 Richard II (The Good) of Normandy, son of Richard I (The Fearless) of Normandy and Gunnor de Crepon.DIED_SHORT 23 aug 1026 He succeeded his father in 996 as RICHARD II "le Bon/l'Irascible" Comte de Normandie. Duke of Normandy [1015]. RICHARD, son of RICHARD I "Sans-Peur" Comte [de Normandie] & his second wife Gunnora --- (-23 Aug 1026, bur Fécamp). Guillaume of Jumièges names “Richardum...et Robertum atque Malgerium aliosque duos” as the sons of Richard and his wife “Gunnor ex nobilissima Danorum prosapia ortam”. He succeeded his father in 996 as RICHARD II "le Bon/l'Irascible" Comte de Normandie. An agreement between the abbots of Jumièges and Bougeuil concerning an exchange of land in Poitou, by charter dated [13 Apr/4 Apr] 1012, is subscribed by "Richardus… …mater Richardi comitis Gunnor, uxor comitis Richardi…". Duke of Normandy [1015] He intervened on behalf of his son-in-law Renaud Comte Palatin de Bourgogne, who had been imprisoned by Hugues de Chalon, by sending troops to devastate Chalon in 1026 and procure his release. According to Adam of Bremen, after repudiating his betrothal to the sister of Knud King of Denmark, Duke Richard left for Jerusalem to escape the Danish king's wrath and died there, but this is inconsistent with the duke's third marriage. "Secundus nominis mei Normannorum dux Ricardus" confirmed donations to Fécamp abbey, for the soul of "conjugis mee…Judith", by charter dated 1027 (misdated), signed by "Ricardi filii Gulberti, Nigelli vicecomitis…Storstingi vicecomitis". The necrology of Saint-Père-en-Vallée records the death "X Kal Sep" of "Ricardus comesThe Brevis Relatio de Origine Willelmi Conquestoris records that "Ricardus…filius Willelmi et alius Ricardus" were buried "Fiscanni". Betrothed (after 1017) to ESTRID [Margrete] Svendsdatter, daughter of SVEND I "Tveskæg/Forkbeard" King of Denmark & his second wife Sigrid “Storråda/the Haughty” (-9 May ----, bur Roskilde Cathedral). Adam of Bremen records that "Chnud…rex Danorum" gave "suam…germanam Margaretam pro foedere" to "comitis Nortmannorum Rikardi" and after, she was repudiated by Richard, to "Wolf duci Angliæ". Saxo Grammaticus also records her betrothal. The Chronicon Roskildense records that "Kanutus" gave "sororem…Estrith" to "Richardo", who repudiated her, after which she married "duci Ulf" without her brother´s consent. She later married Ulf Thrugilson Jarl [Wulfsige Sprakeling]. Richard succeeded his father as Duke of Normandy in 996.[1] During his minority, the first five years of his reign, his regent was Count Ralph of Ivrea, his uncle, who wielded the power and put down a peasant insurrection at the beginning of Richard's reign.[3] Richard had deep religious interests and found he had much in common with Robert II of France, who he helped militarily against the duchy of Burgundy.[3] He forged a marriage alliance with Brittany by marrying his sister Hawise to Geoffrey I, Duke of Brittany and by his own marriage to Geoffrey's sister, Judith of Brittany.[3] In 1000-1001, Richard repelled an English attack on the Cotentin Peninsula that was led by Ethelred II of England.[4] Ethelred had given orders that Richard be captured, bound and brought to England.[5] But the English had not been prepared for the rapid response of the Norman cavalry and were utterly defeated.[6] Richard attempted to improve relations with England through his sister Emma of Normandy's marriage to King Ethelred.[4] This marriage was significant in that it later gave his grandson, William the Conqueror, the basis of his claim to the throne of England.[7] This proved to be beneficial to Ethelred when in 1013 Sweyn Forkbeard invaded England. Emma with her two sons Edward and Alfred fled to Normandy followed shortly thereafter by her husband king Ethelred.[7] Soon after the death of Ethelred, Cnut, King of England forced Emma to marry him while Richard was forced to recognize the new regime as his sister was again Queen.[4] Richard had contacts with Scandinavian Vikings throughout his reign. He employed Viking mercenaries and concluded a treaty with Sweyn Forkbeard who was en route to England.[8] Richard II commissioned Dudo of Saint-Quentin his clerk and confessor to portray his ducal ancestors as morally upright Christian leaders who built Normandy despite the treachery of their overlords and neighboring principalities.[9] It was clearly a work of propaganda designed to legitimize the Norman settlement, and while it contains numerous historically unreliable legends, as respects the reigns of his father and grandfather, Richard I and William I it is basically reliable.[10] In 1025 and 1026 Richard confirmed gifts of his great-grandfather Rollo to Saint-Ouen at Rouen.[11] His other numerous grants to monastic houses tends to indicate the areas over which Richard had ducal control, namely Caen, the Éverecin, the Cotentin, the Pays de Caux and Rouen.[12] Richard II died 28 Aug 1026 Marriage/ Related to:  Judith of Brittany, daughter of Conan I and Ermengarde of Anjou .BORN_SHORT 982 JUDITH de Bretagne, daughter of CONAN I "le Tort" Duke of Brittany & his wife Ermengarde d'Anjou (982-16 Jun 1017). Guillaume of Jumièges records the marriage of “dux Richardus” and “Goiffredum Britannorum comitem...sororem...Iudith” at “limina Archangeli Michaelis”. According to Orderic Vitalis, Judith founded the abbey of Bernay, Eure in 1025, but this date is inconsistent with her date of death and her husband's second marriage. An agreement between the abbots of Jumièges and Bougeuil concerning an exchange of land in Poitou, by charter dated [13 Apr/4 Apr] 1012, is subscribed by "Richardus…filius Ricardi principi magni…Judith…". The Chronicle of Caen Saint-Etienne records the death in 1017 of "Judita comitissa". Judith, born in 982, was the daughter of Conan I, Duke of Brittany and Ermengarde-Gerberga of Anjou. She was the mother of Robert I, Duke of Normandy and paternal grandmother of William the Conqueror. She was a part of an important double marriage alliance between Normandy and Brittany first recorded by William of Jumièges. In 996 her brother Geoffrey I, Duke of Brittany married Hawise of Normandy, daughter of Richard I, Duke of Normandy while in c. 1000 Judith married Richard II, Duke of Normandy, Hawise's brother. The duchess Judith died on 28 August 1017 and was buried in the abbey of Bernay, which she had founded in 1013 Children: | |||
2) Richard III BORN_SHORT ± 1003, DIED_SHORT 1027, approximately 24 years | |||
3) Robert I (the Magnificent) (the Devil) BORN_SHORT ± 1006, DIED_SHORT 1035, approximately 29 years | |||
4) William BORN_SHORT ± 1008, DIED_SHORT 1025, approximately 17 years monk at Fécamp, d. 1025[ | |||
5) Eleanor BORN_SHORT ± 1012, DIED_SHORT after 1071 | |||
6) Matilda BORN_SHORT ± 1014, DIED_SHORT 1033, approximately 19 years Matilda (c. 1013/5), nun at Fecamp, d. 1033. She died young and unmarried | |||
| 2nd marriage/ relation Richard II (The Good) of Normandy, son of Richard I (The Fearless) of Normandy and Gunnor de Crepon.Marriage/ Related to: Poppa of EnvermeuChildren: | |||
1) Mauger BORN_SHORT ± 1019 Archbishop of Rouen | |||
2) Charles William BORN_SHORT ± 1020 (c. 1020/5), count of Arques | |||
N.N. Marriage/ Related to: N.N. | |||