Baldwin IV, Count of Flanders
Baldwin IV of Flanders (
980 –
May 30,
1036), known as
the Bearded, was
Count of Flanders from
988 until his death. He was the son of
Arnulf II of Flanders. His mother was Rozala of Lombardy. He was a seventh generation descendant of
Charlemagne through his father and an eighth generation one through his mother.
Other than his predecessors Baldwin turned his attention to the east and north, leaving the southern part of his territory in the hands of his vassals the counts of
Guines,
Hesdin, and
St. Pol.
To the north of the county Baldwin was given
Zeeland as a
fief by the
Holy Roman Emperor Henry II, while on the right bank of the
Scheldt river he received
Valenciennes (1013) and parts of the Cambresis and
Hainaut.
In the French territories of the count of Flanders, the supremacy of the Baldwini remained unchallenged. They organized a great deal of colonization of marshland along the coastline of Flanders and enlarged the harbour and city of Brugge.
Baldwin first married Ogive of
Luxembourg, by whom he had a son and heir
Baldwin V. He later married
Eleanor of Normandy, daughter of
Richard II of Normandy, by whom he had at least one daughter Judith. This daughter married
Tostig Godwinson, Earl of
Northumberland. These family connections demonstrate the political interests of the Flemish counts, both in the Kingdom of
France,
England and the Holy Roman Empire.
His granddaughter,
Matilda of Flanders, would go on to marry
William the Conqueror, therefore starting the line of
Anglo-Norman Kings of England.
*
Descendants of Charlemagne*
Descendants of Lothair II*
Descendants of Berengar and Willa#
"Tostig, Earl of Northumbria", Dictionary of National Biography, vol.19, pp.998–1001.
