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King Henry I

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Monarch

The Resume

    (circa 1068-December 1, 1135)
    Born in Selby, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom
    Son of William the Conqueror
    Younger brother of William II Rufus, King of England, and Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy
    King of England (1100-1135) and Duke of Normandy (1106-1135)

Why he might be annoying:

    His brothers got so tired of his jockeying for power that they agreed that if either William or Robert died without children, their realms would be united under the surviving brother.
    He probably arranged for the assassination of his brother William.
    He then took advantage of Robert’s absence on the First Crusade to seize the English throne.
    He invaded Normandy and overthrew his brother Robert. (Although, to be fair, Robert had earlier invaded England in an unsuccessful attempt to dethrone Henry.)
    After Robert tried to escape, Henry had him blinded.
    He set a record for English monarchs by siring at least 20 children out of wedlock.
    He died from eating ‘a surfeit of lampreys.’
    After his death, the kingdom slipped into civil war.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was initially expected to become a bishop and thus received a more extensive education than his brothers.
    He was nicknamed the ‘Lion of Justice’ for his judicial reforms.
    He granted the English barons a Charter of Liberties that was a precursor to the Magna Carta.
    He helped break down barriers between the English and Norman populations and married an English woman.
    His heir and sole legitimate son died in a shipwreck (1120).
    His father correctly predicted, ‘You in your own time will have all the dominions I have acquired and be greater than both your brothers in wealth and power.’

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 5 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 76 Votes: 53.95% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 96 Votes: 53.12% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 16 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 88 Votes: 53.41% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 286 Votes: 51.40% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 34 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 76 Votes: 56.58% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 27 Votes: 51.85% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 14 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 18 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 11 Votes: 63.64% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 28 Votes: 60.71% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 19 Votes: 57.89% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 41 Votes: 58.54% Annoying