Inheritance Via Hunting Accident
Henry I was heir to the English throne and then took the Duchy of Normandy because his oldest brother William II Rufus (literally 'the Red') had no children, and he claimed the throne before his older brother Robert could. William II was deeply unpopular with the Normans, the English, and also the Church. Therefore nobody mourned his death in a hunting accident in the New Forest during August 1100. If anybody had cared about William II Rufus they would have perhaps found enough evidence to suggest that it was an assassination rather than an accident with Henry being the most likely originator of the plot to kill his brother. Henry also happened to be in nearby Winchester on that fateful day, whilst Robert was in Normandy. Henry and Robert then fought each other until Henry won leaving his brother in jail.
A Popular King
Henry I was certainly a more popular monarch than his older brother had been, not a particular hard achievement. Henry I was an effective king without the failings and the weaknesses of his brother who restored law and order. He was deemed to be a fair king and liked by the nobility and the Church. As Henry I was careful to have a good relationship with the Church they did not seem too bothered by the fact he had numerous illegitimate children, many of who was used as pawns in diplomatic marriages. Despite having twenty-five children he only had one legitimate son, Prince William. The security of the English dynasty rested upon the shoulders of Prince William.
The Death of Prince William and Henry I's Failure to Secure The Throne For His Daughter
Henry I's hopes for an undisputed succession after his death were dashed with the tragic death of his son. Prince William was drowned when the White Ship was sunk in 1120. The death of his son, Prince William meant that Henry I wanted the English throne to go to his oldest daughter Matilda. The problem was that a queen had ruled no country in the twelfth century and there were men who sought to take the throne instead. When Henry I died in 1135 his last wish was not fulfilled as Stephen took the throne instead of Matilda.
Bibliography
Ashley M, (2002) A brief history of British Kings & Queens, Robinson, London
Crystal D (1998) Chambers’ Biographical Encyclopedia, 2nd edition, Edinburgh
Holmes R, (2007) Battlefield, Oxford University Press, Oxford
Gardiner & Wenborn (1995) The History Today Companion to British History, Little, Brown & Co, London
Lenman B, (2004) Chambers Dictionary of World History, Edinburgh
