Henry I (1068-1135), a king of England, was the youngest son of William the Conqueror. He succeeded his brother William II in 1100. Henry married Matilda, daughter of Malcolm III of Scotland and his wife, Margaret, a member of the Saxon royal house of England. Thus, Henry gained the support of his Saxon subjects and strengthened his descendants’ claim to the throne.
Henry promoted centralized rule and gave the royal courts greater authority. He seized Normandy from his oldest brother, Robert, in 1106 and later prevented Robert’s son William from taking control of what had been his father’s lands. After his own son’s tragic death by shipwreck, Henry arranged for his daughter, Matilda, to succeed him. But when Henry died on Dec. 1, 1135, his nephew Stephen became king.
