White Ship facts for kids

The White Ship (called la Blanche-Nef in French) was a famous ship that sank in the English Channel. This terrible event happened near the coast of Normandy, off Barfleur, on November 25, 1120. Almost everyone on board drowned. Among those who died was William Adelin, the only son and heir of King Henry I of England. William Adelin's death caused a big problem over who would be the next king or queen. This led to many events that changed the history of England.

The Shipwreck Story

The White Ship was a brand new ship. Its captain was Thomas FitzStephen. His father had been the captain of another famous ship, the Mora, which William the Conqueror used when he invaded England in 1066. FitzStephen offered his new ship to Henry I of England. The king was planning to return to England from Barfleur in Normandy.

King Henry had already made other travel plans. However, he allowed many people from his royal court to take the White Ship. This group included his only son, William Adelin. It also included his other children, Richard of Lincoln and Matilda FitzRoy, Countess of Perche, along with many other important nobles.

According to a writer from that time, Orderic Vitalis, the ship's crew asked William Adelin for wine. He gave them a lot of it. By the time the ship was ready to leave, there were about 300 people on board. Some people had even left before the ship sailed because there was so much drinking.

The people on board, who were having a party, told Captain Thomas FitzStephen to catch up to and pass the king's ship. The king's ship had already sailed. The White Ship was very fast and well-built. It had also just been fitted with new parts. This made the captain and crew sure they could reach England first.

But when the ship left in the dark, its left side hit a hidden rock called Quillebœuf. The ship quickly sank. William Adelin got into a small boat and could have survived. But he turned back to try and save his half-sister, Matilda, when he heard her cries for help. His small boat filled with water when others tried to get in to save themselves. William drowned along with them.

Orderic Vitalis said that only two people survived. They held onto the rock all night. One was a butcher from Rouen, and the other was Geoffrey de l'Aigle. The writer also claimed that when Thomas FitzStephen came to the surface after the sinking, he learned that William Adelin had died. The captain then chose to drown himself rather than face the King.

Some stories say the ship was unlucky because priests were not allowed to bless it in the usual way.

The Anarchy: A Time of Trouble

The death of William Adelin directly led to a period in English history known as the Anarchy. After the White Ship disaster, King Henry I had only one child left who could legally inherit the throne: his daughter, Empress Matilda.

King Henry I had made his important nobles swear an oath several times to support Matilda as his heir. However, a woman had never ruled England on her own before. Matilda was also not very popular. This was partly because she was married to Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou. He was a traditional enemy of England's Norman nobles.

When King Henry died in 1135, the English nobles were unsure if they wanted Matilda to be their queen. One of Henry I's male relatives, Stephen of Blois, was the king's nephew. He took the throne instead of Matilda. Stephen had supposedly planned to travel on the White Ship but left just before it sailed. Orderic Vitalis said this was due to a sudden illness.

After Henry I's death, Matilda and her husband, Geoffrey of Anjou, started a long and difficult war against Stephen and his supporters. They fought for control of the English throne. This period, called the Anarchy, lasted from 1135 to 1153. It caused a lot of damage, especially in southern England.

A historian named William of Malmesbury, who lived around that time, wrote about the disaster. He said that many important people died with William, including another of the King's sons named Richard, and many nobles. He wrote that "No ship ever brought so much misery to England."

Images for kids

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  Henry I and the sinking White Ship.

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  The Kelmscott Press publication of Rossetti's poem about the White Ship.

See also

In Spanish: Barco Blanco para niños