The eldest son of William the Conqueror, Robert succeeded his father on his death in 1087 as Duke of Normandy, but not to the English throne which passed to his brother William II (Rufus).
Robert and WIlliam warred over the possession of Normandy until 1096, after which Robert II took up the cross as part of the First Crusade.
The division by the Conqueror of his Norman and English possessions between his sons Robert and William alarmed the barons with possessions on both sides of the Channel sorely. A conspiracy was formed by Odo of Bayeux which most of them joined. Its aim was to rebel against Rufus in favour making the weak if greedy Robert king of England under whome they were certain to gain more power.
William Rufus easily suppressed the rebellion of 1088 with the help of the bishops, the Church and the English under the leadership of Wulfstan, bishop of Worcester. The English fyrd captured Odo at Rochester and he was exiled from the kingdom.
William made peace with Robert by the treaty of Caen in 1091 by which it was agreed that the survivor should rule both England and Normandy. Five years later, Robert mortgaged Normandy to William for £6,000 to finance him on the First Crusade.
On the death of their brother William II in 1100, Robert's brother Henry I took advantage of his absence to claim the English throne. Robert invaded England unsuccessfully in 1101 in pursuit of his claim. Henry invaded Normandy in 1106, and captured Robert, who remained a prisoner in England until his death in 1134.
| 1087.Sep.09 | | Death of
William I (the
Conqueror), one of his sons became king as William II (Rufus) [old William II page] while
another became Duke of Normandy as Robert II
Willaim and Robert warred over Normandy until the later took up the cross in 1096
Political Prisoners such as Roger Fitz-Osbern were released on the king's death |
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| 1088 | | Unsuccessful rebellion of the barons led by Odo of Bayeux to put Robert of Normandy on the English throne |
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| 1091 | | Treaty of Caen; William II of England and Robert of Normandy agree that the survivor will rule both England and Normandy, thus cutting out their younger brother, the future Henry I |
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| 1096 | | Robert II, Duke of Normandy mortgaged Normandy to William II for �6,000 to enable him to go on the First Crusade |
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| 1101.Feb | | Robert II, Duke of Normandy lands at Portsmouth to
mount an unsuccessful invasion of England to wrest the throne from his younger
brother, Henry I |
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| 1106 | | Henry I defeats his brother Robert
II, Duke of Normandy at Tinchebray taking him prisoner and winning Normandy
Robert spent the rest of his life as the prisoner of Henry at Devizes, Bristol and Cardiff ((Sept 28th?)) |
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| 1134 | | Robert II, Duke of Normandy
died in England as a prisoner of his younger brother, Henry I who had held him since 1106 |
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