Saint Adela of Normandy

Adela of Normandy, of Blois, or of England (c. 1067 – 8 March 1137), also known as Saint Adela in the Catholic Church, was a daughter of William the Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders. She 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 a marriage into such a wealthy and powerful family. 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. Her marriage also laid the groundwork for a period of extended strife in the Anglo Norman lands. Adela was the mother of King Stephen of England whose taking of the throne in preference to her niece Empress Matilda led to the civil war known as The Anarchy. It is generally believed that Adela was born between 1066 and 1070 after her father's accession to the English throne. She was the youngest daughter of William the Conqueror. 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 children of the Conqueror. 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 honours; however her bloodline would be a valuable asset in marriage. 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 six or eight children who survived infancy.