The White Ship Disaster and Succession Issue in Medieval England

Year 2023, Volume: 12 Issue: 5, 2969 - 2991, 31.12.2023

Gökmen Günay Gökbayır Sayime Durmaz

https://doi.org/10.15869/itobiad.1312611

Abstract

In November 1120, the White Ship sank in an unfortunate accident while attempting to cross the English Channel from Barfleur on the Normandy coast. As a result of this incident, one of the most dramatic shipwrecks in British history, almost all of the passengers and crew lost their lives. Among the passengers, mostly nobles of England and Normandy, was William Ætheling, the rightful heir to the throne of England, who had just been recognised by King Louis VI of France as heir to the Duchy of Normandy. William was the only legitimate son of Henry I, King of England and Duke of Normandy. Although Henry had more than twenty illegitimate children, his only legitimate child other than William was his daughter Matilda, who was married to the Holy Roman-German Emperor Heinrich V. Since 1106, William Clito, the son of his brother Robert Curthose, whom he had held in captivity, threatened the throne of both Normandy and England. Moreover, Henry had lost his wife, Queen Edith-Matilda, two years before the crash of the White Ship and had not remarried. Henry was facing one of the worst situations that could happen to a king sitting on the throne in medieval Europe; there was no heir to leave his throne and lands after him. In order to remedy this situation, Henry even remarried, but due to his advancing age, he was unable to have children again. Five years after the accident, the death of Heinrich V and the widowhood of his daughter Matilda gave King Henry of England an unprecedented idea and he tried to declare his daughter the rightful heir to the throne of England, but it would not be so easy. This study aims to analyse Henry I's efforts to solve the problem of succession after the White Ship disaster in 1120 with the help of contemporary sources.

Keywords

The White Ship Disaster, Henry I, England, Anglo-Norman State, Matilda, Stephen, Succession

Beyaz Gemi Faciası ve Orta Çağ İngilteresi’nde Veraset Sorunu

Abstract

1120 yılının Kasım ayında Normandiya kıyısındaki Barfleur'dan hareket ederek İngiliz Kanalı’nı geçmek isteyen Beyaz Gemi talihsiz bir kaza sonucunda batmıştı. İngiltere tarihinin en dramatik gemi kazalarından biri olan bu hadisenin sonucunda neredeyse yolcuların ve mürettebatın tamamı hayatını kaybetmişti. Büyük çoğunluğu İngiltere ve Normandiya’nın soylularından oluşan yolcular arasında, Fransa Kralı VI. Louis tarafından Normandiya Dukalığı için veliahtlığı henüz tanınmış olan ve İngiltere tahtının yasal vârisi William Ætheling de buluyordu. William, İngiltere kralı ve Normandiya dükü I. Henry’nin meşru tek erkek evladıydı. Henry’nin yirmiden fazla gayrimeşru çocuğu olsa da, William dışında tek meşru çocuğu Kutsal Roma-Germen İmparatoru V. Heinrich ile evli olan kızı Matilda’ydı. 1106 yılından beri esaret altında tuttuğu abisi Robert Curthose’un oğlu William Clito ise hem Normandiya hem de İngiltere tahtını tehdit ediyordu. Üstelik Henry, Beyaz Gemi kazasından iki sene önce eşi Kraliçe Edith-Matilda’yı kaybetmişti ve tekrar evlenmemişti. Henry Orta Çağ Avrupası’nda tahtta oturan bir kralın başına gelebilecek en kötü durumlardan biri ile karşı karşıyaydı; kendisinden sonra tahtını ve topraklarını bırakabileceği bir vâris artık yoktu. Bu duruma çare bulmak adına Henry yeni bir evlilik dahi yapmış fakat ilerleyen yaşından dolayı tekrar çocuk sahibi olamamıştı. Kazadan beş sene sonra V. Heinrich’in ölümü ile kızı Matilda’nın dul kalması, İngiltere Kralı Henry’ye emsaline rastlanılmamış bir fikir verdi ve kızını İngiltere tahtının yasal vârisi ilan etmeye çalıştı; fakat bu o kadar kolay olmayacaktı. Bu çalışma 1120 yılında gerçekleşen Beyaz Gemi kazası ve sonrasında ortaya çıkan veraset sorununu çözmek için I. Henry’nin gayretlerini çağdaş kaynakların yardımı ile incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır.

Keywords

Beyaz Gemi Faciası, I. Henry, İngiltere, Anglo-Norman Devleti, Matilda, Stephen, Veraset

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