Goda of England

Goda of England, also known as Godgifu or Godiva, was born around 1004 as the daughter of King Æthelred the Unready and his second wife, Emma of Normandy. She was the sister of King Edward the Confessor. Goda married Drogo of Mantes, count of the Véxin, on 7 April 1024, and bore him sons, including Ralph the Timid, Gautier III, and Foulques de Vexin. In 1035, she entered into her second marriage with Eustace II, Count of Boulogne, which did not produce any children.

The exact date of Goda’s death is debated by historians, with some suggesting around 1047 and others around 1056. Her marriage to Eustace II was a subject of criticism at the Council of Reims in 1049, which led to the dissolution of their union and her return to England, where she received support from her brother. Following the Norman Conquest, her lands in Buckinghamshire were distributed to Bertram de Verdun and Raoul, count of Fougères.