Adela of France

Adela of France, also known as Adela the Holy or Adela of Messines, was a significant figure in European medieval history. By marriage, she became Duchess of Normandy from January to August 1027 and later Countess of Flanders from 1035 to 1067. Adela was the second daughter of King Robert II of France and Constance of Arles. Her marriage to Duke Richard III of Normandy was brief due to his unexpected death in the same year. She then married Count Baldwin V of Flanders in 1028.

Adela played an active role in the governance of Flanders and was known for her influence on church reforms, including the enforcement of clerical celibacy. She co-signed many charters with her husband, highlighting her involvement in political affairs. After Baldwin V’s death, she became a nun and later intervened to prevent her son Robert the Frisian from invading Flanders. Adela passed away in the Benedictine convent of Messines and was honored as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church.