William of the White Hands facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Petrus Comestor (d. c. 1178) presents his Historia scholastica to Archbishop William of the White Hands.
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| Church | Roman Catholic |
| Archdiocese | Sens |
| Diocese | Chartres |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1135 Brosse |
| Died | 7 September 1202 |
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William of the White Hands (French: Guillaume aux Blanches Mains) was a very important French cardinal who lived from 1135 to 1202. He was also known as William White Hands.
William was born in a place called Brosse in Île-de-France, France. His father was Theobald the Great, who was a powerful count. His mother was Matilda of Carinthia.
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Who Was William of the White Hands?
William was a very influential person in the Roman Catholic Church during the Middle Ages. He held many high-ranking positions. These roles gave him a lot of power and influence in both religious and political matters of his time.
Important Church Roles
William started his career in the church as the Bishop of Chartres in 1165. A bishop is a high-ranking priest who oversees a specific area called a diocese.
Later, he became the Archbishop of Sens from 1169 to 1176. An archbishop is like a chief bishop who leads an even larger area called an archdiocese. After that, he became the Archbishop of Reims from 1175 until he died in 1202.
William was also the first person to be called a Peer of France with the title of Archbishop of Reims. This meant he was one of the most important noblemen in the kingdom.
Working with the King and Pope
William had a close relationship with the French royal family. He was the uncle of Philip II of France, who later became a very famous king. William even helped crown his nephew as co-king on November 1, 1179, in Rheims.
In March 1179, Pope Alexander III made William a Cardinal Priest. A cardinal is a very high-ranking official in the Catholic Church, just below the Pope. As a cardinal, William signed important official documents from the Pope, called papal bulls. He signed these documents between April 8, 1179, and December 23, 1201.
William of the White Hands passed away on September 7, 1202.
William in Pop Culture
William of the White Hands was even shown in a TV show! An actor named Liam O'Callaghan played him in the 1978 BBC TV drama series called The Devil's Crown. This show was about the lives of English kings during the Middle Ages.
