More like a forest than a tree! » Heiress Richilde of HAINAULT (1031-1086)

Personal data Heiress Richilde of HAINAULT 

• She was born in the year 1031.Source 1
• She died on March 15, 1086, she was 55 years old.Source 1
• A child of Rainier de Hasnon and Ermengarde
• This information was last updated on August 15, 2021.

Household of Heiress Richilde of HAINAULT

(1) She is married to Hermann of HAINAULT.

They got married

(2) She is married to Baudouin van HENEGOUWEN.

They got married about 1055.Source 1

Child(ren):

1. Alix of FLANDERS  ± 1047-???? 
2. Baudouin of FLANDERS  ± 1056-> 1098 

(3) She is married to William FITZOSBERN.

They got married in the year 1070, she was 39 years old.Source 1

Notes about Heiress Richilde of HAINAULT

Richilde was born about 1031. Her parents are not recorded; since the county of Hainault would pass to the counts of Flanders through marriage to her, she has often been mistakenly recorded a daughter of Reginar V, count of Hainault, who was actually her first father-in-law.

Richilde was first married to Hermann, count of Hainault, son of Reginar V and Mathilde de Lorraine. They served as co-rulers in Mons and Hainault from 1039 to Hermann's death in 1051. Soon after the death of Hermann, Richilde married Baudouin, eldest son of Baudouin V, Graaf van Vlaanderen, and Adèle de France. At that point she started preparing for the unification of Hainault and Flanders under the rule of the children of her second marriage. The two children of her first marriage were placed into the Church. Her daughter Gertrude became a nun and her son Robert (who was apparently physically disabled) became a clergyman and eventually bishop of Châlons-sur-Marne. Her husband Baudouin became count of Flanders (as Baudouin VI) in 1067, and they ruled both Flanders and Hainault until his death in 1070. Of their children only Baudouin would have progeny.

After the death of Baudouin VI their son Arnulf became count of Flanders, but he was challenged by Baudouin VI's younger brother Robert 'the Friesian'. Despite help from Philippe I of France, which included a small force of Norman knights led by William FitzOsbern, 1st earl of Hereford, seigneur de Breteuil, whom Richilde had married soon after Baudouin's death, her forces were defeated at the Battle of Cassel on 22 February 1071, William FitzOsbern was killed and Arnulf was captured and soon died, and King Philippe invested Robert with the county of Flanders. Richilde and her younger son Baudouin still had Hainault, and made subsequent unsuccessful attempts to recover Flanders. Richilde died on 15 March 1086.

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Timeline Heiress Richilde of HAINAULT

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