Partially inspired by the birth of Prince George of Cambridge, and partially because it is just one of my many, many projects to write a book about the heirs to the throne of England that never quite made it, so I've decided to give you all this sneak-peek list of those very people. There's more than you think. Some are big names, some you may have never heard of. But one common thread that they almost all have is that their deaths before the reigning monarch started something of a crisis, or the next in line to the throne wasn't best suited to the role. For the sake of ease, I have chosen post-Conquest English heirs-apparent; going back further, or even into Welsh and Scottish regal history would only complicate things: they're very tricky kettles of fish! So, we start with the first, and, as there's so many, I'll do a few a day...
1) Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy (c.1054-1134
The eldest son of William I, he was a skilled soldier, and showed martial prowess from quite an early age. Always something of a hothead, he was often driven to rages by those around him, including his father and his brothers. Which is why he never became King of England. After a prank by his younger brothers, William Rufus and Henry (both later Kings of England), he revolted against his father, attempting to capture Rouen, but failed spectacularly, and escaped arrest. Such was his deeds that his father had to seek the help of the French king, Philip I, to bring his errant son to heel. Indeed, he almost killed his father in battle in 1079. Despite the obvious emnity between Robert and his father, William I made him Duke of Normandy in his will, the Kingdom of England going to his younger brother, William Rufus. The two decided to be the others heir if they should die without a child, but Robert reneged on this promise and rebelled against his brother with the aid of English barons, but he never bothered to show up to his own rebellion, and it quickly failed. He later went on the First Crusade, and whilst he was away, his brother William Rufus died, and Henry I siezed the throne. Robert rebelled again, this time invading England, but his support dwindled, and he limped back to Normandy. His younger brother counter-invaded Normandy, and defeated him in battle. The Duchy of Normandy was claimed as a Royal dominion, and Robert found himself imprisoned in Devizes and Cardiff castles until he died of old age.
2) William the Aetheling (1103-1120)
Son of Henry I and Matilda of Scotland, William was the apple of his fathers eye, and the future of the Norman dynasty rested with him. His father made him Duke of Normandy so that he did not personally have to pay homage to Louis VI, King of France, a duty that William himself performed in 1120. He was also given the authority to run the kingdom in the absence of his father, and married the eldest daughter of the Count of Anjou, further cementing the alliance between these two mighty dynastic families. Everything was going so well for William and his father. Then, William boarded the White Ship, taking him and his followers from Barfleur back to England. They had all been drinking, and making merry until late in the night when the ship finally set sail. It is not known exactly what happened, but the ship hit a rock, and sank, with most people on board drowning. It is written in some sources that William at first survived, and tried to rescue his half-sister and many others, but he succumbed to the cold and the water, and was never seen again. Henry I was distraught. His only son and heir had died, and all of his hopes for the future died with him. He married again (his first wife, Matilda, dying in 1118), but it never produced a child, and especially the all-important male heir. There would be two claimants to the throne upon Henry's death: his daughter Matilda, Holy Roman Empress and only surviving child, and his nephew, Stephen of Blois. The two would come head to head in the first English civil war, known as The Anarchy.
3) Eustace, Count of Boulogne (c.1129-1153)
The eldest son of Stephen of Blois, he was only a young boy when his father siezed power during the Anarchy, and was too young to fight in the wars against his distant relative, Empress Matilda. In 1147, he was knighted, and took part in a few skirmishes in Normandy soon after. In 1152, Stephen had the barons pay homage to Eustace as heir-apparent, but the clergy declined as he had not been recognised by the Vatican. In what appeared to contemporaries as a sign of God's wrath, Eustace died the year after, paving the way to the throne for Matilda's son, Henry II, who was formally recognised as sucessor to Stephen, and thus starting the line of the Plantagenets.
4) William, Count Of Poitiers (1153-1156)
First son of Henry II and his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, he was born the day that Eustace, Count of Boulogne, died, thus making his father heir-apparent to King Stephen, and thus making him also heir. However, he died two years into his father's reign, making his younger brother the next in line...
5) Henry, the Young King (1155-1183)
Second son of Henry II. He was noted as a charming youth, and was quite well loved by the court. He was crowned king at age 15 in a formal coronation, but as his father was still regnant, he has never been recognised as a true king, and hence his title, to differentiate between him and his father. He was closely involved in his father's reign, taking the lead in politics and negotiations with France and other foriegn powers. Despite this, he never really showed much interest in politics, and was more concerned with hunting and feats of chivalry. Despite his chivalrous leanings, he was less a courteous knight, and rebelled against his father and younger brother, Richard, in 1173, plunging England and France into another familial civil war. In 1182, he picked a fight with William Marshal, the most poweful lord in England, and again rebelled against his brother Richard. Whilst on campaign in France in 1183, he contracted dysentry, and died shortly afterwards. His only child, a boy, William, died in infancy, which left the throne open for younger brother Richard, and later, youngest brother John, to claim.
6) Alphonso, Earl of Chester (1273-1284)
Ninth child, and first son, of Edward I and Eleanor of Castile, and thus heir-apparent to the Kingdom of England. He was engaged to marry the daughter of the Count of Holland, but died in 1284, not long after the birth of his younger brother, Edward, who would later be the first Prince of Wales, and who would unravel most of his father's achievements in parliament and Scotland.
1) Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy (c.1054-1134
The eldest son of William I, he was a skilled soldier, and showed martial prowess from quite an early age. Always something of a hothead, he was often driven to rages by those around him, including his father and his brothers. Which is why he never became King of England. After a prank by his younger brothers, William Rufus and Henry (both later Kings of England), he revolted against his father, attempting to capture Rouen, but failed spectacularly, and escaped arrest. Such was his deeds that his father had to seek the help of the French king, Philip I, to bring his errant son to heel. Indeed, he almost killed his father in battle in 1079. Despite the obvious emnity between Robert and his father, William I made him Duke of Normandy in his will, the Kingdom of England going to his younger brother, William Rufus. The two decided to be the others heir if they should die without a child, but Robert reneged on this promise and rebelled against his brother with the aid of English barons, but he never bothered to show up to his own rebellion, and it quickly failed. He later went on the First Crusade, and whilst he was away, his brother William Rufus died, and Henry I siezed the throne. Robert rebelled again, this time invading England, but his support dwindled, and he limped back to Normandy. His younger brother counter-invaded Normandy, and defeated him in battle. The Duchy of Normandy was claimed as a Royal dominion, and Robert found himself imprisoned in Devizes and Cardiff castles until he died of old age.
2) William the Aetheling (1103-1120)
Son of Henry I and Matilda of Scotland, William was the apple of his fathers eye, and the future of the Norman dynasty rested with him. His father made him Duke of Normandy so that he did not personally have to pay homage to Louis VI, King of France, a duty that William himself performed in 1120. He was also given the authority to run the kingdom in the absence of his father, and married the eldest daughter of the Count of Anjou, further cementing the alliance between these two mighty dynastic families. Everything was going so well for William and his father. Then, William boarded the White Ship, taking him and his followers from Barfleur back to England. They had all been drinking, and making merry until late in the night when the ship finally set sail. It is not known exactly what happened, but the ship hit a rock, and sank, with most people on board drowning. It is written in some sources that William at first survived, and tried to rescue his half-sister and many others, but he succumbed to the cold and the water, and was never seen again. Henry I was distraught. His only son and heir had died, and all of his hopes for the future died with him. He married again (his first wife, Matilda, dying in 1118), but it never produced a child, and especially the all-important male heir. There would be two claimants to the throne upon Henry's death: his daughter Matilda, Holy Roman Empress and only surviving child, and his nephew, Stephen of Blois. The two would come head to head in the first English civil war, known as The Anarchy.
3) Eustace, Count of Boulogne (c.1129-1153)
The eldest son of Stephen of Blois, he was only a young boy when his father siezed power during the Anarchy, and was too young to fight in the wars against his distant relative, Empress Matilda. In 1147, he was knighted, and took part in a few skirmishes in Normandy soon after. In 1152, Stephen had the barons pay homage to Eustace as heir-apparent, but the clergy declined as he had not been recognised by the Vatican. In what appeared to contemporaries as a sign of God's wrath, Eustace died the year after, paving the way to the throne for Matilda's son, Henry II, who was formally recognised as sucessor to Stephen, and thus starting the line of the Plantagenets.
4) William, Count Of Poitiers (1153-1156)
First son of Henry II and his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, he was born the day that Eustace, Count of Boulogne, died, thus making his father heir-apparent to King Stephen, and thus making him also heir. However, he died two years into his father's reign, making his younger brother the next in line...
5) Henry, the Young King (1155-1183)
Second son of Henry II. He was noted as a charming youth, and was quite well loved by the court. He was crowned king at age 15 in a formal coronation, but as his father was still regnant, he has never been recognised as a true king, and hence his title, to differentiate between him and his father. He was closely involved in his father's reign, taking the lead in politics and negotiations with France and other foriegn powers. Despite this, he never really showed much interest in politics, and was more concerned with hunting and feats of chivalry. Despite his chivalrous leanings, he was less a courteous knight, and rebelled against his father and younger brother, Richard, in 1173, plunging England and France into another familial civil war. In 1182, he picked a fight with William Marshal, the most poweful lord in England, and again rebelled against his brother Richard. Whilst on campaign in France in 1183, he contracted dysentry, and died shortly afterwards. His only child, a boy, William, died in infancy, which left the throne open for younger brother Richard, and later, youngest brother John, to claim.
6) Alphonso, Earl of Chester (1273-1284)
Ninth child, and first son, of Edward I and Eleanor of Castile, and thus heir-apparent to the Kingdom of England. He was engaged to marry the daughter of the Count of Holland, but died in 1284, not long after the birth of his younger brother, Edward, who would later be the first Prince of Wales, and who would unravel most of his father's achievements in parliament and Scotland.
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