William FitzEmpress

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William FitzEmpress
Born (1136-07-22)22 July 1136
Argentan, Normandy
Died Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist.
Rouen
Burial Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Rouen
House House of Plantagenet
Father Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou
Mother Empress Matilda

William FitzEmpress (22 July 1136 at Argentan, Normandy,[1][2] – 30 January 1163/64 at Rouen, Normandy[1][2]) was the youngest of the three sons of Geoffrey, Count of Anjou and Empress Matilda, daughter of King Henry I of England.

Early life

His eldest brother was King Henry II of England, and his second brother was Geoffrey, Count of Nantes. William was Viscount of Dieppe.[1] He was also known as William FitzEmpress and as William of Anjou.

Career

In 1156, aged 20, he was with his brother Henry at the siege of Chinon.[1] This siege was occasioned by the rebellion of their brother Geoffrey.[3] He also conducted the siege at the castle of Mountreuil-Bellay. While doing so he had the writings of the Roman military theorist Vegetius read to him; he then did what Vegetius had done, and the siege ended the next day.[4]

In September 1155, King Henry held a council at Winchester where he enthusiastically considered invading Ireland and giving it to William, making him king. The plans were abandoned when their mother, Empress Matilda, objected: she did not consider Ireland worth conquering.[5][6] Henry did, however, make William one of the richest men in England, granting him seven manors (Maldon in Essex; Dartford, Hoo, and Shorne in Kent; Aylsham and Cawston in Norfolk; and Hintlesham in Suffolk).[1] He also had land surrounding Dieppe, Normandy, of which he was made vicomte (viscount).

Obstruction

In 1162 he was to marry Isabel de Warenne, Countess of Surrey, one of the great heiresses in England. She was widow of William of Blois, count of Boulogne and Mortain, the son of King Stephen, and a cousin of William. Because of this relationship, the marriage required a dispensation from affinity; such dispensations were usually granted without difficulty, However Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, refused to support the request for a dispensation and it was not granted because of that.[7]

Death

William died suddenly shortly thereafter, it was said of a broken heart, and was buried in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Rouen.[8] Henry blamed Becket for his brother's death, and this might well be the beginning of the great conflict between them. When Becket was murdered 29 December 1170, one of the assailants was Richard le Breton who had been a knight in William's employ. When Breton delivered his fatal blow he shouted, "Take that, for the love of my lord William, the king's brother!"[1]

Ancestry

Family of William FitzEmpress
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
16. Geoffrey II, Count of Gâtinais
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8. Fulk IV, Count of Anjou
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
17. Ermengarde of Anjou
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4. Fulk V, Count of Anjou
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
18. Simon I de Montfort
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
9. Bertrade de Montfort
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
19. Agnes, Countess of Evreux
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2. Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
20. John de Beaugency
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10. Elias I, Count of Maine
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
21. Paula of Maine
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5. Ermengarde of Maine
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
22. Gervais II, Lord of Château-du-Loir
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
11. Matilda of Château-du-Loir
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
23. Eremburga
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1. William FitzEmpress
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
24. Robert I of Normandy
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
12. William I of England
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
25. Herleva of Falaise
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
6. Henry I of England
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
26. Baldwin V, Count of Flanders
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
13. Matilda of Flanders
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
27. Adèle of France
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3. Empress Matilda
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
28. Duncan I of Scotland
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
14. Malcolm III of Scotland
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
29. Suthen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
7. Matilda of Scotland
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
30. Edward the Exile
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
15. Margaret of Scotland
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
31. Agatha
 
 
 
 
 
 

References

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  5. Warren 1977, p. 195.
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  7. Warren 1977, p. 449.
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