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He succeeded to the title of Comte de Flandre in 918.

Arnulf of Flanders (c. 890 - March 28, 965), called the Great, was the third Count of Flanders, who ruled the County of Flanders, an area that is now northwestern Belgium and southwestern Holland.

Life

Arnulf was the son of count Baldwin II of Flanders and Ælfthryth of Wessex, daughter of Alfred the Great. Through his mother he was a descendant of the Anglo-Saxon kings of England and through his father a descendant of Charlemagne. Presumably Arnulf was named after Saint Arnulf of Metz a progenitor of Carolingian dynasty. At the death of their father, Baldwin II in 918, Arnulf became Count of Flanders while his brother Adeloft succeeded to the county of Bologne However in 933 Adeloft died and Arnulf took the countship of Boulogne for himself, but later restored it to his nephew, Arnulf II, Count of Boulogne.

Arnulf I greatly expanded Flemish rule to the south, taking all or part of Artois, Ponthieu, Amiens, and Ostravent. He exploited the conflicts between Charles the Simple and Robert I of France, and later those between Louis IV and his barons.

In his southern expansion Arnulf inevitably had conflict with the Normans, who were trying to secure their northern frontier. This led to the 943 murder of the Duke of Normandy, William Longsword, at the hands of Arnulf's men.

The Viking threat was receding during the later years of Arnulf's life, and he turned his attentions to the reform of the Flemish government.

Family

The name of Adulf's first wife is unknown but he had at least one daughter by her:

Name unknown, wife of Issac Count of Cambrai, their son Arnulf succeeded his father as Count of Cambrai.

In 934 he married Adele of Vermandois, daughter of Herbert II of Vermandois. Their children were:

Hildegarde , born c. 934 and died in 990; she married Dirk II, Count of Holland. It is uncertain whether she is his daughter by his first or second wife.
Liutgard, born 935, died in 962, she married Wichmann IV, Count of Hamaland.
Egbert, died 953.
Baldwin III of Flanders.
Elftrude, married Siegfried, Count of Guînes.

Succession

Arnulf made his eldest son and heir Baldwin III of Flanders co-ruler in 958, but Baldwin died untimely in 962, so Arnulf was succeeded by Baldwin's infant son, Arnulf II of Flanders.

Arnulf married Adele of Vermandois 934. Adele (daughter of Herbert, II Count of Vermandois and Hildebranda of France) was born Abt 910; died 960. [Group Sheet]

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He was the son of Arnulf 'the Great', Comte de Flandre and Adela de Vermandois. He married Mathildis Billung von Sachsen, daughter of Hermann Billung Herzog von Sachsen, in 961. He gained the title of Comte d'Artois in 958. He succeeded to the title of Comte de Flandre in 958.

Baldwin III The Young of Flanders (940 - January 1, 962) was Count of Flanders, who briefly ruled the County of Flanders (an area that is now northwestern Belgium and southwestern Holland), together with his father Arnulf I.

Life

Baldwin III was born c. 940, The son of Arnulf I, Count of Flanders and his second wife, Adele of Vermandois, daughter of Herbert II, Count of Vermandois. His father, Arnulf I had made Baldwin co-ruler in 958, but Baldwin died before his father and was succeeded by his infant son Arnulf II, with his father acting as regent until his own death.

During his short rule, Baldwin was responsible for establishing the wool manufacturing industry at Ghent and markets at other towns in Flanders. Baldwin III died on 1 January 962. After Baldwin's death, Arnulf I arranged for King Lothair of France to become the guardian of Baldwin's son Arnulf II.

Family

In 961 Baldwin had married Mathilde Billung of Saxony (d. 1008), daughter of Herman, Duke of Saxony, by whom he had a son, his heir

Arnulf II, Count of Flanders.

Baldwin married Mathildis Billung von Sachsen 961. Mathildis (daughter of Herman, Duke of Saxony) was born 942; died 25 May 1008, Gent, Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium; was buried Gent, Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium. [Group Sheet]

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He was the son of Baldwin III, Comte de Flandre et Artois and Mathildis Billung von Sachsen. He married Rozela d'Ivrea, daughter of Berengar II d'Ivrea, King of Italy and Willa di Toscana, circa 968. He was also reported to have died in 988.

He succeeded to the title of Comte de Flandre in 965.

Arnulf II of Flanders (960 or 961 - March 30, 987) was Count of Flanders from 965 until his death.

Life

He was the son of Baldwin III of Flanders and Mathilde Billung of Saxony, daughter of Herman, Duke of Saxony. His father Baldwin III died in 962, when Arnulf was just an infant, while Arnulf's grandfather, Arnulf I, was still alive. When Arnulf I died three years later (965), the regency was held by his kinsman Baldwin Balso, who died in 973.

By the time Arnulf attained his majority in 976, Flanders had lost some of the southern territory acquired by Arnulf I. The latter had given some parts of Picardy to King Lothar of France to help assure his grandson's succession, and gave Boulogne as a fief to another relative. Then early in Arnulf's minority Lothar had taken Ponthieu and given it to Hugh Capet, and the first counts of Guînes had established themselves. Arnulf died on 30 March, 987 at age 26. Shortly after Arnulf's death his widow married Robert II, King of France as his first wife.

Family

In 968 he married Rozala of Lombardy, daughter of Berengar II of Italy, and had two children:

Baldwin IV, who succeeded his father.

Mathilde, who died before 995.

Arnulf married Rozela d'Ivrea Abt 968. Rozela (daughter of Berengar d'Ivrea, King of Italy II and Willa di Toscana) was born Between 950 and 960; died 25 Jan 1002/03. [Group Sheet]

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He was the son of Arnulf II 'the Younger', Comte de Flandre and Rozela d'Ivrea. He married, firstly, Ogive de Luxembourg, daughter of Frederick I, Comte de Luxembourg and Ermentrude of Gleibur, circa 1012. He married, secondly, Eleonora de Normandie, daughter of Richard II, 4th Duc de Normandie and Judith de Bretagne, circa 1031. He died on 30 May 1036.

Baldwin IV, Comte de Flandre also went by the nick-name of Baldwin 'Fair Beard'. He succeeded to the title of Comte de Flandre in 988.

Baldwin IV of Flanders (980 - May 30, 1035) known as the Bearded, was Count of Flanders from 988 until his death.

Life

Baldwin IV, born c.980, was the son of Arnulf II, Count of Flanders and Rozala of Italy. He succeeded his father as Count of Flanders in 987.

In contrast to his predecessors Baldwin turned his attention to the east and north, leaving the southern part of his territory in the hands of his vassals the counts of Guînes, Hesdin, and St. Pol.

To the north of the county Baldwin was given Zeeland as a fief by the Holy Roman Emperor Henry II, while on the right bank of the Scheldt river he received Valenciennes (1013) and parts of the Cambresis and Hainaut.

In the French territories of the count of Flanders, the supremacy of the Baldwin remained unchallenged. They organized a great deal of colonization of marshland along the coastline of Flanders and enlarged the harbour and city of Brugge. Baldwin IV died on 30 May, 1035.

Family

Baldwin first married Ogive of Luxembourg, daughter of Frederick of Luxembourg, by whom he had a son and heir:

Baldwin V, Count of Flanders.

He later married Eleanor of Normandy, daughter of Richard II of Normandy, by whom he had a daughter:

Judith who married Tostig Godwinson and secondly Welf I, Duke of Bavaria.

Baldwin — Eleonora de Normandie. (daughter of Richard, II Duke of Normandy and Judith of Brittany) [Group Sheet]

Baldwin married Ogive de Luxembourg Abt 1012. Ogive (daughter of Frederick, I of Luxembourg and Ermentrude of Gleiburg) died 21 Feb 1029/30. [Group Sheet]