House of Flanders
Arms of the County of Flanders
Country	France Holy Roman Empire Jerusalem Latin Empire
Founded	863
Founder	Baldwin Iron Arm
Titles	Latin Emperor of Constantinople King of Jerusalem Defender of the Holy Sepulchre Duke of Lower Lorraine Margrave of Flanders Margrave of Namur Count of Flanders Count of Hainaut Count of Edessa Count of Boulogne Count of Namur Lord of Bouillon
Estate(s)	Flanders, Hainaut, Constantinople, Boulogne
Dissolution	10 February 1280
Cadet branches	House of Hainaut House of Boulogne House of Mons

The House of Flanders, also called the Baldwins (Latin: Balduini, French: Baudouinides), was a medieval ruling family of Frankish origin that was founded by Baldwin Iron Arm, son-in-law of Charles the Bald. The House of Flanders was the first dynasty to transform a county function of the Carolingian Empire into a hereditary fiefdom, the County of Flanders, falling under West Francia, created by the Treaty of Verdun in 843.^[1]

From 1051, the House of Flanders also reigned over the County of Hainaut, with Baldwin I of Hainaut. In 1119, on the death of Baldwin VII, the family had a series of setbacks, but in 1191, the family recovered the title of Count of Flanders with Baldwin VIII (Baldwin V of Hainaut).

The dynasty established the Latin Empire of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade, and it also briefly ruled the County of Namur (1188–1212). The House of Flanders became extinct in 1280 with the death of Margaret II.

A cadet branch, the House of Boulogne, ruled over the County of Boulogne. Members of this house joined the First Crusade, established the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and produced its first kings.

Genealogy

Baldwin Iron Arm, Count of Flanders († 879)
- Baldwin II the Bald, Count of Flanders († 918)
  - Arnulf I the Great, Count of Flanders († 965)
    - Elftrude, born circa 932, married in 964 to Siegfried, Count of Guînes († 965)
    - Hildegarde (934 † 990), married in 943 to Dirk II, Count of Holland (930 † 988)
    - Egbert (937 † 953)
    - Liutgarde (938 † 964), married in 950 to Wichmann IV, Count of Hamaland and Ghent.
    - Baldwin III, Count of Flanders († 962)
      - Arnulf II, Count of Flanders († 988)
        Mathilda († 995 or before)
        
        Baldwin IV the Bearded (v.980 † 1035), Count of Flanders († 1035)
        Baldwin V of Lille, Count of Flanders († 1067)
        Baldwin VI the Good, (1030 - 1070), Count of Flanders and of Hainaut
        Arnulf III of Flanders (1055 † 1071), Count of Flanders and Hainaut
        
        Baldwin II of Hainaut (1056 † 1098), Count of Hainaut
        Baldwin III of Hainaut (1088 † 1120), Count of Hainaut
        Baldwin IV the Builder (1108 † 1171), Count of Hainaut
        Agnes of Hainaut, married Ralph I, Lord of Coucy
        
        Baldwin V of Hainaut (1150 † 1195), Count of Hainaut
        Isabella of Hainault (°1170- †1190), married Philip II of France
        
        Baldwin VI of Hainaut (°1171- †1205), Count of Flanders and Hainaut, Latin Emperor of Constantinople
        Joan (1199-1200 † 1244), Countess of Flanders and of Hainaut
        
        Margaret II (c. 1202 † 1280), Countess of Flanders and of Hainaut
        
        Yolanda (°1175- †1219), married Peter II of Courtenay, Latin Emperor of Constantinople
        
        Philip the Noble, Marquis of Namur (°1175- †1212)
        
        Henry (°1176- †1216), Latin Emperor of Constantinople
        
        Sybille (°1179- †1217), married to Guichard IV, Sire of Beaujeu
        
        Eustace (†1217), regent of the Kingdom of Thessalonica
        
        Matilda (1032 - 1083), married in 1053 to William the Conqueror
        
        Robert the Frisian, (1033 - 1093), Count of Flanders from 1071 to 1093
        Robert II, Count of Flanders from 1093 to 1111
        Baldwin VII (1093-1119), Count of Flanders
        
        Guillaume (1094-1109)
        
        Philip (1095-) (died young)
        
        Adela of Flanders († 1115), married firstly Canute IV of Denmark. Married secondly Roger Borsa, Duke of Apulia.
        Charles I, Count of Flanders (1084 – 1127)
        
        Gertrude (1080 - † 1117), married to Henry III († 1095) Count of Louvain and Brussels, then in 1096 to Theodoric II, Duke of Lorraine († 1115).
        
        Philip of Loo, whose illegitimate son William of Ypres was a claimant to the county of Flanders.
        
        Ogive, abbess of Mesen.
        
        Judith of Flanders, Countess of Northumbria (1037 † 1094), married in 1058 to Tostig Godwinson († 1066), Earl of Northumbria, then in 1071 to Welf I, Duke of Bavaria († 1101)
  - Adelolf († 933), Count of Boulogne
    - Arnulf II († 971), Count of Boulogne
      - Arnulf III († 990), Count of Boulogne
        Baldwin II († 1025), Count of Boulogne
        Eustace I (v. 995 † 1049), Count of Boulogne
        Eustace II († 1087), Count of Boulogne
        Eustace III, Count of Boulogne (1056 † 1125)
        Matilda I, Countess of Boulogne (1105 † 1152), married in 1125 to Stephen of England
        
        Godfrey of Bouillon (1058 † 1099), Duke of Lower Lorraine, a leader of the First Crusade and "Advocate of the Holy Sepulchre"
        
        Baldwin I of Jerusalem (1065 † 1118), accompanied his brother to the Holy Land, became Count of Edessa and then King of Jerusalem
        
        Godfrey († 1095), Bishop of Paris
        
        Lambert II, Count of Lens († 1054)
        
        Gerberge († 1049), married Frederick, Duke of Lower Lorraine (1003 † 1065)
        
        Arnulf IV, Count of Ternois

Genealogy

Family tree

Arms

References