Henry Beauclerc (artist unknown).

Henry reigned as King of England from 1100 until his death in 1135. In 1106 he captured his brother Robert and took over as Duke of Normandy from 1106 to 1135. Henry was nicknamed "Beauclerc" (fine scholar) for his above average education. During his reign, the differences between English and Norman society began to slowly evaporate. His reign is notable for important legal and administrative reforms, and he proved to be a hard but just ruler. He is reputed to have died from over consumption of lampreys, but there is a good possibility that the excess of lampreys only gave him a bad case of indigestion and that a carelessly dispensed dose of purgative was in fact the cause of his demise.

Henry succeeded his older brother, William, to the throne. He was crowned three days after his brother's death, against the possibility that his eldest brother Robert (Duke of Normandy) might claim the English throne. After the decisive battle of Tinchebrai in 1106 in France, Henry completed his conquest of Normandy from Robert, who then (unusually even for that time) spent the last 28 years of his life as his brother's prisoner.

An energetic, decisive and occasionally cruel ruler, Henry centralised the administration of England and Normandy in the royal court, using 'viceroys' in Normandy and a group of advisers in England to act on his behalf when he was absent across the Channel. Henry successfully sought to increase royal revenues, as shown by the official records of his exchequer (the Pipe Roll of 1130, the first exchequer account to survive). He established peaceful relations with Scotland, through his marriage to Mathilda of Scotland.

Kings Henry I and Charles II were the only Kings of England to beget really large broods of illegitimate offspring. Charles, credited with 8 sons and 6 daughters, is clearly outdone by Henry with a known illegitimate offspring list consisting of 9 sons and between 12 and 15 daughters. There may be more, too. The name of the mother is known with varying degrees of certainly for 12 of the children.

"Associates" and Illegitimate Children of King Henry (I) Beauclerc of England. from Geoffrey H. White: The Complete Peerage, Appendix D, Volume XI, 1949