "robber barons" who plagued Paris or the Norman kings of England for their continental possession of Normandy. Nonetheless, Louis VI managed to reinforce his power considerably and became one of the first strong kings of France since the division of the Carolingian Empire. His biography by his constant advisor Abbot Suger of Saint Denis renders him a fully-rounded character to the historian, unlike most of his predecessors.

In his youth, Louis fought the duke of Normandy, Robert Curthose, and the lords of the royal demesne, the Île de France. He became close to Suger, who became his adviser. He succeeded his father on Philip's death on July 29, 1108. Louis's half-brother prevented him from reaching Rheims and so he was crowned on August 3 in the cathedral of Orléans. The archbishop of Reims, Ralph the Green, sent envoys to challenge the validity of the coronation and anointing, but to no avail.

On Palm Sunday 1115, Louis was present in Amiens to support the bishop and inhabitants of the city in their conflict with Enguerrand I of Coucy, one of his vassals, who refused to recognize the granting of a charter of communal privileges. Louis came with an army to help the citizens to besiege Castillon (the fortress dominating the city, from which Enguerrand was making punitive expeditions). At the siege, the king took an arrow to his hauberk, but the castle, considered impregnable, fell after two years.

Louis VI died on August 1, 1137, at the castle of Béthisy-Saint-Pierre, nearby Senlis and Compiègne, of dysentery caused by his excesses, which had made him obese. He was interred in Saint Denis Basilica. He was succeeded on the throne by his son Louis VII, called "the Younger," who had originally wanted to be a monk.

His descendants include Winston Churchill, George Washington and Lady Diana.

Marriages and children

He married in 1104: 1) Lucienne de Rochefort — the marriage was annulled.

Their child:

1) Isabelle (c.1105 – before 1175), married (ca 1119) William of Vermandois, seigneur of Chaumont

He married in 1115: 2) Adélaide de Maurienne (1092–1154)

Their children:

Philip (1116 – October 13, 1131), King of France (1129–31), not to be confused with his brother of the same name; died from a fall from a horse.

Louis VII (1120 – November 18, 1180), King of France

Henry (1121–75), archbishop of Reims

Hugues (born ca 1122

Robert (ca 1123 – October 11, 1188), count of Dreux

Constance (ca 1124 – August 16, 1176), married first Eustace IV, count of Boulogne and then Raymond V of Toulouse.

Philip (1125–61), bishop of Paris. not to be confused with his elder brother.

Peter of France (ca 1125–83), married Elizabeth, lady of Courtenay

Notes

^ Norman F. Cantor, The Civilization of the Middle Ages 1993, p 410.

References

Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America Before 1700 by Frederick Lewis Weis, Lines: 96-28, 101-24, 117-24, 117-25, 169A-26, 274A-25

Suger, Abbot of Saint Denis,. The Deeds of Louis the Fat. Translated with introduction and notes by Richard Cusimano and John Moorhead. Washington, DC : Catholic University of America Press,1992. (ISBN 0-8132-0758-4)

Suger, Abbot of Saint Denis,. The Deeds of Louis the Fat. Translated by Jean Dunbabin (this version is free, but has no annotations)

Louis VI (1 December 1081 – 1 August 1137), called the Fat (French: le Gros), was King of France from 1108 until his death (1137). Chronicles called him "roi de Saint-Denis". The first member of the House of Capet to make a lasting contribution to the centralizing institutions of royal power,[1] Louis was born in Paris, the son of Philip I and his first wife, Bertha of Holland. Almost all of his twenty-nine-year reign was spent fighting either the "robber barons" who plagued Paris or the Norman kings of England for their continental possession of Normandy. Nonetheless, Louis VI managed to reinforce his power considerably and became one of the first strong kings of France since the division of the Carolingian Empire. His biography by his constant advisor Abbot Suger of Saint Denis renders him a fully-rounded character to the historian, unlike most of his predecessors.

The crowning of Louis VI in Orléans.

In his youth, Louis fought the Duke of Normandy, Robert Curthose, and the lords of the royal demesne, the Île de France. He became close to Suger, who became his adviser. He succeeded his father on Philip's death on 29 July 1108. Louis's half-brother prevented him from reaching Rheims and so he was crowned on 3 August in the cathedral of Orléans by Daimbert, Archbishop of Sens. The archbishop of Reims, Ralph the Green, sent envoys to challenge the validity of the coronation and anointing, but to no avail.

On Palm Sunday 1115, Louis was present in Amiens to support the bishop and inhabitants of the city in their conflict with Enguerrand I of Coucy, one of his vassals, who refused to recognize the granting of a charter of communal privileges. Louis came with an army to help the citizens to besiege Castillon (the fortress dominating the city, from which Enguerrand was making punitive expeditions). At the siege, the king took an arrow to his hauberk, but the castle, considered impregnable, fell after two years.

Louis VI died on 1 August 1137, at the castle of Béthisy-Saint-Pierre, nearby Senlis and Compiègne, of dysentery caused by his excesses, which had made him obese. He was interred in Saint Denis Basilica. He was succeeded on the throne by his son Louis VII, called "the Younger," who had originally wanted to be a monk.

Contents

[hide]

   * 1 Marriages and children

* 2 Ancestry
* 3 Notes
* 4 References
[edit] Marriages and children

He married in 1104: 1) Lucienne de Rochefort — the marriage was annulled.

   * Their child:

o 1) Isabelle (c.1105 – before 1175), married (ca 1119) William of Vermandois, seigneur of Chaumont
He married in 1115: 2) Adélaide de Maurienne (1092–1154)

   * Their children:

o
1. Philip (1116 – 13 October 1131), King of France (1129–31), not to be confused with his brother of the same name; died from a fall from a horse.
2. Louis VII (1120 – 18 September 1180), King of France
3. Henry (1121–75), archbishop of Reims
4. Hugues (born ca 1122)
5. Robert (ca 1123 – 11 October 1188), count of Dreux
6. Constance (ca 1124 – 16 August 1176), married first Eustace IV, count of Boulogne and then Raymond V of Toulouse.
7. Philip (1125–61), bishop of Paris. not to be confused with his elder brother.
8. Peter of France (ca 1125–83), married Elizabeth, lady of Courtenay
[edit] Ancestry

[show]

v • d • e

Ancestors of Louis VI of France

16. Hugh Capet

8. Robert II of France

17. Adelaide of Aquitaine

4. Henry I of France

18. William I of Provence

9. Constance of Arles

19. Adelaide of Anjou

2. Philip I of France

20. Vladimir I of Kiev

10. Yaroslav I of Kiev

21. Rogneda of Polotsk

5. Anne of Kiev

22. Olof Skötkonung of Sweden

11. Ingegerd Olofsdotter

23. Estrid of the Obotrites

1. Louis VI of France

24. Arnulf, Count of Holland

12. Dirk III, Count of Holland

25. Luitgard of Luxemburg

6. Floris I, Count of Holland

13. Othelendis of Saxony

3. Bertha of Holland

28. Bernard I, Duke of Saxony

14. Bernard II, Duke of Saxony

29. Hildegard of Stade

7. Gertrude of Saxony

30. Henry, Count of Schweinfurt

15. Eilika of Schweinfurt

31. Gerberga of Henneburg

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Norman F. Cantor, The Civilization of the Middle Ages 1993, p 410.

[edit] References

   * Suger, Abbot of Saint Denis,. The Deeds of Louis the Fat. Translated with introduction and notes by Richard Cusimano and John Moorhead. Washington, DC : Catholic University of America Press,1992. (ISBN 0-8132-0758-4)

* Suger, Abbot of Saint Denis,. The Deeds of Louis the Fat. Translated by Jean Dunbabin (this version is free, but has no annotations)
Louis VI of France

House of Capet

Born: 1 December 1081 Died: 1 August 1137

Preceded by

Philip I King of France

with:

Philip (II) as co-King

(14 April 1129 – 13 October 1131);

Louis VII as co-King

(25 October 1131 – 1 August 1137)

29 July 1108 – 1 August 1137 Succeeded by

Louis VII

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_VI_of_France

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_VI_of_France

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_VI_of_France

Louis VI (1 December 1081 – 1 August 1137), called the Fat (French: le Gros), was King of France from 1108 until his death (1137). Chronicles called him "roi de Saint-Denis". The first member of the House of Capet to make a lasting contribution to the centralizing institutions of royal power,[1] Louis was born in Paris, the son of Philip I and his first wife, Bertha of Holland. Almost all of his twenty-nine-year reign was spent fighting either the "robber barons" who plagued Paris or the Norman kings of England for their continental possession of Normandy. Nonetheless, Louis VI managed to reinforce his power considerably and became one of the first strong kings of France since the division of the Carolingian Empire. His biography by his constant advisor Abbot Suger of Saint Denis renders him a fully-rounded character to the historian, unlike most of his predecessors.

In his youth, Louis fought the duke of Normandy, Robert Curthose, and the lords of the royal demesne, the Île de France. He became close to Suger, who became his adviser. He succeeded his father on Philip's death on July 29, 1108. Louis's half-brother prevented him from reaching Rheims and so he was crowned on August 3 in the cathedral of Orléans by Daimbert, Archbishop of Sens. The archbishop of Reims, Ralph the Green, sent envoys to challenge the validity of the coronation and anointing, but to no avail.

On Palm Sunday 1115, Louis was present in Amiens to support the bishop and inhabitants of the city in their conflict with Enguerrand I of Coucy, one of his vassals, who refused to recognize the granting of a charter of communal privileges. Louis came with an army to help the citizens to besiege Castillon (the fortress dominating the city, from which Enguerrand was making punitive expeditions). At the siege, the king took an arrow to his hauberk, but the castle, considered impregnable, fell after two years.

Louis VI died on August 1, 1137, at the castle of Béthisy-Saint-Pierre, nearby Senlis and Compiègne, of dysentery caused by his excesses, which had made him obese. He was interred in Saint Denis Basilica. He was succeeded on the throne by his son Louis VII, called "the Younger," who had originally wanted to be a monk.

He married in 1104: 1) Lucienne de Rochefort — the marriage was annulled.

Their child:

1) Isabelle (c.1105 – before 1175), married (ca 1119) William of Vermandois, seigneur of Chaumont

He married in 1115: 2) Adélaide de Maurienne (1092–1154)

Their children:

Philip (1116 – October 13, 1131), King of France (1129–31), not to be confused with his brother of the same name; died from a fall from a horse.

Louis VII (1120 – November 18, 1180), King of France

Henry (1121–75), archbishop of Reims

Hugues (born ca 1122

Robert (ca 1123 – October 11, 1188), count of Dreux

Constance (ca 1124 – August 16, 1176), married first Eustace IV, count of Boulogne and then Raymond V of Toulouse.

Philip (1125–61), bishop of Paris. not to be confused with his elder brother.

Peter of France (ca 1125–83), married Elizabeth, lady of Courtenay

Louis VI of France

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Louis VI (1 December 1081 – 1 August 1137), called the Fat (French: le Gros), was King of France from 1108 until his death (1137). Chronicles called him "roi de Saint-Denis". The first member of the House of Capet to make a lasting contribution to the centralizing institutions of royal power,[1] Louis was born in Paris, the son of Philip I and his first wife, Bertha of Holland. Almost all of his twenty-nine-year reign was spent fighting either the "robber barons" who plagued Paris or the Norman kings of England for their continental possession of Normandy. Nonetheless, Louis VI managed to reinforce his power considerably and became one of the first strong kings of France since the division of the Carolingian Empire. His biography by his constant advisor Abbot Suger of Saint Denis renders him a fully-rounded character to the historian, unlike most of his predecessors.

In his youth, Louis fought the duke of Normandy, Robert Curthose, and the lords of the royal demesne, the Île de France. He became close to Suger, who became his adviser. He succeeded his father on Philip's death on July 29, 1108. Louis's half-brother prevented him from reaching Rheims and so he was crowned on August 3 in the cathedral of Orléans. The archbishop of Reims, Ralph the Green, sent envoys to challenge the validity of the coronation and anointing, but to no avail.

On Palm Sunday 1115, Louis was present in Amiens to support the bishop and inhabitants of the city in their conflict with Enguerrand I of Coucy, one of his vassals, who refused to recognize the granting of a charter of communal privileges. Louis came with an army to help the citizens to besiege Castillon (the fortress dominating the city, from which Enguerrand was making punitive expeditions). At the siege, the king took an arrow to his hauberk, but the castle, considered impregnable, fell after two years.

Louis VI died on August 1, 1137, at the castle of Béthisy-Saint-Pierre, nearby Senlis and Compiègne, of dysentery caused by his excesses, which had made him obese. He was interred in Saint Denis Basilica. He was succeeded on the throne by his son Louis VII, called "the Younger," who had originally wanted to be a monk.

[edit]Marriages and children

He married in 1104: 1) Lucienne de Rochefort — the marriage was annulled.

Their child:

1) Isabelle (c.1105 – before 1175), married (ca 1119) William of Vermandois, seigneur of Chaumont

He married in 1115: 2) Adélaide de Maurienne (1092–1154)

Their children:

Philip (1116 – October 13, 1131), King of France (1129–31), not to be confused with his brother of the same name; died from a fall from a horse.

Louis VII (1120 – November 18, 1180), King of France

Henry (1121–75), archbishop of Reims

Hugues (born ca 1122

Robert (ca 1123 – October 11, 1188), count of Dreux

Constance (ca 1124 – August 16, 1176), married first Eustace IV, count of Boulogne and then Raymond V of Toulouse.

Philip (1125–61), bishop of Paris. not to be confused with his elder brother.

Peter of France (ca 1125–83), married Elizabeth, lady of Courtenay

Wikipedia:

Louis VI (1 December 1081 – 1 August 1137), called the Fat (French: le Gros), was King of France from 1108 until his death (1137). Chronicles called him "roi de Saint-Denis".

Reign

The first member of the House of Capet to make a lasting contribution to the centralizing institutions of royal power, Louis was born in Paris, the son of Philip I and his first wife, Bertha of Holland. Almost all of his twenty-nine-year reign was spent fighting either the "robber barons" who plagued Paris or the Norman kings of England for their continental possession of Normandy. Nonetheless, Louis VI managed to reinforce his power considerably and became one of the first strong kings of France since the division of the Carolingian Empire. His biography by his constant advisor Abbot Suger of Saint Denis renders him a fully-rounded character to the historian, unlike most of his predecessors.

In his youth, Louis fought the Duke of Normandy, Robert Curthose, and the lords of the royal demesne, the Île de France. He became close to Suger, who became his adviser. He succeeded his father on Philip's death on 29 July 1108. Louis's half-brother prevented him from reaching Rheims and so he was crowned on 3 August in the cathedral of Orléans by Daimbert, Archbishop of Sens. The archbishop of Reims, Ralph the Green, sent envoys to challenge the validity of the coronation and anointing, but to no avail.

On Palm Sunday 1115, Louis was present in Amiens to support the bishop and inhabitants of the city in their conflict with Enguerrand I of Coucy, one of his vassals, who refused to recognize the granting of a charter of communal privileges. Louis came with an army to help the citizens to besiege Castillon (the fortress dominating the city, from which Enguerrand was making punitive expeditions). At the siege, the king took an arrow to his hauberk, but the castle, considered impregnable, fell after two years.

Louis VI died on 1 August 1137, at the castle of Béthisy-Saint-Pierre, nearby Senlis and Compiègne, of dysentery. He was interred in Saint Denis Basilica. He was succeeded on the throne by his son Louis VII, called "the Younger," who had originally wanted to be a monk.

Marriages and children

Epitaph of Louis VI, after 1137, Eglise Abbatiale de Saint Denis, today at Cluny Museum.

He married in 1104: 1) Lucienne de Rochefort — the marriage was annulled on 23 May 1107 at the Council of Troyes by Pope Paschal II.

He married in 1115: 2) Adélaide de Maurienne (1092–1154)

   * Their children:

o
1. Philip (1116 – 13 October 1131), King of France (1129–31), not to be confused with his brother of the same name; died from a fall from a horse.
2. Louis VII (1120 – 18 September 1180), King of France
3. Henry (1121–75), archbishop of Reims
4. Hugues (born ca 1122)
5. Robert (ca 1123 – 11 October 1188), count of Dreux
6. Constance (ca 1124 – 16 August 1176), married first Eustace IV, count of Boulogne and then Raymond V of Toulouse.
7. Philip (1125–61), bishop of Paris. not to be confused with his elder brother.
8. Peter of France (ca 1125–83), married Elizabeth, lady of Courtenay
With Marie de Breuillet, daughter of Renaud de Breuillet de Dourdan, Louis VI was the father of a daughter:

   * Isabelle (ca 1105 – before 1175), married (ca 1119) Guillaume I of Chaumont.

Louis VI (1 December 1081 – 1 August 1137), called the Fat (French: le Gros), was King of France from 1108 until his death (1137). Chronicles called him "roi de Saint-Denis". The first member of the House of Capet to make a lasting contribution to the centralizing institutions of royal power,[1] Louis was born in Paris, the son of Philip I and his first wife, Bertha of Holland. Almost all of his twenty-nine-year reign was spent fighting either the "robber barons" who plagued Paris or the Norman kings of England for their continental possession of Normandy. Nonetheless, Louis VI managed to reinforce his power considerably and became one of the first strong kings of France since the division of the Carolingian Empire. His biography by his constant advisor Abbot Suger of Saint Denis renders him a fully-rounded character to the historian, unlike most of his predecessors.

In his youth, Louis fought the duke of Normandy, Robert Curthose, and the lords of the royal demesne, the Île de France. He became close to Suger, who became his adviser. He succeeded his father on Philip's death on July 29, 1108. Louis's half-brother prevented him from reaching Rheims and so he was crowned on August 3 in the cathedral of Orléans. The archbishop of Reims, Ralph the Green, sent envoys to challenge the validity of the coronation and anointing, but to no avail.

On Palm Sunday 1115, Louis was present in Amiens to support the bishop and inhabitants of the city in their conflict with Enguerrand I of Coucy, one of his vassals, who refused to recognize the granting of a charter of communal privileges. Louis came with an army to help the citizens to besiege Castillon (the fortress dominating the city, from which Enguerrand was making punitive expeditions). At the siege, the king took an arrow to his hauberk, but the castle, considered impregnable, fell after two years.

Louis VI died on August 1, 1137, at the castle of Béthisy-Saint-Pierre, nearby Senlis and Compiègne, of dysentery caused by his excesses, which had made him obese. He was interred in Saint Denis Basilica. He was succeeded on the throne by his son Louis VII, called "the Younger," who had originally wanted to be a monk.

Descendents include Winston Churchill, George Washington and Lady Diana.

Contents

[hide]

   * 1 Ancestors

* 2 Marriages and children
* 3 Notes
* 4 References
[edit] Ancestors

Louis VI's ancestors in three generations Louis VI of France Father:

Philip I of France Paternal Grandfather:

Henry I of France Paternal Great-grandfather:

Robert II of France

Paternal Great-grandmother:

Constance of Arles

Paternal Grandmother:

Anne of Kiev Paternal Great-grandfather:

Yaroslav I the Wise

Paternal Great-grandmother:

Ingigerd Olofsdotter

Mother:

Bertha of Holland Maternal Grandfather:

Floris I, Count of Holland Maternal Great-grandfather:

Dirk III, Count of Holland

Maternal Great-grandmother:

Othelindis of Nordmark

Maternal Grandmother:

Gertrude of Saxony Maternal Great-grandfather:

Bernard II, Duke of Saxony

Maternal Great-grandmother:

Eilika of Schweinfurt

[edit] Marriages and children

He married in 1104: 1) Lucienne de Rochefort — the marriage was annulled.

   * Their child:

o 1) Isabelle (c.1105 – before 1175), married (ca 1119) William of Vermandois, seigneur of Chaumont
He married in 1115: 2) Adélaide de Maurienne (1092–1154)

   * Their children:

o
1. Philip (1116 – October 13, 1131), King of France (1129–31), not to be confused with his brother of the same name; died from a fall from a horse.
2. Louis VII (1120 – November 18, 1180), King of France
3. Henry (1121–75), archbishop of Reims
4. Hugues (born ca 1122
5. Robert (ca 1123 – October 11, 1188), count of Dreux
6. Constance (ca 1124 – August 16, 1176), married first Eustace IV, count of Boulogne and then Raymond V of Toulouse.
7. Philip (1125–61), bishop of Paris. not to be confused with his elder brother.
8. Peter of France (ca 1125–83), married Elizabeth, lady of Courtenay
[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Norman F. Cantor, The Civilization of the Middle Ages 1993, p 410.

Louis VI (1 December 1081 – 1 August 1137), called the Fat (French: le Gros), was King of France from 1108 until his death (1137). Chronicles called him "roi de Saint-Denis". The first member of the House of Capet to make a lasting contribution to the centralizing institutions of royal power,[1] Louis was born in Paris, the son of Philip I and his first wife, Bertha of Holland. Almost all of his twenty-nine-year reign was spent fighting either the "robber barons" who plagued Paris or the Norman kings of England for their continental possession of Normandy. Nonetheless, Louis VI managed to reinforce his power considerably and became one of the first strong kings of France since the division of the Carolingian Empire. His biography by his constant advisor Abbot Suger of Saint Denis renders him a fully-rounded character to the historian, unlike most of his predecessors.

The crowning of Louis VI in Orléans.In his youth, Louis fought the duke of Normandy, Robert Curthose, and the lords of the royal demesne, the Île de France. He became close to Suger, who became his adviser. He succeeded his father on Philip's death on 29 July 1108. Louis's half-brother prevented him from reaching Rheims and so he was crowned on 3 August in the cathedral of Orléans by Daimbert, Archbishop of Sens. The archbishop of Reims, Ralph the Green, sent envoys to challenge the validity of the coronation and anointing, but to no avail.

On Palm Sunday 1115, Louis was present in Amiens to support the bishop and inhabitants of the city in their conflict with Enguerrand I of Coucy, one of his vassals, who refused to recognize the granting of a charter of communal privileges. Louis came with an army to help the citizens to besiege Castillon (the fortress dominating the city, from which Enguerrand was making punitive expeditions). At the siege, the king took an arrow to his hauberk, but the castle, considered impregnable, fell after two years.

Louis VI died on 1 August 1137, at the castle of Béthisy-Saint-Pierre, nearby Senlis and Compiègne, of dysentery caused by his excesses, which had made him obese. He was interred in Saint Denis Basilica. He was succeeded on the throne by his son Louis VII, called "the Younger," who had originally wanted to be a monk.

Contents [hide]

1 Marriages and children

2 Ancestry

3 Notes

4 References

[edit] Marriages and children

He married in 1104: 1) Lucienne de Rochefort — the marriage was annulled.

Their child:

1) Isabelle (c.1105 – before 1175), married (ca 1119) William of Vermandois, seigneur of Chaumont

He married in 1115: 2) Adélaide de Maurienne (1092–1154)

Their children:

Philip (1116 – 13 October 1131), King of France (1129–31), not to be confused with his brother of the same name; died from a fall from a horse.

Louis VII (1120 – 18 September 1180), King of France

Henry (1121–75), archbishop of Reims

Hugues (born ca 1122)

Robert (ca 1123 – 11 October 1188), count of Dreux

Constance (ca 1124 – 16 August 1176), married first Eustace IV, count of Boulogne and then Raymond V of Toulouse.

Philip (1125–61), bishop of Paris. not to be confused with his elder brother.

Peter of France (ca 1125–83), married Elizabeth, lady of Courtenay

Louis VI (1 December 1081 – 1 August 1137), called the Fat (French: le Gros), was King of France from 1108 until his death (1137). Chronicles called him "roi de Saint-Denis". The first member of the House of Capet to make a lasting contribution to the centralizing institutions of royal power,[1] Louis was born in Paris, the son of Philip I and his first wife, Bertha of Holland. Almost all of his twenty-nine-year reign was spent fighting either the "robber barons" who plagued Paris or the Norman kings of England for their continental possession of Normandy. Nonetheless, Louis VI managed to reinforce his power considerably and became one of the first strong kings of France since the division of the Carolingian Empire. His biography by his constant advisor Abbot Suger of Saint Denis renders him a fully-rounded character to the historian, unlike most of his predecessors.

In his youth, Louis fought the duke of Normandy, Robert Curthose, and the lords of the royal demesne, the Île de France. He became close to Suger, who became his adviser. He succeeded his father on Philip's death on 29 July 1108. Louis's half-brother prevented him from reaching Rheims and so he was crowned on 3 August in the cathedral of Orléans by Daimbert, Archbishop of Sens. The archbishop of Reims, Ralph the Green, sent envoys to challenge the validity of the coronation and anointing, but to no avail.

On Palm Sunday 1115, Louis was present in Amiens to support the bishop and inhabitants of the city in their conflict with Enguerrand I of Coucy, one of his vassals, who refused to recognize the granting of a charter of communal privileges. Louis came with an army to help the citizens to besiege Castillon (the fortress dominating the city, from which Enguerrand was making punitive expeditions). At the siege, the king took an arrow to his hauberk, but the castle, considered impregnable, fell after two years.

Louis VI died on 1 August 1137, at the castle of Béthisy-Saint-Pierre, nearby Senlis and Compiègne, of dysentery caused by his excesses, which had made him obese. He was interred in Saint Denis Basilica. He was succeeded on the throne by his son Louis VII, called "the Younger," who had originally wanted to be a monk.

[edit] Marriages and children

He married in 1104: 1) Lucienne de Rochefort — the marriage was annulled.

Their child:

1) Isabelle (c.1105 – before 1175), married (ca 1119) William of Vermandois, seigneur of Chaumont

He married in 1115: 2) Adélaide de Maurienne (1092–1154)

Their children:

Philip (1116 – 13 October 1131), King of France (1129–31), not to be confused with his brother of the same name; died from a fall from a horse.

Louis VII (1120 – 18 September 1180), King of France

Henry (1121–75), archbishop of Reims

Hugues (born ca 1122

Robert (ca 1123 – 11 October 1188), count of Dreux

Constance (ca 1124 – 16 August 1176), married first Eustace IV, count of Boulogne and then Raymond V of Toulouse.

Philip (1125–61), bishop of Paris. not to be confused with his elder brother.

Peter of France (ca 1125–83), married Elizabeth, lady of Courtenay

[edit] Notes

^ Norman F. Cantor, The Civilization of the Middle Ages 1993, p 410.

[edit] References

Suger, Abbot of Saint Denis,. The Deeds of Louis the Fat. Translated with introduction and notes by Richard Cusimano and John Moorhead. Washington, DC : Catholic University of America Press,1992. (ISBN 0-8132-0758-4)

Suger, Abbot of Saint Denis,. The Deeds of Louis the Fat. Translated by Jean Dunbabin (this version is free, but has no annotations)

Louis VI of France

House of Capet

Born: 1 December 1081 Died: 1 August 1137

Preceded by

Philip I King of France

with:

Philip (II) as co-King

(14 April 1129 – 13 October 1131);

Louis VII as co-King

(25 October 1131 – 1 August 1137)

29 July 1108 – 1 August 1137 Succeeded by

Louis VII

William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey (died 1138), was the son of William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey and his first wife Gundred. He is more often referred to as Earl Warenne or Earl of Warenne than as Earl of Surrey.

In January 1091, William assisted Hugh of Grantmesnil (d.1094) in his defense of Courcy against the forces of Robert de Belleme and Duke Robert [1].

Sometime around 1093 he tried to marry Matilda (or Edith), daughter of king Malcolm III of Scotland. She instead married Henry I of England, and this may be the cause of William's great dislike of Henry I, which was to be his apparent motivator in the following years.

He accompanied Robert Curthose (Duke Robert) in his 1101 invasion of England, and afterwards lost his English lands and titles and was exiled to Normandy[2]. There he complained to Curthose that he expended great effort on the duke's behalf and had in return lost most of his possessions. Curthose's return to England in 1103 was apparently made to convince his brother to restore William's earldom. This was successful, though Curthose had to give up all he had received after the 1101 invasion, and subsequently William was loyal to Henry.

To further insure William's loyalty Henry considered marrying him to one of his many illegitimate daughters. He was however dissuaded by Archbishop Anselm of Canterbury, for any of the daughters would have been within the prohibited degrees of consanguinity. The precise nature of the consanguineous relationship Anselm had in mind has been much debated, but it is most likely he was referring to common descent from the father of duchess Gunnor.

William was one of the commanders on Henry's side (against Robert Curthose) at the Battle of Tinchebray in 1106. Afterwards, with his loyalty thus proven, he became more prominent in Henry's court.

In 1110, Curthose's son William Clito escaped along with Helias of Saint-Saens, and afterwards Warenne received the forfeited Saint-Saens lands, which were very near his own in upper Normandy. By this maneuver king Henry further assured his loyalty, for the successful return of Clito would mean at the very least Warenne's loss of this new territory.

He fought at the Battle of Bremule in 1119 [3], and was at Henry's deathbed in 1135.

William's death is recorded as 11-May-1138 in the register of Lewes priory and he was buried with his father at the chapter-house there.

[edit] Family

In 1118 William acquired the royal-blooded bride he desired when married Elizabeth de Vermandois. She was a daughter of count Hugh of Vermandois, a son of Henry I of France, and was the widow of Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester.

By Elizabeth he had three sons and two daughters:

William de Warenne, 3rd Earl of Surrey;

Reginald de Warenne, who inherited his father's property in upper Normandy, including the castles of Bellencombre and Mortemer[4] He married Adeline, daughter of William, lord of Wormgay in Norfolk, by whom he had a son William (founder of the priory of Wormegay), whose daughter and sole heir Beatrice married first Dodo, lord Bardolf, and secondly Hubert de Burgh; Reginald was one of the persecutors of Archbishop Thomas in 1170.

Ralph de Warenne

Gundrada de Warenne, who married first Roger de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Warwick, and second William, lord of Kendal, and is most remembered for expelling king Stephen's garrison from Warwick Castle;

Ada de Warenne, who married Henry of Scotland, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon who made many grants to the priory of Lewes.[5]

Louis VI the Fat, King of France.

Reign 29 July 1108 – 1 August 1137

Coronation 3 August 1108

Consort Lucienne de Rochefort

Adélaide de Maurienne

Father Philip I

Mother Bertha of Holland

Born 1 December 1081

Paris, France

Died 1 August 1137 (aged 55)

Béthisy-Saint-Pierre, France

Burial Saint Denis Basilica, Paris, France

Louis VI (1 December 1081 – 1 August 1137), called the Fat (French: le Gros), was King of France from 1108 until his death (1137). Chronicles called him "roi de Saint-Denis". The first member of the House of Capet to make a lasting contribution to the centralizing institutions of royal power,[1] Louis was born in Paris, the son of Philip I and his first wife, Bertha of Holland. Almost all of his twenty-nine-year reign was spent fighting either the "robber barons" who plagued Paris or the Norman kings of England for their continental possession of Normandy. Nonetheless, Louis VI managed to reinforce his power considerably and became one of the first strong kings of France since the division of the Carolingian Empire. His biography by his constant advisor Abbot Suger of Saint Denis renders him a fully-rounded character to the historian, unlike most of his predecessors.

In his youth, Louis fought the duke of Normandy, Robert Curthose, and the lords of the royal demesne, the Île de France. He became close to Suger, who became his adviser. He succeeded his father on Philip's death on July 29, 1108. Louis's half-brother prevented him from reaching Rheims and so he was crowned on August 3 in the cathedral of Orléans by Daimbert, Archbishop of Sens. The archbishop of Reims, Ralph the Green, sent envoys to challenge the validity of the coronation and anointing, but to no avail.

On Palm Sunday 1115, Louis was present in Amiens to support the bishop and inhabitants of the city in their conflict with Enguerrand I of Coucy, one of his vassals, who refused to recognize the granting of a charter of communal privileges. Louis came with an army to help the citizens to besiege Castillon (the fortress dominating the city, from which Enguerrand was making punitive expeditions). At the siege, the king took an arrow to his hauberk, but the castle, considered impregnable, fell after two years.

Louis VI died on August 1, 1137, at the castle of Béthisy-Saint-Pierre, nearby Senlis and Compiègne, of dysentery caused by his excesses, which had made him obese. He was interred in Saint Denis Basilica. He was succeeded on the throne by his son Louis VII, called "the Younger," who had originally wanted to be a monk.

He married in 1115: 2) Adélaide de Maurienne (1092–1154)

Their children:

Philip (1116 – October 13, 1131), King of France (1129–31), not to be confused with his brother of the same name; died from a fall from a horse.

Louis VII (1120 – November 18, 1180), King of France

Henry (1121–75), archbishop of Reims

Hugues (born ca 1122

Robert (ca 1123 – October 11, 1188), count of Dreux

Constance (ca 1124 – August 16, 1176), married first Eustace IV, count of Boulogne and then Raymond V of Toulouse.

Philip (1125–61), bishop of Paris. not to be confused with his elder brother.

Peter of France (ca 1125–83)

BIOGRAPHY: General Notes:

"The Fat", King of FRANCE Reigned 1108-1137, Gisant Effigy in Abbey Church of St Denis France.

ABBEY CHURCH OF SAINT-DENIS

Volume II The Royal Tombs, Alain Erlande-Brandenburg, Editions De la Lourelle, 7 Rue Dupuytren 75006 Paris

"16. Louis VI d1137...In 1263 and 1264 at the request of Saint Louis, the tombs of the kings of France were disposed at St-Denis and buried between the pillars at the crossing of the transept, the Merovingians and Carolingians in the south, the Capetians in the north. To commemeorate the occasion, sixteen stone gisants were executed (that of Eudes and Hugh Capet disappeared during the French Revolution), all identically dressed and represented in the same fashion: with the eyes open and calm gestures. The face of the queens, emphasized by the play of light about their veils are the most beautiful. Those of Henry I and Robert the Pious are the most expressive. The work of three different artists can be recognized, each bringing a certain diversity to this sereies of gisants without upsetting its overall plan."

BOOKS

Kings and Queens of Europe, Genealogical Chart, Anne Taute and Romilly Squire, Taute, 1989: "Louis VI, Son of Philippe I and Bertha Holland, King of France 1108-1137, Mar =2 Adelaide Maurienne, Died 1137."

The Political History of England, Vol II, George Burton AdamsLongmans Green and Co, 1905, Ch VII, p150:

"...In the summer of 1108, the long reign of Philip I of France had closed, and the reign, nearly as long, of his son, Louis VI, had begun, the first of the great Capetian kings, in whose reign begins a definite policy of aggrandizement for the dynasty directed in great part against their rivals, the English kings..."

p156: [1109] "Henry [I of England] would appear at first sight greatly superior to Louis VI of France in the military power and resources of which he had immediate command, as he certainly was in diplomatic skill. The Capetian king, master only of the narrow domains of the Isle of France, and hardly of those until the constant fighting of Louis' reign hadsubdued the turbulent barons of the province; hemmed in by the dominions, each as extensive as his own, of the great barons nominally his vassals but sending to his wars as scanty levies as possible, or appearing openly in the ranks of his enemies as their own interests dictated; threatened by foreign foes, the kings of England and of Germany, who would detach even these loosely held provinces from his kingdom- the Capetian king could hardly have defended himself at this epoch from aneighbour so able as Henry I, wielding the united strength of England and Normandy, and determined upon conquest. The safety of the Capetian house was secured by the absence of bothe these conditions. Henry was not ambitious of conquest; and ashis troubles with France increased so did dissentions in Normandy, which crippled his resources and divided his efforts. The net result at the close of Henry's reign was that the king of England was no stronger than in 1110, unless we count the uncertain prospect of the Angevin succession; while the king of France was master of larger resources and a growing power."

Ch IX, p210: [1137] "In May [Stephen] had an interview with Louis VI of France, and was recognized by him as duke, on the same terms as Henry I had been, his son Eustace doing homage in his stead..."

The Story of the Plantagenets, Vol I, The Conquering Family, Thomas B Costain, Doubleday & Co, Garden City, 1949, p38:

"...Louis the Fat was King of France at this juncture, and his avoirdupois made it impossible for him to be lifted out of bed. The mind functioning in this mass of fatty degeneration was keen, nonetheless, and fully conscious fo the necessity of finding a French husband forthe vivacious Eleanor. He finally decided to marry her to his own son, who was to rule after him as Louis VII."

Eleanor of Aquitaine the Mother Queen, Desmond Seward, 1978, Dorset Press, p20:

"Louis VI was accused, with justice, of making a god out of his belly, and by his mid-forties he was too fat to mount a norse, yet for all his gluttony he was determined to be more than just duke of the Lle de France'. After enforcing strict law and order for the first time throughout the Capetian domains, by military skill and sheer force of character, he then made even his greatest vassals defer to him as a judge and arbitrator, as in the disputed succession to the lordship of Bourbon. By 1124 his vassals had grown dutiful enough to help him fight off an invasion by the emperor Henry V and the English king Henry I. Louis also found other sources of support by issuing to town communes throughout France (though seldom in his own territory) charters to set up corporations, which freed them from feudal obligations to their local lord. Understandably, Louis le gros' cast greedy eyes on Aquitaine and its heiress. With such a king, Eleanor would have to gove priority to a Capetian suitor. In any case, shouldher father die, the wardship of herself and of her fief would fall to the king..."

p23: "...On 8 August [1137] Eleanor and Louis were consecrated duke and duchess of Aquitaine...During the banquet in Maubergeon that followed, abbot Suger brought them the news that Louis VI had died a week earlier, killed by gluttony."

Europe in the Middle Ages, Robert S Hoyt, 1957, Harcourt Brace & Co, p623: "Genealogical Table III, The Capetian Dynasty, Louis VI (1108-1137)..."

The Story of Civilization, Will Durant, Vol IV, The Age of Faith, Bk V, The Climax of Chrisianity, Ch XXV, The Recovery of Europe, Sec XI France, p688: "...Having grown fat at forty-five, Philip handed over the major affairs of state to his son Louis VI (1108-1137), himself known as Louis the Fat..." "...not until 1104, after Philip and the papacy had settled some of their political differences, did Paschal II turn a blind eye to his relations with Bertrada. By this time Louis VI, Philip's son byBertha, had taken over the administration of the kingdom, Philip having been rendered inactive by his extreme obesity."

The Story of Civilization, Will Durant, Vol IV, The Age of Faith, Bk V, The Climax of Christianity, Ch XXV, The Recovery ofEurope, Sec XI, France, p688: "Louis VI (1108-1137), known as Louis the Fat, deserved a better name. For twenty four years he fought, finally with success, the robber barons who plundered travelers on the roads; he strengthened the monarchy byorganizing a competent army; he did what he could to protect the peasants, the artisans, and the communes; and he had the good sense to make the Abbot Suger his chief minister and friend. Suger of St. Denis (1081-1151) was the Richelieu of the twelfth century. He managed the affairs of France with wisdom, justice, and farsight; he encouraged and improved agriculture; he designed and built one of the earliest and finest masterpieces of Gothic style; and he wrote an illuminating account of his ministry and work. He was the most valuable bequest left by Louis the Fat to his son, whom Suger served till death."

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1981, Micropaedia, Vol VI, p343, Louis VI: "Also called Louis Le Gros', meaning The Fat', Born 1081, Died 1 Aug 1137, King of France from 1108 to 1137; he brought power and dignity to the French crown by his recovery of royal authority over the feudal nobles in his domains of the Ile-de-France and the Orleanais.

"Louis was designated by his father, Philip I, as his successor in 1098. After trying to subjugate his vassals in 1100, Louis realized that he would first have to gain a firmer control over the lands that he already possessed before seeking territorial acquisitions. From his pacification program Louis developed several important concepts for future kings: for example, that the king was a vassal of no man and that it was the king's duty to preserve peace and justice in his kingdom.

"Louis hada good relationship with the church and clergy. He has been presented by some historians as the father of communes or towns, but in fact he recognized towns only out of circumstance rather than from principle.

"Louis' major wars were against King Henry I of England during the periods 1104-1113 and 1116-1120. When Charles the Good, Count of Flanders, was assassinated in 1127, Louis supported William Clito, who became the successor; even though William was eventually toppled, Louis' actions demonstrated the new strength of the monarchy. Louis' last major achievement was to arrange a marriage between his son Louis VII and Eleanor, heiress of William X, Duke of Aquitaine. Abbot Suger of Saint-Denis, a most trusted adviser, is the primary historian for Louis' reign."

BIOGRAPHY: General Notes:

"The Fat", King of FRANCE Reigned 1108-1137, Gisant Effigy in Abbey Church of St Denis France.

ABBEY CHURCH OF SAINT-DENIS

Volume II The Royal Tombs, Alain Erlande-Brandenburg, Editions De la Lourelle, 7 Rue Dupuytren 75006 Paris

"16. Louis VI d1137...In 1263 and 1264 at the request of Saint Louis, the tombs of the kings of France were disposed at St-Denis and buried between the pillars at the crossing of the transept, the Merovingians and Carolingians in the south, the Capetians in the north. To commemeorate the occasion, sixteen stone gisants were executed (that of Eudes and Hugh Capet disappeared during the French Revolution), all identically dressed and represented in the same fashion: with the eyes open and calm gestures. The face of the queens, emphasized by the play of light about their veils are the most beautiful. Those of Henry I and Robert the Pious are the most expressive. The work of three different artists can be recognized, each bringing a certain diversity to this sereies of gisants without upsetting its overall plan."

BOOKS

Kings and Queens of Europe, Genealogical Chart, Anne Taute and Romilly Squire, Taute, 1989: "Louis VI, Son of Philippe I and Bertha Holland, King of France 1108-1137, Mar =2 Adelaide Maurienne, Died 1137."

The Political History of England, Vol II, George Burton AdamsLongmans Green and Co, 1905, Ch VII, p150:

"...In the summer of 1108, the long reign of Philip I of France had closed, and the reign, nearly as long, of his son, Louis VI, had begun, the first of the great Capetian kings, in whose reign begins a definite policy of aggrandizement for the dynasty directed in great part against their rivals, the English kings..."

p156: [1109] "Henry [I of England] would appear at first sight greatly superior to Louis VI of France in the military power and resources of which he had immediate command, as he certainly was in diplomatic skill. The Capetian king, master only of the narrow domains of the Isle of France, and hardly of those until the constant fighting of Louis' reign hadsubdued the turbulent barons of the province; hemmed in by the dominions, each as extensive as his own, of the great barons nominally his vassals but sending to his wars as scanty levies as possible, or appearing openly in the ranks of his enemies as their own interests dictated; threatened by foreign foes, the kings of England and of Germany, who would detach even these loosely held provinces from his kingdom- the Capetian king could hardly have defended himself at this epoch from aneighbour so able as Henry I, wielding the united strength of England and Normandy, and determined upon conquest. The safety of the Capetian house was secured by the absence of bothe these conditions. Henry was not ambitious of conquest; and ashis troubles with France increased so did dissentions in Normandy, which crippled his resources and divided his efforts. The net result at the close of Henry's reign was that the king of England was no stronger than in 1110, unless we count the uncertain prospect of the Angevin succession; while the king of France was master of larger resources and a growing power."

Ch IX, p210: [1137] "In May [Stephen] had an interview with Louis VI of France, and was recognized by him as duke, on the same terms as Henry I had been, his son Eustace doing homage in his stead..."

The Story of the Plantagenets, Vol I, The Conquering Family, Thomas B Costain, Doubleday & Co, Garden City, 1949, p38:

"...Louis the Fat was King of France at this juncture, and his avoirdupois made it impossible for him to be lifted out of bed. The mind functioning in this mass of fatty degeneration was keen, nonetheless, and fully conscious fo the necessity of finding a French husband forthe vivacious Eleanor. He finally decided to marry her to his own son, who was to rule after him as Louis VII."

Eleanor of Aquitaine the Mother Queen, Desmond Seward, 1978, Dorset Press, p20:

"Louis VI was accused, with justice, of making a god out of his belly, and by his mid-forties he was too fat to mount a norse, yet for all his gluttony he was determined to be more than just duke of the Lle de France'. After enforcing strict law and order for the first time throughout the Capetian domains, by military skill and sheer force of character, he then made even his greatest vassals defer to him as a judge and arbitrator, as in the disputed succession to the lordship of Bourbon. By 1124 his vassals had grown dutiful enough to help him fight off an invasion by the emperor Henry V and the English king Henry I. Louis also found other sources of support by issuing to town communes throughout France (though seldom in his own territory) charters to set up corporations, which freed them from feudal obligations to their local lord. Understandably, Louis le gros' cast greedy eyes on Aquitaine and its heiress. With such a king, Eleanor would have to gove priority to a Capetian suitor. In any case, shouldher father die, the wardship of herself and of her fief would fall to the king..."

p23: "...On 8 August [1137] Eleanor and Louis were consecrated duke and duchess of Aquitaine...During the banquet in Maubergeon that followed, abbot Suger brought them the news that Louis VI had died a week earlier, killed by gluttony."

Europe in the Middle Ages, Robert S Hoyt, 1957, Harcourt Brace & Co, p623: "Genealogical Table III, The Capetian Dynasty, Louis VI (1108-1137)..."

The Story of Civilization, Will Durant, Vol IV, The Age of Faith, Bk V, The Climax of Chrisianity, Ch XXV, The Recovery of Europe, Sec XI France, p688: "...Having grown fat at forty-five, Philip handed over the major affairs of state to his son Louis VI (1108-1137), himself known as Louis the Fat..." "...not until 1104, after Philip and the papacy had settled some of their political differences, did Paschal II turn a blind eye to his relations with Bertrada. By this time Louis VI, Philip's son byBertha, had taken over the administration of the kingdom, Philip having been rendered inactive by his extreme obesity."

The Story of Civilization, Will Durant, Vol IV, The Age of Faith, Bk V, The Climax of Christianity, Ch XXV, The Recovery ofEurope, Sec XI, France, p688: "Louis VI (1108-1137), known as Louis the Fat, deserved a better name. For twenty four years he fought, finally with success, the robber barons who plundered travelers on the roads; he strengthened the monarchy byorganizing a competent army; he did what he could to protect the peasants, the artisans, and the communes; and he had the good sense to make the Abbot Suger his chief minister and friend. Suger of St. Denis (1081-1151) was the Richelieu of the twelfth century. He managed the affairs of France with wisdom, justice, and farsight; he encouraged and improved agriculture; he designed and built one of the earliest and finest masterpieces of Gothic style; and he wrote an illuminating account of his ministry and work. He was the most valuable bequest left by Louis the Fat to his son, whom Suger served till death."

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1981, Micropaedia, Vol VI, p343, Louis VI: "Also called Louis Le Gros', meaning The Fat', Born 1081, Died 1 Aug 1137, King of France from 1108 to 1137; he brought power and dignity to the French crown by his recovery of royal authority over the feudal nobles in his domains of the Ile-de-France and the Orleanais.

"Louis was designated by his father, Philip I, as his successor in 1098. After trying to subjugate his vassals in 1100, Louis realized that he would first have to gain a firmer control over the lands that he already possessed before seeking territorial acquisitions. From his pacification program Louis developed several important concepts for future kings: for example, that the king was a vassal of no man and that it was the king's duty to preserve peace and justice in his kingdom.

"Louis hada good relationship with the church and clergy. He has been presented by some historians as the father of communes or towns, but in fact he recognized towns only out of circumstance rather than from principle.

"Louis' major wars were against King Henry I of England during the periods 1104-1113 and 1116-1120. When Charles the Good, Count of Flanders, was assassinated in 1127, Louis supported William Clito, who became the successor; even though William was eventually toppled, Louis' actions demonstrated the new strength of the monarchy. Louis' last major achievement was to arrange a marriage between his son Louis VII and Eleanor, heiress of William X, Duke of Aquitaine. Abbot Suger of Saint-Denis, a most trusted adviser, is the primary historian for Louis' reign."

Wikipedia:

Louis VI (1 December 1081 – 1 August 1137), called the Fat (French: le Gros), was King of France from 1108 until his death (1137). Chronicles called him "roi de Saint-Denis".

Reign

Louis VI of France.

The crowning of Louis VI in Orléans.

The first member of the House of Capet to make a lasting contribution to the centralizing institutions of royal power,[1] Louis was born in Paris, the son of Philip I and his first wife, Bertha of Holland. Almost all of his twenty-nine-year reign was spent fighting either the "robber barons" who plagued Paris or the Norman kings of England for their continental possession of Normandy. Nonetheless, Louis VI managed to reinforce his power considerably and became one of the first strong kings of France since the division of the Carolingian Empire. His biography by his constant advisor Abbot Suger of Saint Denis renders him a fully-rounded character to the historian, unlike most of his predecessors.

In his youth, Louis fought the Duke of Normandy, Robert Curthose, and the lords of the royal demesne, the Île de France. He became close to Suger, who became his adviser. He succeeded his father on Philip's death on 29 July 1108. Louis's half-brother prevented him from reaching Rheims and so he was crowned on 3 August in the cathedral of Orléans by Daimbert, Archbishop of Sens. The archbishop of Reims, Ralph the Green, sent envoys to challenge the validity of the coronation and anointing, but to no avail.

On Palm Sunday 1115, Louis was present in Amiens to support the bishop and inhabitants of the city in their conflict with Enguerrand I of Coucy, one of his vassals, who refused to recognize the granting of a charter of communal privileges. Louis came with an army to help the citizens to besiege Castillon (the fortress dominating the city, from which Enguerrand was making punitive expeditions). At the siege, the king took an arrow to his hauberk, but the castle, considered impregnable, fell after two years.

Louis VI died on 1 August 1137, at the castle of Béthisy-Saint-Pierre, nearby Senlis and Compiègne, of dysentery. He was interred in Saint Denis Basilica. He was succeeded on the throne by his son Louis VII, called "the Younger," who had originally wanted to be a monk.

Marriages and children

Epitaph of Louis VI, after 1137, Eglise Abbatiale de Saint Denis, today at Cluny Museum.

He married in 1104: 1) Lucienne de Rochefort — the marriage was annulled on 23 May 1107 at the Council of Troyes by Pope Paschal II.

He married in 1115: 2) Adélaide de Maurienne (1092–1154)

   * Their children:

o
1. Philip (1116 – 13 October 1131), King of France (1129–31), not to be confused with his brother of the same name; died from a fall from a horse.
2. Louis VII (1120 – 18 September 1180), King of France
3. Henry (1121–75), archbishop of Reims
4. Hugues (born ca 1122)
5. Robert (ca 1123 – 11 October 1188), count of Dreux
6. Constance (ca 1124 – 16 August 1176), married first Eustace IV, count of Boulogne and then Raymond V of Toulouse.
7. Philip (1125–61), bishop of Paris. not to be confused with his elder brother.
8. Peter of France (ca 1125–83), married Elizabeth, lady of Courtenay
With Marie de Breuillet, daughter of Renaud de Breuillet de Dourdan, Louis VI was the father of a daughter:

   * Isabelle (ca 1105 – before 1175), married (ca 1119) Guillaume I of Chaumont.

Louis VI, called "the Fat" (in French: le Gros), was King of France from 1108 until his death (1137). Chronicles called him "roi de Saint-Denis." He was the first member of the House of Capet to make a lasting contribution to the centralizing institutions of royal power,

Almost all of his 29-year reign was spent fighting either the "robber barons" who plagued Paris or the Norman kings of England for their continental possession of Normandy. Nonetheless, Louis VI managed to reinforce his power considerably and became one of the first strong Kings of France since the division of the Carolingian Empire. His biography by his constant advisor Abbot Suger of Saint Denis renders him a fully-rounded character to the historian, unlike most of his predecessors.

He married in 1104 Lucienne de Rochefort, who bore him one child. This marriage was annulled.

In his youth, Louis fought the duke of Normandy, Robert Curthose, and the lords of the royal demesne, the Île de France. He became close to Suger, who became his adviser. He succeeded his father on King Philip's death on 29 July 1108. Louis's half-brother prevented him from reaching Rheims and so he was crowned on 3 August in the cathedral of Orléans by Daimbert, Archbishop of Sens. The archbishop of Reims, Ralph the Green, sent envoys to challenge the validity of the coronation and anointing, but to no avail.

On Palm Sunday 1115, Louis was present in Amiens to support the bishop and inhabitants of the city in their conflict with Enguerrand I of Coucy, one of his vassals, who refused to recognize the granting of a charter of communal privileges. Louis came with an army to help the citizens to besiege Castillon (the fortress dominating the city, from which Enguerrand was making punitive expeditions). At the siege, the king took an arrow to his hauberk, but the castle, considered impregnable, fell after two years.

Louis married in 1115 to our ancestor Adélaide de Maurienne, who bore him eight children, including two of our ancestors.

Louis VI died on 1 August 1137, at the castle of Béthisy-Saint-Pierre, nearby Senlis and Compiègne, of dysentery caused by his excesses, which had made him obese.

Louis was our ancestor through two distinct descent paths--through his son Louis and through his son Peter, each of whom was independently our ancestor.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_VI_of_France for more information.

Louis VI (1 December 1081 – 1 August 1137), called the Fat (French: le Gros), was King of France from 1108 until his death (1137). Chronicles called him "roi de Saint-Denis". The first member of the House of Capet to make a lasting contribution to the centralizing institutions of royal power,[1] Louis was born in Paris, the son of Philip I and his first wife, Bertha of Holland. Almost all of his twenty-nine-year reign was spent fighting either the "robber barons" who plagued Paris or the Norman kings of England for their continental possession of Normandy. Nonetheless, Louis VI managed to reinforce his power considerably and became one of the first strong kings of France since the division of the Carolingian Empire. His biography by his constant advisor Abbot Suger of Saint Denis renders him a fully-rounded character to the historian, unlike most of his predecessors.

In his youth, Louis fought the duke of Normandy, Robert Curthose, and the lords of the royal demesne, the Île de France. He became close to Suger, who became his adviser. He succeeded his father on Philip's death on July 29, 1108. Louis's half-brother prevented him from reaching Rheims and so he was crowned on August 3 in the cathedral of Orléans by Daimbert, Archbishop of Sens. The archbishop of Reims, Ralph the Green, sent envoys to challenge the validity of the coronation and anointing, but to no avail.

On Palm Sunday 1115, Louis was present in Amiens to support the bishop and inhabitants of the city in their conflict with Enguerrand I of Coucy, one of his vassals, who refused to recognize the granting of a charter of communal privileges. Louis came with an army to help the citizens to besiege Castillon (the fortress dominating the city, from which Enguerrand was making punitive expeditions). At the siege, the king took an arrow to his hauberk, but the castle, considered impregnable, fell after two years.

Louis VI died on August 1, 1137, at the castle of Béthisy-Saint-Pierre, nearby Senlis and Compiègne, of dysentery caused by his excesses, which had made him obese. He was interred in Saint Denis Basilica. He was succeeded on the throne by his son Louis VII, called "the Younger," who had originally wanted to be a monk.

He married in 1104: 1) Lucienne de Rochefort — the marriage was annulled.

Their child:

1) Isabelle (c.1105 – before 1175), married (ca 1119) William of Vermandois, seigneur of Chaumont

He married in 1115: 2) Adélaide de Maurienne (1092–1154)

Their children:

Philip (1116 – October 13, 1131), King of France (1129–31), not to be confused with his brother of the same name; died from a fall from a horse.

Louis VII (1120 – November 18, 1180), King of France

Henry (1121–75), archbishop of Reims

Hugues (born ca 1122

Robert (ca 1123 – October 11, 1188), count of Dreux

Constance (ca 1124 – August 16, 1176), married first Eustace IV, count of Boulogne and then Raymond V of Toulouse.

Philip (1125–61), bishop of Paris. not to be confused with his elder brother.

Peter of France (ca 1125–83), married Elizabeth, lady of Courtenay

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_VI_of_France

Louis was a great fighter, great hunter & great eater. During the wedding festivities of his son Louis to Eleanor the king was taken severely ill with dysentery, which had longed plagued him. He returned to Paris & had himself laid on a bed of cinders in the form of a cross, where he died (in his hunting lodge). Also, suffered from palsy & his bleary eyes could hardly make out objects.

Sources:

The book, 'Eleanor of Aquitaine'

Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia

Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia

The book, 'The Oxford History of Medieval Europe'

The book, 'Kings & Queens of Europe'

The book, 'An Autobiography of Eleanor'

BIOGRAPHY: General Notes:

"The Fat", King of FRANCE Reigned 1108-1137, Gisant Effigy in Abbey Church of St Denis France.

ABBEY CHURCH OF SAINT-DENIS

Volume II The Royal Tombs, Alain Erlande-Brandenburg, Editions De la Lourelle, 7 Rue Dupuytren 75006 Paris

"16. Louis VI d1137...In 1263 and 1264 at the request of Saint Louis, the tombs of the kings of France were disposed at St-Denis and buried between the pillars at the crossing of the transept, the Merovingians and Carolingians in the south, the Capetians in the north. To commemeorate the occasion, sixteen stone gisants were executed (that of Eudes and Hugh Capet disappeared during the French Revolution), all identically dressed and represented in the same fashion: with the eyes open and calm gestures. The face of the queens, emphasized by the play of light about their veils are the most beautiful. Those of Henry I and Robert the Pious are the most expressive. The work of three different artists can be recognized, each bringing a certain diversity to this sereies of gisants without upsetting its overall plan."

BOOKS

Kings and Queens of Europe, Genealogical Chart, Anne Taute and Romilly Squire, Taute, 1989: "Louis VI, Son of Philippe I and Bertha Holland, King of France 1108-1137, Mar =2 Adelaide Maurienne, Died 1137."

The Political History of England, Vol II, George Burton AdamsLongmans Green and Co, 1905, Ch VII, p150:

"...In the summer of 1108, the long reign of Philip I of France had closed, and the reign, nearly as long, of his son, Louis VI, had begun, the first of the great Capetian kings, in whose reign begins a definite policy of aggrandizement for the dynasty directed in great part against their rivals, the English kings..."

p156: [1109] "Henry [I of England] would appear at first sight greatly superior to Louis VI of France in the military power and resources of which he had immediate command, as he certainly was in diplomatic skill. The Capetian king, master only of the narrow domains of the Isle of France, and hardly of those until the constant fighting of Louis' reign hadsubdued the turbulent barons of the province; hemmed in by the dominions, each as extensive as his own, of the great barons nominally his vassals but sending to his wars as scanty levies as possible, or appearing openly in the ranks of his enemies as their own interests dictated; threatened by foreign foes, the kings of England and of Germany, who would detach even these loosely held provinces from his kingdom- the Capetian king could hardly have defended himself at this epoch from aneighbour so able as Henry I, wielding the united strength of England and Normandy, and determined upon conquest. The safety of the Capetian house was secured by the absence of bothe these conditions. Henry was not ambitious of conquest; and ashis troubles with France increased so did dissentions in Normandy, which crippled his resources and divided his efforts. The net result at the close of Henry's reign was that the king of England was no stronger than in 1110, unless we count the uncertain prospect of the Angevin succession; while the king of France was master of larger resources and a growing power."

Ch IX, p210: [1137] "In May [Stephen] had an interview with Louis VI of France, and was recognized by him as duke, on the same terms as Henry I had been, his son Eustace doing homage in his stead..."

The Story of the Plantagenets, Vol I, The Conquering Family, Thomas B Costain, Doubleday & Co, Garden City, 1949, p38:

"...Louis the Fat was King of France at this juncture, and his avoirdupois made it impossible for him to be lifted out of bed. The mind functioning in this mass of fatty degeneration was keen, nonetheless, and fully conscious fo the necessity of finding a French husband forthe vivacious Eleanor. He finally decided to marry her to his own son, who was to rule after him as Louis VII."

Eleanor of Aquitaine the Mother Queen, Desmond Seward, 1978, Dorset Press, p20:

"Louis VI was accused, with justice, of making a god out of his belly, and by his mid-forties he was too fat to mount a norse, yet for all his gluttony he was determined to be more than just duke of the Lle de France'. After enforcing strict law and order for the first time throughout the Capetian domains, by military skill and sheer force of character, he then made even his greatest vassals defer to him as a judge and arbitrator, as in the disputed succession to the lordship of Bourbon. By 1124 his vassals had grown dutiful enough to help him fight off an invasion by the emperor Henry V and the English king Henry I. Louis also found other sources of support by issuing to town communes throughout France (though seldom in his own territory) charters to set up corporations, which freed them from feudal obligations to their local lord. Understandably, Louis le gros' cast greedy eyes on Aquitaine and its heiress. With such a king, Eleanor would have to gove priority to a Capetian suitor. In any case, shouldher father die, the wardship of herself and of her fief would fall to the king..."

p23: "...On 8 August [1137] Eleanor and Louis were consecrated duke and duchess of Aquitaine...During the banquet in Maubergeon that followed, abbot Suger brought them the news that Louis VI had died a week earlier, killed by gluttony."

Europe in the Middle Ages, Robert S Hoyt, 1957, Harcourt Brace & Co, p623: "Genealogical Table III, The Capetian Dynasty, Louis VI (1108-1137)..."

The Story of Civilization, Will Durant, Vol IV, The Age of Faith, Bk V, The Climax of Chrisianity, Ch XXV, The Recovery of Europe, Sec XI France, p688: "...Having grown fat at forty-five, Philip handed over the major affairs of state to his son Louis VI (1108-1137), himself known as Louis the Fat..." "...not until 1104, after Philip and the papacy had settled some of their political differences, did Paschal II turn a blind eye to his relations with Bertrada. By this time Louis VI, Philip's son byBertha, had taken over the administration of the kingdom, Philip having been rendered inactive by his extreme obesity."

The Story of Civilization, Will Durant, Vol IV, The Age of Faith, Bk V, The Climax of Christianity, Ch XXV, The Recovery ofEurope, Sec XI, France, p688: "Louis VI (1108-1137), known as Louis the Fat, deserved a better name. For twenty four years he fought, finally with success, the robber barons who plundered travelers on the roads; he strengthened the monarchy byorganizing a competent army; he did what he could to protect the peasants, the artisans, and the communes; and he had the good sense to make the Abbot Suger his chief minister and friend. Suger of St. Denis (1081-1151) was the Richelieu of the twelfth century. He managed the affairs of France with wisdom, justice, and farsight; he encouraged and improved agriculture; he designed and built one of the earliest and finest masterpieces of Gothic style; and he wrote an illuminating account of his ministry and work. He was the most valuable bequest left by Louis the Fat to his son, whom Suger served till death."

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1981, Micropaedia, Vol VI, p343, Louis VI: "Also called Louis Le Gros', meaning The Fat', Born 1081, Died 1 Aug 1137, King of France from 1108 to 1137; he brought power and dignity to the French crown by his recovery of royal authority over the feudal nobles in his domains of the Ile-de-France and the Orleanais.

"Louis was designated by his father, Philip I, as his successor in 1098. After trying to subjugate his vassals in 1100, Louis realized that he would first have to gain a firmer control over the lands that he already possessed before seeking territorial acquisitions. From his pacification program Louis developed several important concepts for future kings: for example, that the king was a vassal of no man and that it was the king's duty to preserve peace and justice in his kingdom.

"Louis hada good relationship with the church and clergy. He has been presented by some historians as the father of communes or towns, but in fact he recognized towns only out of circumstance rather than from principle.

"Louis' major wars were against King Henry I of England during the periods 1104-1113 and 1116-1120. When Charles the Good, Count of Flanders, was assassinated in 1127, Louis supported William Clito, who became the successor; even though William was eventually toppled, Louis' actions demonstrated the new strength of the monarchy. Louis' last major achievement was to arrange a marriage between his son Louis VII and Eleanor, heiress of William X, Duke of Aquitaine. Abbot Suger of Saint-Denis, a most trusted adviser, is the primary historian for Louis' reign."

Wikipedia:

Louis VI (1 December 1081 – 1 August 1137), called the Fat (French: le Gros), was King of France from 1108 until his death (1137). Chronicles called him "roi de Saint-Denis".

Reign

Louis VI of France.

The crowning of Louis VI in Orléans.

The first member of the House of Capet to make a lasting contribution to the centralizing institutions of royal power,[1] Louis was born in Paris, the son of Philip I and his first wife, Bertha of Holland. Almost all of his twenty-nine-year reign was spent fighting either the "robber barons" who plagued Paris or the Norman kings of England for their continental possession of Normandy. Nonetheless, Louis VI managed to reinforce his power considerably and became one of the first strong kings of France since the division of the Carolingian Empire. His biography by his constant advisor Abbot Suger of Saint Denis renders him a fully-rounded character to the historian, unlike most of his predecessors.

In his youth, Louis fought the Duke of Normandy, Robert Curthose, and the lords of the royal demesne, the Île de France. He became close to Suger, who became his adviser. He succeeded his father on Philip's death on 29 July 1108. Louis's half-brother prevented him from reaching Rheims and so he was crowned on 3 August in the cathedral of Orléans by Daimbert, Archbishop of Sens. The archbishop of Reims, Ralph the Green, sent envoys to challenge the validity of the coronation and anointing, but to no avail.

On Palm Sunday 1115, Louis was present in Amiens to support the bishop and inhabitants of the city in their conflict with Enguerrand I of Coucy, one of his vassals, who refused to recognize the granting of a charter of communal privileges. Louis came with an army to help the citizens to besiege Castillon (the fortress dominating the city, from which Enguerrand was making punitive expeditions). At the siege, the king took an arrow to his hauberk, but the castle, considered impregnable, fell after two years.

Louis VI died on 1 August 1137, at the castle of Béthisy-Saint-Pierre, nearby Senlis and Compiègne, of dysentery. He was interred in Saint Denis Basilica. He was succeeded on the throne by his son Louis VII, called "the Younger," who had originally wanted to be a monk.

Marriages and children

Epitaph of Louis VI, after 1137, Eglise Abbatiale de Saint Denis, today at Cluny Museum.

He married in 1104: 1) Lucienne de Rochefort — the marriage was annulled on 23 May 1107 at the Council of Troyes by Pope Paschal II.

He married in 1115: 2) Adélaide de Maurienne (1092–1154)

   * Their children:

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1. Philip (1116 – 13 October 1131), King of France (1129–31), not to be confused with his brother of the same name; died from a fall from a horse.
2. Louis VII (1120 – 18 September 1180), King of France
3. Henry (1121–75), archbishop of Reims
4. Hugues (born ca 1122)
5. Robert (ca 1123 – 11 October 1188), count of Dreux
6. Constance (ca 1124 – 16 August 1176), married first Eustace IV, count of Boulogne and then Raymond V of Toulouse.
7. Philip (1125–61), bishop of Paris. not to be confused with his elder brother.
8. Peter of France (ca 1125–83), married Elizabeth, lady of Courtenay
With Marie de Breuillet, daughter of Renaud de Breuillet de Dourdan, Louis VI was the father of a daughter:

   * Isabelle (ca 1105 – before 1175), married (ca 1119) Guillaume I of Chaumont.

Louis VI (1 December 1081 – 1 August 1137), called the Fat (French: le Gros), was King o