#otd 23 April 1151 – Adeliza of Louvain died (b.1103) . Adeliza was Queen of England from 1121 to 1135, as the second wife of King Henry I. . She was the daughter of Godfrey I, Count of Louvain. . Henry I was some 35 years older than his bride, who was about 18 when they married. He already had children, though no surviving son, from his first marriage to Matilda of Scotland, as well as several illegitimate ones. As his second marriage produced no children, the decision was made to leave the throne to his daughter, the Empress Matilda; an oath was sworn by the clergy, members of the royal family, including Adeliza, as well as English nobles to recognise Matilda as Henry’s heir upon his death. After his death Adeliza spent three years based in a convent, then married again & had seven children by William d'Aubigny, 1st Earl of Arundel. But a year before her death at the age of forty-eight she left her husband to move to the Affligem Abbey in Brabant, where she died in 1151. . Adeliza’s royal marriage seems to have been successful, apart from the failure to produce a new heir. The flow of Henry’s illegitimate children seems already to have ceased by the time of the marriage, & they spent most of their marriage together, which was by no means inevitable in royal marriages of the period. She seems to have been influential in the promotion of French poetry & other arts at court, but played little part in politics. . (I don’t know why but I just love the name Adeliza ❤️) . . . #QueenofEngland #Royalhistory #Adeliza #history #HenryI #QueenConsort #d23apr #onthisdayinhistory #thisdayinhistory #OnThisDay #Louvain #historyinpictures #MedievalArt #Monarchy #Brabant #Britishhistory #historyofbritain #EnglishHistory #queen #Royalty #kinghenry #kinghenryi #medievaltimes #medievalage #historyinpictures #medievalhistory #RoyalFamily #BritishMonarchy (at Affligem Abbey) https://www.instagram.com/p/COBkqXZjgNz/?igshid=1u37ld6rj2qcl
