| Adela of Normandy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Countess of Blois | |
| Tenure | 1089 – 19 May 1102 |
| Born | c. 1067 Duchy of Normandy |
| Died | 8 March 1137 (aged 69–70) Marcigny-sur-Loire, Kingdom of France |
| Spouse | Stephen II, Count of Blois |
| Issue | William, Count of Sully Odo of Blois Theobald II, Count of Champagne Adela Stephen, King of England Lucia-Mahaut, Countess of Chester Philip of Blois, Bishop of Châlons-sur-Marne Agnes de Puiset Alix of Joigni Henry, Bishop of Winchester Eleanor, Countess of Vermandois |
| House | Normandy |
| Father | William the Conqueror |
| Mother | Matilda of Flanders |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Adela of Normandy, of Blois, or of England (c. 1067 – 8 March 1137),[1] also known as Saint Adela in Roman Catholicism,[2] was a daughter of William the Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders. She later became the countess of Blois, Chartres, and Meaux by marriage to Stephen II of Blois. Her husband greatly benefited from the increased social status and prestige that came with a marriage into such a wealthy and powerful family. She was regent of Blois during the absence of her spouse in 1096–1100 and 1101–02, and during the minority of her son from 1102 until 1120.[3] Her marriage also laid the groundwork for a period of extended strife in the Anglo Norman lands, Adela was the mother of King Stephen of England whose taking of the throne in preference to her niece Empress Matilda led to the civil war known as The Anarchy.
- ^ LoPrete, Kimberly. "Adela of Blois". Women and Gender in Medieval Europe: An Encyclopedia. Ed. Margaret Schaus. New York: Routledge, 2006. 6–7.
- ^ Catholic Online. "St. Adela".
- ^ Loprete, Kimberly A. (1990). "The Anglo-Norman Card of Adela of Blois". Albion. 22 (4): 569–589. doi:10.2307/4051390. JSTOR 4051390.