William Clito facts for kids
William Clito (born 1102, died 1128) was an important figure in medieval Europe. He was the Count of Flanders and also the Duke of Normandy. His nickname, "Clito," came from a Latin word. It meant the same thing as the old Anglo-Saxon word "Atheling." Both words described someone of "royal blood," like a prince today.
Contents
William's Early Life and Family
Growing Up as a Prince
William was the son of Robert Curthose, who was the Duke of Normandy. His mother was Sybilla of Conversano. In 1106, William's father was defeated and captured by his own brother, Henry I of England. This happened at the Battle of Tinchebrai.
King Henry I met young William Clito for the first time in Falaise. The king then placed William in the care of Helias of Saint Saens. Helias was the Count of Arques and a good friend of William's father. William stayed with Helias until 1110. Then, King Henry suddenly sent people to take William. Helias was away, but his helpers hid William. They helped him escape to his guardian. Helias then found safety among King Henry's enemies.
First Rebellion for William (1118–1119)
William first found safety with Robert de Bellême. Robert was a powerful enemy of King Henry. But Robert was captured in 1112. After that, William and Helias fled to the court of young Count Baldwin VII of Flanders. Baldwin was another one of William's cousins.
In 1118, many Norman nobles were tired of King Henry. They joined Count Baldwin to support William Clito. They started a dangerous rebellion. The Norman counts and Count Baldwin were very strong. They took control of much of northern Normandy. But the fight ended quickly when Count Baldwin was hurt in September 1118.
The next year, Louis VI of France took up William Clito's cause. King Louis invaded Normandy. On August 20, 1119, King Louis's army met King Henry's troops. This was at the Battle of Brémule. King Louis and his army were defeated. William Clito was fighting as a knight with the French king's guard. He barely escaped capture when the French lost.
The next day, William's cousin, William Adelin, sent back the horse William had lost. This was a kind act of chivalry. The rebellion ended, but the French king kept supporting William. King Louis even spoke to the Pope in October 1119. He made King Henry explain why he treated William so harshly.
Second Rebellion for William (1123–1124)
On November 25, 1120, a terrible accident happened. King Henry I's only son, William Adelin, drowned when the White ship sank. This changed William Clito's future. He was now the most obvious male heir to England and Normandy. Many Norman nobles began to support him.
King Henry's problems grew worse. His son William Adelin had been promised to Matilda of Anjou. She was the daughter of Count Fulk V of Anjou. Fulk now wanted his daughter's dowry back. This included castles and towns in Maine. But King Henry refused.
So, Fulk promised his other daughter, Sibylla, to William Clito. He gave William the county of Maine as her dowry. King Henry then used Church law to stop the marriage. The marriage was declared not legal in August 1124. This was because William and Sibylla were too closely related under Church rules.
Meanwhile, a serious rebellion started in Normandy to support William Clito. But King Henry's spies helped him defeat it. The leaders were not well organized. They were defeated at the Battle of Bourgtheroulde in March 1124. King Henry I also got his son-in-law, Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor, to threaten King Louis. This kept King Louis busy and unable to help William.
Becoming Count of Flanders
In 1127, King Louis VI worked hard to help William. In January, he gave William royal lands in the French Vexin. This was a good base for William to attack Normandy. William also married Joanna of Montferrat, who was related to the French queen.
Then, on March 2, 1127, Count Charles the Good of Flanders was murdered. This gave King Louis a great chance to help William. The king marched into Flanders with an army. On March 30, he convinced the nobles of Flanders to accept William as their new count.
William started well as count. By the end of May, most of the county was working with him. But English money and a new rival, Thierry of Alsace, weakened his position. In February 1128, Saint-Omer and Ghent refused to accept him as count. Bruges did the same in March. In May 1128, Lille also welcomed Thierry. This left William controlling only a small part of southern Flanders.
However, William fought back at Bruges. On June 21, at the Battle of Axspoele, William defeated Thierry. He fought with his Norman knights and French allies. At this point, William was joined by his uncle, Duke Godfrey of Brabant. Together, their armies surrounded Aalst on July 12.
During the siege, William was wounded in the arm in a small fight. The wound became infected. William died at the age of twenty-five on July 28, 1128. His loyal guardian, Helias of Saint Saens, was with him. William's body was taken to the Abbey of Saint Bertin in St Omer and buried there. He had no children. His father, still a prisoner of King Henry I, died six years later.
See also
In Spanish: Guillermo Clito para niños
