French connection

Looking at the family tree there is a strong French connection from the 13th century and earlier. Not all the lines have been investigated but some examples are listed below.

Edward II (1284 to 1377) married Isabelle, daughter of Philip IV of France on 25 June 1308. This line is still to be investigated.

Edward's father, Edward I (1239 to 1307) married Eleanor de Castilla from Spain and after her death he married Margaret, Princess of France in 1299.

Edward's father, Henry III of England (1207 to 1272) married Eleanor of Provence (1223 to 1291) on 14 January 1236 at Canterbury Cathedral. An arranged marriage, this was the first time she met her husband. Eleanor was born in Aix en Provence and was the second daughter of Ramon Berenguer V (1198–1245) and Beatrice of Savoy (1205–1267), the daughter of Thomas I of Savoy and his second wife Margaret of Geneva - a truly international family.

King John (1166 to 1216) also married a French woman - Isabella d'Angouleme (1188 to 1246) in 1200 - after his first marriage to Isabel of Gloucester was annulled. Isabella was the only daughter and heir of Aymer Taillefer, Count of Anjouleme and Alice of Courtenay, who was sister of Peter II of Courtenay, Latin Emperor of Constantinople and granddaughter of King Lois VI of France.

Henry II of England (1133 to 1189) was married to Eleanor of Aquitaine (1154 to 1189) in May 1152, eight weeks after the annulment of her marriage to Louis VII of France. 

The daughter of Henry I, Adelaide (known as Matilda, Empress of England) (1102 to 1167) married Geoffrey V Plantagenet (1113 to 1151) in 1128 and they were the parents of Henry II of England.  Geoffrey's titles in France included Count of Anjou, Tourine and Maine by inheritance from 1129 and then Duke of Normandy by conquest from 1144.

Geoffrey was the elder son of Fulk V of Anjou (c1092 to 1144) and Eremgarde de la Fleche (died 1126), daughter of Elais I of Maine. Fulk V married Eremgadre (or Eremburga) in 1109 and was King of Jerusalem from 1131 until his death in 1144.

Fulk IV of Anjou (c1043 to 1109) married Bertranda (Bertrade) de Montfort (c1070 to 1117) in 1089. Fulk had had three previous marriages all of which had ended in divorce. In 1092 Bertrade left her husband and took up with King Philip I of France. Philip I married her on 15 May 1092, despite the fact that both parties had living spouses. This resulted in Pope Urban excommunicating Philip. An account of the papal deliberations is recrded in Canon law and the Letters of Ivo of Chartres now available in Google books.

Falk IV was the younger son of Geoffrey II, Count of Gatinais (died between 1043 & 1046 ), and Ermemgarde d'Anjou (died 1076). His parents were married around 1065. When Geoffrey died Ermegarde married Robert, Duke of Burgundy ( the son of Robert II, King of France and brother of Henry I of France)

Ermegarde was the daughter of Fulco III d'Anjou, the Comte D'Anjou (1018 to 1076) and Hildegarde Sundgau (c990 to 1 April 1046). Hildegarde's family name was also de Lorraine. Hildegarde died in Jerusalem.

Fulco III d'Anjou was the son Geoffrey I d'Anjou, 4th Comte d'Anjou (died 21 July 987) and Adelais (Adeliade) de Vermandois

The parents of Geoffrey I were Fulk II of Anjou (died 958) and Gernerge de Tours

The parents of Fulk II were Fulk I d'Anjou (died c942) and Roselle de Loch

The parents of Fulk I D'Anjou were Engeiger d'Anjou and Aelinde de Gatinai

The father of Aelinde was Geoffrey I de Gatinai