Adeliza of Louvain
12th-century queen and wife of King Henry I of England / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Adeliza of Louvain[1] (also Adelicia,[2] Adela, Adelais, and Aleidis; c. 1103 – March/April 1151)[3] was Queen of England from 1121 to 1135 as the second wife of King Henry I.
| Adeliza of Louvain | |
|---|---|
 Detail of a Shaftesbury manuscript, most likely depicting Adeliza | |
| Queen consort of England | |
| Tenure | 24 January 1121 – 1 December 1135 |
| Coronation | 30 January 1121 |
| Born | c. 1103 |
| Died | March/April 1151 (aged c. 48) Affligem Abbey, Brabant |
| Burial | Reading Abbey or Affligem Abbey, Brabant |
| Spouses | |
| Issue more... | William d'Aubigny, 2nd Earl of Arundel |
| House | Reginar |
| Father | Godfrey I, Count of Louvain |
| Mother | Ida of Chiny |
Adeliza was the eldest child of Godfrey I, Count of Louvain, and Ida of Chiny. In 1121, Adeliza, aged about 18, married Henry, who was some 35 years older. Having survived his legitimate son William Adelin, Henry hoped to have another with Adeliza and spent a lot of time with her. She seems to have been influential in the promotion of French poetry and other arts at court, but played little part in politics. Though otherwise successful, their marriage produced no children, and Henry decided to leave the throne to his daughter Empress Matilda. Adeliza was among those who swore to support her stepdaughter and did so during her struggle against Henry's nephew Stephen of Blois, who took the throne after Henry's death in 1135.
As queen dowager, Adeliza spent three years based in a convent. In 1138 she married again to William d'Aubigny, 1st Earl of Arundel, by whom she had seven children. In 1150 she left her husband to move to the Affligem Abbey in Brabant, where she died the next year.