Biography
Biography
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Geoffrey (Plantagenet, 'The Fair', Count of Anjou)
| Born | Born At | ||
| Died | 1151 | Buried At | |
| Father | Fulk (V, of Anjou) | Mother | Ermentrude |
| Born | / |
| Died | 1151 / |
Geoffrey was the son of Fulk V, Count of Anjou and was the founder of the Plantagenet dynasty of rulers. Geoffrey was given the nickname 'Plantagenet' due to his habit of wearing a sprig of broom in his hat. The broom plant being called planta genista in France. In 1128 the fifteen year old Geoffrey married King Henry I of England's daughter Matilda and together they had a son Henry who became King Henry II of England. In 1129 Geoffrey's father Fulk gave up his title of Count of Anjou to marry Melisende, the heir to the Kingdom of Jerusalem and so Geoffrey inherited the title. Geoffrey had to fight his own brother, Elias, when he rebelled and threatened to capture the area of Maine. Elias was captured and imprisoned. He later died from an illness contracted while in prison. Bigger problems arose with the death of King Henry I of England in 1135. Geoffrey's wife Matilda was the rightful heir to the throne but Henry's cousin, Stephen of Blois, claimed the English throne for himself with the help of the Norman barons. A civil war between Stephen and Matilda broke out in England while in Normandy the conflict continued between Stephen and Geoffrey who both had a claim to duchy.
Related Episodes
Civil War Stephen and Matilda (click here)
Civil War Stephen and Matilda (click here)
Stephen's succession to the throne (click here)
Stephen's succession to the throne (click here)
Spouses
Children
Siblings (incl. half-siblings)
Parents
Family Tree Details
Geoffrey (Plantagenet, 'The Fair', Count of Anjou) ( - d.1151)
+Matilda (Empress Maud) (b.1102 - d.1167)
= Henry (II, King of England 1154-1189) (b.1133 - d.1189)
| +Eleanor (of Aquitaine) (b.1122 - d.1204)
| | = William (b.1153 - d.1156)
| | = Henry ('the Young King') (b.1155 - d.1183)
| | | +Margaret (Young Queen of England) (b.1158? - d.1197?)
| | = Matilda (of England) (b.1156 - d.1189)
| | | +Henry (Duke of Saxony)
| | | = Otto (IV, Roman Emperor) (b.1182 - d.1218)
| | = Richard (I, King of England 1189-1199) (b.1157 - d.1199)
| | | +Berengaria (of Navarre, Queen of England) (b.1165? - d.1230)
| | = Geoffrey (Duke of Brittany) (b.1158 - d.1186)
| | | +Constance (of Brittany) ( - d.1202)
| | | = Eleanor (Fair Maid of Brittany) ( - d.1241)
| | | = Arthur (of Brittany) (b.1187 - d.1203)
| | = Eleanor (of England) (b.1162 - d.1214)
| | | +Alfonso (VIII, King of Castile) (b.1155 - d.1214)
| | | = Blanche (of Castile) (b.1188 - d.1252)
| | = Joan (of England, Queen of Sicily) (b.1165 - d.1199)
| | | +William (II, King of Sicily) (b.1153 - d.1189)
| | | +Raymond (VI, Count of Toulouse)
| | | = Raymond (VII, Count of Toulouse)
| | = John (King of England 1199-1216) (b.1167 - d.1216)
| | +Isabella of Gloucester ( - d.1217)
| | +Isabella (of Angouleme) (b.1186? - d.1246)
| | | = Henry (III, King of England 1216-1272) (b.1207 - d.1272)
| | | = Richard (Earl of Cornwall) (b.1209 - d.1272)
| | | = Joan (of England, Queen of Scotland) (b.1210 - d.1238)
| | | = Isabelle (b.1214 - d.1241)
| | | = Eleanor (Daughter of King John) (b.1215 - d.1275)
| | +Illegitimate (King John)
| | = Joan (Lady of Wales)
| +Illegitimate (Henry II)
| = Plantagenet, Geoffrey (Archbishop of York)
| = Longsword, William
= Geoffrey (VI of Anjou)
= William (Count of Paitin) (b.1136 - d.1164)
Mistresses are shown in italic
+Matilda (Empress Maud) (b.1102 - d.1167)
= Henry (II, King of England 1154-1189) (b.1133 - d.1189)
| +Eleanor (of Aquitaine) (b.1122 - d.1204)
| | = William (b.1153 - d.1156)
| | = Henry ('the Young King') (b.1155 - d.1183)
| | | +Margaret (Young Queen of England) (b.1158? - d.1197?)
| | = Matilda (of England) (b.1156 - d.1189)
| | | +Henry (Duke of Saxony)
| | | = Otto (IV, Roman Emperor) (b.1182 - d.1218)
| | = Richard (I, King of England 1189-1199) (b.1157 - d.1199)
| | | +Berengaria (of Navarre, Queen of England) (b.1165? - d.1230)
| | = Geoffrey (Duke of Brittany) (b.1158 - d.1186)
| | | +Constance (of Brittany) ( - d.1202)
| | | = Eleanor (Fair Maid of Brittany) ( - d.1241)
| | | = Arthur (of Brittany) (b.1187 - d.1203)
| | = Eleanor (of England) (b.1162 - d.1214)
| | | +Alfonso (VIII, King of Castile) (b.1155 - d.1214)
| | | = Blanche (of Castile) (b.1188 - d.1252)
| | = Joan (of England, Queen of Sicily) (b.1165 - d.1199)
| | | +William (II, King of Sicily) (b.1153 - d.1189)
| | | +Raymond (VI, Count of Toulouse)
| | | = Raymond (VII, Count of Toulouse)
| | = John (King of England 1199-1216) (b.1167 - d.1216)
| | +Isabella of Gloucester ( - d.1217)
| | +Isabella (of Angouleme) (b.1186? - d.1246)
| | | = Henry (III, King of England 1216-1272) (b.1207 - d.1272)
| | | = Richard (Earl of Cornwall) (b.1209 - d.1272)
| | | = Joan (of England, Queen of Scotland) (b.1210 - d.1238)
| | | = Isabelle (b.1214 - d.1241)
| | | = Eleanor (Daughter of King John) (b.1215 - d.1275)
| | +Illegitimate (King John)
| | = Joan (Lady of Wales)
| +Illegitimate (Henry II)
| = Plantagenet, Geoffrey (Archbishop of York)
| = Longsword, William
= Geoffrey (VI of Anjou)
= William (Count of Paitin) (b.1136 - d.1164)
Mistresses are shown in italic
Geoffrey (Plantagenet, 'The Fair', Count of Anjou) ( - d.1151)
+Matilda (Empress Maud) (b.1102 - d.1167)
= Henry (II, King of England 1154-1189) (b.1133 - d.1189)
| +Eleanor (of Aquitaine) (b.1122 - d.1204)
| | = William (b.1153 - d.1156)
| | = Henry ('the Young King') (b.1155 - d.1183)
| | | +Margaret (Young Queen of England) (b.1158? - d.1197?)
| | = Matilda (of England) (b.1156 - d.1189)
| | | +Henry (Duke of Saxony)
| | | = Otto (IV, Roman Emperor) (b.1182 - d.1218)
| | = Richard (I, King of England 1189-1199) (b.1157 - d.1199)
| | | +Berengaria (of Navarre, Queen of England) (b.1165? - d.1230)
| | = Geoffrey (Duke of Brittany) (b.1158 - d.1186)
| | | +Constance (of Brittany) ( - d.1202)
| | | = Eleanor (Fair Maid of Brittany) ( - d.1241)
| | | = Arthur (of Brittany) (b.1187 - d.1203)
| | = Eleanor (of England) (b.1162 - d.1214)
| | | +Alfonso (VIII, King of Castile) (b.1155 - d.1214)
| | | = Blanche (of Castile) (b.1188 - d.1252)
| | = Joan (of England, Queen of Sicily) (b.1165 - d.1199)
| | | +William (II, King of Sicily) (b.1153 - d.1189)
| | | +Raymond (VI, Count of Toulouse)
| | | = Raymond (VII, Count of Toulouse)
| | = John (King of England 1199-1216) (b.1167 - d.1216)
| | +Isabella of Gloucester ( - d.1217)
| | +Isabella (of Angouleme) (b.1186? - d.1246)
| | | = Henry (III, King of England 1216-1272) (b.1207 - d.1272)
| | | = Richard (Earl of Cornwall) (b.1209 - d.1272)
| | | = Joan (of England, Queen of Scotland) (b.1210 - d.1238)
| | | = Isabelle (b.1214 - d.1241)
| | | = Eleanor (Daughter of King John) (b.1215 - d.1275)
| | +Illegitimate (King John)
| | = Joan (Lady of Wales)
| +Illegitimate (Henry II)
| = Plantagenet, Geoffrey (Archbishop of York)
| = Longsword, William
= Geoffrey (VI of Anjou)
= William (Count of Paitin) (b.1136 - d.1164)
Mistresses are shown in italic
Timeline
1110
Geoffrey Plantagenet, the son of Fulk V, the count of Anjou was born. Geoffrey would marry Matilda, the daughter of Henry I, King of England. ¹
1127
King Henry I of England arranged the marriage of his daughter Matilda to Geoffrey, the son of Fulk V of Anjou. This was done to ensure an alliance between England and Anjou and to prevent Fulk allying himself with Louis VI of France. A previous marriage proposal between Henry's son William and Fulk's daughter came to nothing when William was drowned during a sea crossing from Normandy to England in 1120. Matilda had been married to Henry V of Germany, but he died in 1125 and Matilda had returned to England. ¹
1128
Henry I arranged a marriage between his daughter Matilda and the son of Fulk V of Anjou, Geoffrey Plantagenet. He had previously arranged a marriage between his son William Adelin to Fulk's daughter also called Matilda, but William had died when the 'White Ship' sank returning the Prince from Normandy. Geoffrey and Matilda were married in St. Julien's Cathedral in Le Mans, Maine (France).
1129
Fulk V married Melisende, the heir to the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Fulk gave up his title of Count of Anjou which passed to his son Geoffrey Plantagenet.
1137
King Stephen sailed to Normandy to confront Geoffrey Plantagenet, count of Anjou and the Angevins who were attacking the southern areas of Normandy. Although Stephen had some success he was not able to deal fully with the count. Stephen did come to an agreement with the French King Louis VI and Eustace, Stephen's son, paid homage to the French king for Normandy. ¹
1144
After several years of conflict between the Angevins and the Barons of Normandy Geoffrey Plantagenet, count of Anjou, captured Rouen and took control of the whole of the duchy of Normandy. Geoffrey also took the title of Duke of Normandy. ¹
1151
After returning from Paris with his son Henry, Geoffrey fell ill and died. He was taken back to Le Mans in the province of Maine (France) and buried in St. Julien's Cathedral. Henry inherited Anjou from his father giving him the titles of both count of Anjou and duke of Normandy.
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