Stephen of Blois, King of England

1096 - 1154  (58 years)

• Name	Stephen of Blois
  Birth	1095/96	Blois, Loir-et-Cher, Centre-Val de Loire, France   [2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12]
  General Information	Brave and generous, possessed of the common touch, Stephen of Blois seemed a promising king. But, as his nobles and adversaries soon discovered, he was not cut out for the role. As he lost the control that Henry had secured over England, the country was torn apart by rival forces.  [7]
  Title(s)	Bef 1115 (18 years)  [4, 10]
  Before 1115 he became the Count of Mortain.
  Miscellaneous	1120 (24 years)  [12]
  In 1120 Stephen narrowly escaped drowning with Henry I's son, William Adelin, in the sinking of the White Ship.
  	An early 14th-century depiction of the White Ship sinking in 1120
  Title(s)	Bef 1125 (28 years)  [10, 12]
  Before 1125 he became Count of Boulogne in right of his wife.
  Reign	From 1135 to 1154 (39 years)  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12]
  King of England
  Title(s)	1135 (39 years)  [4, 12]
  He succeeded as the 11th Duke of Normandy in 1135.
  Crowned	1 Dec 1135 (39 years)  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12]
  He succeeded as King Stephen of England on 1 December 1135 and was crowned King of England by William, Archbishop of Canterbury on 26 December 1135 and styled Rex Aglorum Dux Normannorum. He pretended that the deceased monarch had expressed an intention that he should follow him on the throne, and he He was deposed on 10 April 1141. He succeeded again as the King on 1 November 1141 and was crowned as King 25 December 1141 at Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury, Kent, England. At length, after many changes of fortune, Stephen having lost his son, Eustace, entered into a compact with Henry Plantagenet, son of his rival, the Empress Maud, by which it was agreed that Stephen should enjoy the throne in peace during his life, and that Henry should succeed him.
  Miscellaneous	1139 (43 years)  [4]
  The rightful heiress to the crown of England was Henry I's daughter Matilda but at the time of Henry's death she was with her husband in Anjou and Stephen was the first to reach London and successfully claim the throne. Matilda or Maud, as she was also known, disputed Stephen's claim. Matilda's illegitimate half brother the 1st Earl of Gloucester rebelled, and civil war broke out in 1139 when Matilda invaded. In April 1141 hostile troops seized Stephen at the Battle of Lincoln but in November exchanged him for Gloucester who had been imprisoned by Stephen's supporters. Stephen then regained much lost power and in 1148 Matilda left England. Upon Maud's death, her son Henry Fitz-Empress continued the challenge. While the dispute continued, Henry married the divorced wife of the French King. This gave him great power as his wife was, in her own right, a reigning Princess. Stephen had married Matilda of Boulogne and hoped that their son Eustace would succeed him, however Eustace died and in 1153 at Winchester, Stephen reluctantly declared Henry Fitz-Empress as his heir.
  Death	25 Oct 1154	Dover Castle, Dover, Kent, England Dover Castle, Dover, Kent, England   [3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12]
  He died of a heart attack. [12]
  Burial	Aft 25 Oct 1154	Faversham Abbey, Faversham, Kent, England Faversham Abbey, Faversham, Kent, England Destroyed in 1538 after the dissolution of the Monasteries.   [4, 8, 10]
  His tomb was destroyed during the Reformation. [10]
  	Brass marker over Stephen of Blois' Grave
  Siblings	3 brothers
  + 1. Theobald IV, Count of Blois and Champagne,   b. 1090, Blois, Loir-et-Cher, Centre-Val de Loire, France d. 8 Jan 1152, Ligny-en-Barrois, Grand Est, France  (Age 62 years) ▻ Mathilda von Sponheim,  m. 1123 + 2. William of Champagne ▻ Agnes de Sully + 3. Stephen of Blois, King of England ,   b. 1095/96, Blois, Loir-et-Cher, Centre-Val de Loire, France d. 25 Oct 1154, Dover Castle, Dover, Kent, England Dover Castle, Dover, Kent, England  (Age 58 years) ▻ Matilda, Countess of Boulogne,  m. 1125 ;   Dameta de Normandie;     4. Henry, Bishop of Winchester
  Half siblings	1 half sister (family of Stephen III and "Unknown")
  + 1. Emma of Blois ▻ Herbert
  Patriarch & Matriarch	Theobald I, Viscount of Troyes   d. About 942/43  (4 x Great Grandfather)  Gerberga of the Gatinais   d. After 952  (4 x Great Grandmother)
  Person ID, Branch	I3047	Roy Line, Boudreau Line
  Last Modified	28 Jun 2025

  
  

  Father	Stephen III, Count of Blois,   b. 1046   d. 19 May 1102, Holy Land (Age 56 years)
  Mother	Adele of Normandy, Princess of England,   b. About 1062   d. 8 Mar 1137/38, Maringuy Convent, Marcigny, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France (Age 76 years)
  Family ID	F2322	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Spouse / Partner 1	Matilda, Countess of Boulogne,   b. Abt 1105, County of Boulogne, France d. 3 May 1151, Hedingham Castle, Castle Hedingham, Essex, England (Age 46 years)
  Marriage	1125	Westminster Abbey, London, England Westminster Abbey, London, England   [2, 4, 8, 10, 11]
  Age at Marriage	He : ~ 29 years - She : ~ 20 years.
  Children	3 sons and 2 daughters
  1. Baldwin de Boulogne  [Father: Birth]  [Mother: Birth] +   2. Eustace IV, Count of Boulogne,   b. Abt 1129   d. 10 Aug 1153 (Age 24 years)  [Father: Birth]  [Mother: Birth] ▻ Constance  m. Feb 1140 >   3. Sir William FitzRoy, Count of Boulogne and Mortain ,   b. Abt 1135   d. Oct 1159, France (Age 24 years)  [Father: Birth]  [Mother: Birth] ▻ Isabel de Warenne, Countess of Surrey >   4. Matilda,   b. Abt 1133   d. Abt 1135, Tower of London, London, England (Age 2 years)  [Father: Birth]  [Mother: Birth] ▻ Waleran IV, Count of Meulan, Earl of Worcester  m. Abt 1134 +   5. Mary of Blois, Princess of England,   b. Abt 1131, Blois, Loir-et-Cher, Centre-Val de Loire, France d. 25 Jul 1180 (Age 49 years)  [Father: Birth]  [Mother: Birth] ▻ Matthew of Alsace, Comte de Boulogne  m. 1160
  Family ID	F2446	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	2 Aug 2021

  
  

  Spouse / Partner 2	Dameta de Normandie,   b. Abt 1103   d. 1152 (Age 49 years)
  Marriage	Not married  [6]
  Children	2 sons and 1 person of an unknown gender
  1. Almaric  [Father: Natural]  [Mother: Natural]     2. Ralph  [Father: Natural]  [Mother: Natural]     3. Gervaise of Westminster, Abbot of Westminster Abbey,   b. Between 1115 and 1120   d. 1160 (Age 45 years)  [Father: Natural]  [Mother: Natural]
  Family ID	F8628	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	2 Aug 2021

  
  

  Spouse / Partner 3
  Marriage	Type: Other Natural Children
  Children	1 son and 1 daughter
  1. William  [Father: Natural] >   2. Sybilla   d. 1141  [Father: Natural] ▻ Hervey le Breton of Léon, Earl of Wiltshire
  Family ID	F8629	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	2 Aug 2021

  
  

• Pedigree

  ← Click to display 1Stephen of Blois, King of England (1095/96 – 1154) 2Stephen III, Count of Blois(1046 – 1102) 4Theobald III, Count of Champagne(1012 – 1089) 8Eudes II, Count of Blois and Champagne(990 – 1037) 16Eudes I, Count of Blois(950 – 995) 17Bertha of Burgundy, Princess of Burgundy(Abt 964 – Abt 1016) 9Ermengarde of Auvergne( – 1040) 18Robert I, Count of Auverne( – 1032) 19Ermengarde 5Alix de Crepi 10 20 21 11 22 23 3Adele of Normandy, Princess of England(1062 – 8 Mar 1137/38) 6William I, King of England(1027 – 1087) 12Robert I, Duke of Normandy(1000 – 1035) 24Richard II, Duke of Normandy(963 – 1026) 25Judith of Brittany(982 – 1017) 13Herleva de Falaise(1012 – 1050) 26Fulbert of Falaise 27Dode 7Maltilda of Flanders, Duchess of Normandy and Queen of England(1032 – 1083) 14Baldwin V de Lille, Count of Flanders(1012 – 1067) 28Baldwin IV de Lille, Count of Flanders and Valenciennes(980 – 1035) 29Ogive of Luxembourg(995 – 1030) 15Adelaide of France, Princess of France(1009 – 1078) 30Robert II, King of France(972 – 1031) 31Constance of Arles(986 – 1032)

  
  

• Event Map		Birth - 1095/96 - Blois, Loir-et-Cher, Centre-Val de Loire, France Marriage - 1125 - Westminster Abbey, London, England Death - 25 Oct 1154 - Dover Castle, Dover, Kent, England Burial - Aft 25 Oct 1154 - Faversham Abbey, Faversham, Kent, England  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Photos

  
  

• Sources 🟢 Primary Evidence 🟡 Secondary Evidence 🟠 Tertiary Evidence 🔴 Unreliable Evidence

  [S1461] Burke, John and John Bernard Burke. The Royal Families of England, Scotland and Wales with their Descendants, Sovereigns and Subjects , (London: E. Churton, 1848). [S1939] Cannon, John. Oxford: The Kings and Queens of Britain, (Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2001). [S309] Fraser, Antonia. The Lives of the Kings & Queens of England, (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1975). [S1569] Lundy, Darryl. The Peerage web site, (Wellington, New Zealand: http://www.thepeerage.com/index.htm, 2019). [S1940] Panton, Kenneth J. Historical Dictionary of the British Monarchy, (Lanham, UK: Scarecrow Press, 2011). [S1447] Sheppard, Walter Lee. "Royal Bye-Blows The Illegitimate Children of English Kings from William to Edward III" , (Boston: The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, volume CXVIX, April 1965). [S1941] Soud, David. Kings & Queens of Great Britain, (San Diego, California: Thunder Bay Press, 2017). [S60] Stuart, Roderick W., Royalty for Commoners, The Complete Known Lineage of John of Gaunt, Son of Edward III, King of England, and Queen Philippa Fourth Edition, (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2002). [S63] von Redlisch, Marcellus Donald Alexander R. Pedigrees of Some of the Emperor Charlemagne's Descendants volume 1 , (Cottonport, Louisiana: Order of the Crown of Charlemagne, 1941). [S1682] Weir, Alison. Britain's Royal Families, (London: Vintage Books, 1989). [S59] Weis, Frederick Lewis. Ancestral Roots of Sixty Colonists Who Came to New England Between 1623 and 1650 Fifth Editionif, (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1982). [S304] Wikipedia, Stephen, King of England.