Richard 3rd Duke of Normandy ¹⁰⁶

  General Notes:

The line to the dukes of Normandy comes through Isabel St. Liz and the line to Charlemagne comes through her husband, William Mauduit. The lines merge again with the marriage of Richard I, Duke of Normandy, and Emma, daughter of Hugh, who was - in all but name - King of France. His son, Hugh Capet, later assumed the title and primogeniture began in the French line of kings.

The two lines met again later with the marriage of Adele, daughter of King Robert II and Richard III, Duke of Normandy.

Richard I, "the Fearless"; named father's heir 29 May 942. Married first (Danish wife) Gunnora but betrothed ca. 945 and eventually married 960 to Emma. Richard was betrothed to Emma for some time but did not marry her until about 960, after the death of her father, Hugh the Great, in 956. Richard was the guardian of Hugh's son, the Duke of Paris, and eventually married Emma to strengthen his position. He did not treat her unkindly, he merely loved Gunnora. Poor Emma passed her life at Rouen alone and solitary and eventually she pined away and died about the year 962. After Emma's death he married (Christian marriage) Gunnora to legitimize their children.

He was born to William I of Normandy, ruler of Normandy, and his wife, Sprota. He was still a boy when his father died in 942. His mother was a Breton concubine captured in war and bound to William by a Danish marriage. After William died, Sprota became the wife of Esperleng, a wealthy miller; Rodulf of Ivry was their son and Richard's half-brother.

Richard was still a boy when his father died, and so he was powerless to stop Louis IV of France when he seized Normandy. Louis kept him in confinement in his youth at Lâon, but he escaped with the assistance of Osmund de Centeville, Bernard de Senlis (who had been a companion of Rollo of Normandy), Ivo de Bellèsme and Bernard the Dane (ancestor of families of Harcourt and Beaumont). In 968 Richard agreed to "commend" himself to Hugh, Count of Paris. He then allied himself with the Norman and Viking leaders, drove Louis out of Rouen and took back Normandy by 947. He later quarrelled with Ethelred II of England regarding Viking invasions of England because Normandy had been buying up much of the stolen booty.

Richard was bilingual, having been well educated at Bayeux. He was more partial to his Danish subjects than to the French. During his reign, Normandy became completely Gallicized and Christianized. He introduced the feudal system and Normandy became one of the most thoroughly feudalized states on the continent. He carried out a major reorganization of the Norman military system, based on heavy cavalry. He also became guardian of the young Hugh, Count of Paris, on the elder Hugh's death in 956.

He married 1st (960) Emma of Paris, daughter of Hugh the Great, Duke of the Franks and Count of Paris. They were betrothed when both were very young. She died after 966 with no issue.

According to Robert of Torigni, not long after Emma's death, Duke Richard went out hunting and stopped at the house of a local forester. He became enamoured of the forester's wife, Seinfreda, but she being a virtuous woman, suggested he court her unmarried sister, Gunnor, instead. Gunnor became his mistress and her family rose to prominence. Her brother, Herefast de Crepon, may have been involved in a controversial heresy trial. Gunnor was, like Richard, of Norse descent, being a Dane by blood. Richard finally married her to legitimate their children:

Richard II "the Good", Duke of Normandy (966)
Robert, Archbishop of Rouen, Count of Evreux, died 1037.
Mauger, Earl of Corbeil, died after 1033; his alleged grandson (or perhaps great-
grandson) was Robert Fitzhamon, an important Anglo-Norman baron.
Robert Danus, died between 985 and 989
Emma of Normandy (c.985-1052) wife of two kings of England.
Maud of Normandy, wife of Odo II of Blois, Count of Blois, Champagne and Chartres
Hawise of Normandy (b. ca. 978), d. 21 February 1034. m. Geoffrey I, Duke of Brittany
Beatrice of Normandy, Abbess of Montvilliers d.1034 m. Ebles of Turenne (d.1030
(divorced)
Papia m. Gilbert de St Valery

Richard was known to have had several other mistresses and produced children with many of them. Known children are:

Geoffrey, Count of Brionne, (b. ca. 970)
William d'Eu, Count d'Eu, (b. ca. 985).

He died in Fecamp, France on November 20, 996 of natural causes. ^26,106

Richard had a relationship with Gunnora de Crepon, daughter of de Crepon and Unknown.

Richard next married Emma of France, daughter of Hugues Count of Paris and Hedwig of Saxony.