Born he was the son of Baldwin I, Count of Flanders and Judith, a daughter of Charles the Bald. Through his mother he was a descendant of Charlemagne. Baldwin wanted to keep a good trading relationship with England. So in 884 Baldwin married Ælfthryth, a daughter of King Alfred the Great of England. This high profile marriage raised the status of Baldwin II. His children had the distinction of belonging to two of the most important royal houses in western Europe. This and later marked the of Flanders as one of the great houses of Europe. 