William Clito
William I Clito (* October 25, 1102; † July 28, 1128 fell to Aalst ) was titular Duke of Normandy. He was also by marriage 1123-1124 Count of Maine, and from 1127 Count of Vexin and Count of Flanders.
Life
William was the only son of Duke Robert of Normandy and Sibyl of Conversano ( † 1103). His grandparents were William the Conqueror and his wife Matilda of Flanders.
Battle of Normandy
During William's childhood, his uncle, King Henry I of England had in 1105, the Duchy of Normandy and imprisoned his father Robert occupied since 1106. Wilhelm tried twice 1117-1119 ( Battle of Brémule ) and 1123-1124 unsuccessfully to regain the duchy.
After 1120 Henry's only legitimate son, William Aetheling, was drowned, Wilhelm Clito was - even in England - acted as a possible English throne.
Count of Maine
1123 William married Sibyl, the daughter of his allies Fulk V of Anjou, which he received as a dowry the county of Maine. In turn, Henry I continued, however, in 1124 the ecclesiastical annulment of this dangerous for him by marriage.
Count of Vexin
1127 Wilhelm was assisted by King Louis VI. of France. This gave him the marriage, Joan of Montferrat, a daughter of the Marquis of Montferrat Rainer and half-sister of Ludwig's wife Adelaide of Maurienne. As a wedding gift he received the county adjoining the Normandy Vexin.
Count of Flanders
After 1127 his second cousin, Count Charles I of Flanders, had died without an heir, succeeded William, also brokered by King Louis VI. , To take up its successor in the County of Flanders.
Since Wilhelm Clito wanted to use the acquisition of Flanders as a springboard for his claims to Normandy and England, Henry made I. financial aid for William opponent, thus contributing to the unleashing of a riot - the Flemish cities for economic reasons had problems with an anti-British earl. In February 1128, first raised Saint- Omer and Ghent against Wilhelm. As a counter- candidate took up his second cousin, Dietrich of Alsace, on. After initial successes, military Wilhelm suffered before Aalst an injury, which he finally succumbed in July 1128. He had no children, Dietrich of Alsace sat down as his successor in Flanders by.