Henry I of France
Henry I ruled France from 1031 to 1060, a long reign in which the monarchy reached about its weakest point. Born around 1008, the son of Robert II, he was crowned as co-king in 1027 in the Capetian manner, but his mother Constance of Arles preferred his younger brother Robert and supported him in arms. On his father's death in 1031 he had to fight his own family for the throne, and secured it only with the help of Robert the Magnificent, Duke of Normandy. The price was the cession of the Vexin to Normandy, and he bought off his brother with the duchy of Burgundy, which permanently detached it from the royal domain. The royal demesne was by then smaller than the holdings of several of his nominal vassals, and his authority beyond it was largely theoretical. His central problem was Normandy. He supported the young William the Bastard against rebellious Norman barons, and their combined force won at Val-ès-Dunes in 1047. He then recognised that a strong Normandy was a greater danger than a divided one, changed sides, and invaded twice. William destroyed his forces at Mortemer in 1054 and at Varaville in 1057, catching the French army divided while crossing a river. Henry gave up. He is remembered for one lasting act. Unable to find a bride not related to him within the prohibited degrees, he sent an embassy east and in 1051 married Anne of Kiev, daughter of Yaroslav the Wise. She was literate, acted as regent for their son, and introduced the name Philip to the French royal house. He died in 1060.
- Lived: 1008 CE – 1060 CE
- Nationality: French
- Roles: king, head_of_state
