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     Geoffrey V Plantagenet was born on 24 August 1113 in France. Geoffrey married Matilda of England House of Normandy of England, daughter of Henry I King of England and Matilda (Edith) Of Scotland Royal House of Scotland, on 17 June 1128 at Le Mans Cathedral, Le Mans, France. Geoffrey V Plantagenet died on 7 September 1151 in Château du Loir, France, at age 38 years and 14 days.
     

PLANTAGENET was the surname of the English Royal House of Anjou from 1154 to 1399 by direct descent, and then assumed by the contestants of the houses of York and Lancaster in the Wars of the Roses until 1485 and the accession of Henry VII of the House of Tudor. The name was taken first by Geoffrey, Count of Anjou, who married Matilda (as her second husband), daughter of Henry I and claimant to the throne on behalf of her son Henry. Tradition says the name originated in the Count's wearing a sprig of broom, "planta genista," in his cap. By agreement, the grandson of William the Conqueror, Stephen, reigned during Geoffrey's lifetime and in 1154 Henry II ascended the throne, the first of the Platagenets. He was followed by his sons Richard I and John, whose descendants continued the dynasty until it became extinct with Richard II who ruled until 1399. Before his death the rival house of Lancaster seized the throne.¹
Geoffrey's father, Fulk V, had married the daughter and heir of the Count of Maine and so the two counties were united. The year 1127 was an important year for the fourteen-year-old Geoffrey "the Fair" as he was married to the widowed Empress Matilda, heir to the King of England. In 1128 a deputation from the Holy Land came to Paris to ask King Louis VII for a nobleman to marry Melisende, daughter and heir of King Baldwin II. Fulk V, a widower, was chosen and left Anjou and Maine to Geoffrey while he married Melisende in 1129, then became King of Jerusalem in 1131.

Although Geoffrey and the much older Matilda disliked each other, he nevertheless fathered three sons. He was confronted by unruly vassals which included his own younger brother Helie, who was eventually captured and imprisoned at Tours. When released, Helie died of a disease contracted in prison.

In 1135 King Henry I of England died and his wife's cousin, Stephen de Blois, seized the crown. Geoffrey campaigned in Normandy on Matilda's behalf but even his fourth campaign in 1138 was no success. In 1139 Matilda invaded England and in 1141 imprisoned Stephen, after which many castles in Normandy surrendered to Geoffrey. In 1144, after the fall of Rouen, Geoffrey was invested as Duke of Normandy.

From 1147 until 1149 he went on crusade with King Louis VII of France. In 1150 he passed the Duchy of Normandy to his eldest son, Henry. Geoffrey died on 7 September 1151 and was buried in the Cathedral of Le Mans.² Geoffrey V Plantagenet was also known as Geoffrey Comte d'Anjou et Maine.

     Matilda of England House of Normandy was born circa 7 February 1102 in Winchester, England.² She was the daughter of Henry I King of England and Matilda (Edith) Of Scotland Royal House of Scotland. Matilda married Henry V of Germany on 7 January 1114 at Worms, Germany. Matilda was just over ten years old.² Matilda married Geoffrey V Plantagenet of England on 17 June 1128 at Le Mans Cathedral, Le Mans, France. Matilda of England House of Normandy died on 10 September 1167 in Abbey of Notre Dame des Pres, Rouen, France.
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In 1135 her father died and she was supposed to have become Queen-regnant. However, her cousin, Stephen de Blois, stepped in and, even though he had sworn to support Matilda, went to London where, with the support of the London citizens, he was crowned king on St. Stephen's Day 1135.

Pope Innocent II acknowledged Stephen who bribed a great many of the barons as well as Matilda's uncle, David I, King of Scots. In the ensuing civil wars, Matilda was supported by her illegitimate half-brother, Robert, Earl of Gloucester. In February 1141, Stephen was captured and imprisoned at Bristol and so, on 7 April 1141, Matilda was proclaimed "Lady of the English." However, Stephen's supporters captured the Earl of Gloucester and had the two exchanged. Stephen had himself re-crowned and the civil war continued.

In 1144 Normandy was taken by Geoffrey of Anjou, Matilda's husband. In 1148 Stephen feuded with the pope and, in 1153, Matilda's son, Henry, by now twenty years old, took Matilda's place while Matilda retired to Normandy. In 1153 a treaty was signed at Westminster by which it was decided that Stephen would remain king for life and Henry would be his successor. In 1154 Stephen died and Matilda, who remained in Normandy, survived until 1167 when she died at Rouen.^3,4,5
In 1109 when Matilda was just seven years old, she was betrothed to Emperor Heinrich (Henry) V, the Holy Roman Emporer. Two years later, at age nine, she was sent off to Germany to "begin training for the life of Empress consort."^2,3,4,5

After her marriage, Matilda "accompanied her husband on tours to Rome and Tuscany," and "after a time, the young wife of the Emperor was popularly accepted to act as regent in his absence." Emperor Henry died in 1125 leaving Matilda a childless widow, although Hermann of Tournai states that "Matilda bore a son who lived only a short while."

Although Matilda was known by the title "Empress," it seems her right to the title was dubious. A legitimate Pope never crowned her Holy Roman Empress, a ceremony usually required to use that title -- in later years she encouraged chroniclers to believe she had been crowned by the Pope. She was called the "German Queen" by the Emperor's bishops, and her formal title was recorded as "Queen of the Romans." It is argued though that the courtesy title Empress, for the wife of an Emperor who had been crowned by the Pope, was quite appropriate.²

In 1120 Matilda's brother William Adelin drowned in the wreck of the White Ship, and Matilda became the only legitimate child of her father King Henry I. "Like Matilda, her cousin Stephen of Blois was a grandchild of William the Conqueror of Normandy; but her paternal line made her senior in right of succession to his maternal line."²

Matilda returned to England in 1125 at the age of 23, a young widow with the status "Empress dowager," a source of considerable pride to her. Her father Henry named her his heir to both the English throne and his Duchy of Normandy. He also had the Anglo-Norman barons, including Stephen of Blois, swear several times to accept Matilda as ruler if Henry died without a male heir.²

     Henry "The Young King" Plantagenet Duke of Normandy, Count of Anjour was born on 28 February 1155 in Bermondsey, England. He was the son of Henry II Plantagenet, King Of England, and Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen of England. Henry "The Young King" Plantagenet Duke of Normandy, Count of Anjour died on 11 June 1183 in Martel, France, at age 28 years, 3 months and 14 days.

     Geoffrey, Duc de Bretagne Plantagenet was born on 23 September 1158 in France. He was the son of Henry II Plantagenet, King Of England, and Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen of England. Geoffrey, Duc de Bretagne Plantagenet died on 19 August 1186 at Paris, France, at age 27, while in a tournament.

     Richard I Plantagenet, King of England was born on 8 September 1157 in Beaumont Palace, Oxford, England. He was the son of Henry II Plantagenet, King Of England, and Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen of England. Richard I Plantagenet, King of England died on 6 April 1199 in Château de Chalus (in siege), France, at age 41 years, 6 months and 29 days.
     Was also known as Richard the Lionhearted. He reigned from 1189-1199.

     
     Raymond Berenger IV was Count of Provence.

     Joanna Queen of Castile married Ferdinand III King of Castile & Leon.

     Alfonso X King of Castile is the son of Ferdinand III King of Castile & Leon and Joanna Queen of Castile.

     Henry I King of England was born circa September 1068 in Selby, Yorkshire, England. He was the son of William I King of England and Matilda of Flanders Queen of England. Henry married Matilda (Edith) Of Scotland Royal House of Scotland, daughter of Malcolm III Caennmor King Of Scotland and Saint Margaret Atheling (The Exile), on 11 November 1100 at Westminster Abbey, London, England. The marriage was performed by Archbishop Anselm of Canterbury.¹ Henry I King of England married Adeliza de Louvain on 29 September 1121 in Windsor Castle, England. Henry I King of England died on 1 December 1135 in St. Denis-le-Fermont, near Gisors, France. He was buried at Reading Abbey, Berkshire, England.
     
Henry I, called Henry Beauclerc, was the fourth son and last child of William the Conqueror. The only child of the Conqueror to be born in England, he was also the only son to be born in "purple" as only two years previously William the Conqueror had become King of England. He reigned from 1100 to 1135. As the youngest child he was his mother's favourite and when she died she left him her English estates.

It seems he had a good education, learning to read and write Latin as well as English and Law. In 1086 he was knighted by his father. When his father died in 1087 his brother Robert received the Duchy of Normandy while William Rufus became King of England. Henry, having estates in both territories like so many other Norman Barons, had to keep in line with two overlords.

When in 1100 William II Rufus mysteriously died, the very next day Henry was elected to succeed as King of England and on 6 August he was crowned in Westminster Abbey. To reconcile the kingdom to his usurpation of the throne, Henry issued a charter which was to form the basis of the Magna Carta. He was considered a just ruler, though cruel even by the standards of the time. His first act as King was to restore Anselm as Archbishop of Canterbury to be followed by a search for a bride. For his Queen he selected Edith of Scotland, daughter of King Malcolm Canmore and, more importantly, of St. Margaret of Wessex who was a descendant of the Kings of England prior to the conquest. In honour of the King's mother, Matilda of Flanders, Edith changed her name to Matilda.

However, restoring Anselm did not assure peace in the kingdom as Anselm refused to do homage to the King, claiming to hold the church estates in the name of the pope. Anselm was then forced into exile but peace was restored only in 1107 when the King's sister, Adela, Countess of Blois, found a solution acceptable to both: bishops would pay homage to the king and the king would allow clerical investiture.

When Duke Robert of Normandy returned from a crusade he proved such a bad ruler that the Barons in Normandy revolted and asked for Henry's support. Robert was imprisoned and Henry became Duke of Normandy. Henry was a good diplomat and, even though troubles within Normandy and with France continued, he made a successful alliance when his only daughter, Matilda, married the Emperor Heinrich V in 1114. However, in 1119 his only son, William, went to the continent and married a daughter of the Count of Anjou. On the journey home their ship, "the White Ship," was wrecked and William with his entourage drowned.

As his wife had died in 1118, Henry waited until 1121 before taking a second wife in Adeliza of Louvain. Even though he had fathered two legitimate and probably nineteen illegitimate children, this second marriage remained childless.

When his only legitimate son was drowned, in 1126 he designated his daughter, the widowed Empress Matilda, as his successor; and in 1127 he selected Geoffrey, Count of Anjou, as her second husband even though he was ten years younger than the Empress Matilda. Henry travelled a great deal between England and Normandy and, on 1 August 1135, left England for the last time. He died 1 December 1135 at St. Denis-le-Fermont near Gisors from overindulging in Lampreys. His body was taken back to England and buried at Reading Abbey.

During his reign there were important legal and administrative reforms. Although Henry had attempted to secure succession for his only legitimate daughter, Matilda, on his death his nephew Stephen was crowned king.^2,3