Adela of Normandy

Adela of Normandy, of Blois, or of England (c. 1067 – 8 March 1137), also known as in Roman Catholicism, was a daughter of William the Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders who later became the countess of Blois, Chartres, and Meaux by marriage to Stephen II of Blois. Her husband greatly benefited from the increased social status and prestige that came with such a marriage. She brought with her not only her bloodline but a dowry of money and other movable goods from the prodigious store of Anglo-Norman wealth. She was regent of Blois during the absence of her spouse in 1096–1100 and 1101–02, and during the minority of her son from 1102 until 1120. Adela was the mother of King Stephen of England and Bishop Henry of Winchester. Early life It is generally believed that Adela was born between 1066 and 1070 after her father's accession to the English throne. She was William the Conqueror's youngest daughter. Her royal blood marked her as noble in the eyes of her peers. She was the favourite sister of King Henry I of England, and they were probably the youngest of the Conqueror's children. Adela was a high-spirited and educated woman with a knowledge of Latin. As Adela's parents both travelled around Normandy, she likely spent much time at and was educated at a monastery, probably the Abbey of Sainte-Trinité, Caen. She had three older brothers and one younger, and thus she would not inherit her father's honors; however her bloodline would be a valuable asset to a spouse. Adela married Stephen Henry, son and heir to the count of Blois, between 1080 and 1083, around her fifteenth birthday. They were married at Chartres Cathedral. This marriage created a strong familial alliance, linking the two most powerful families in Northern France. Stephen was nearly twenty years her senior. During the fifteen years of their marriage, they had between six and eight children who survived infancy.