William Adelin

William Adelin, known variably as Adelinus, Adelingus, A(u)delin among other Latinised Norman-French variants of Ætheling, was the son of Henry I of England and his wife Matilda of Scotland, making him the heir apparent to the English throne. His death without issue led to a succession crisis in English history, referred to as the Anarchy. Born in Winchester, William was the product of a marriage that sought to consolidate Norman rule with the Anglo-Saxon lineage, his mother being a descendant of Edmund Ironside and a great-niece of Edward the Confessor.

William held the title of Duke of Normandy more ceremonially than in actual governance, with his father King Henry I arranging for him to do homage to the king of France in his stead. His betrothal and subsequent marriage to Matilda of Anjou was part of Henry I’s political strategy to secure alliances. William’s untimely death occurred during the White Ship disaster, which resulted in his drowning after a failed rescue attempt for his half-sister, impacting the line of succession upon his father’s death.