Henry II of England daughter of Henry I, King of England and Duke of Normandy. She was born into a powerful ruling class of Normans, who traditionally owned extensive estates in both England and Normandy, and her first husband had been the Holy Roman Emperor Henry V. After her father's death in 1135, Matilda hoped to claim the English throne, but instead her cousin Stephen of Blois was crowned king and recognised as the Duke of Normandy, resulting in civil war between their rival supporters. Geoffrey took advantage of the confusion to attack the Duchy of Normandy but played no direct role in the
Succession of Henry IV of France view, Henry remained a heretic and, therefore, an usurper on the throne of France. On the death of King Henry III of France, who had no son, the crown passed to Henry IV, in application of Salic law, because Henry was the descendant of the eldest surviving male line of the Capetian dynasty. Henry IV's descent in the male line from Louis IX of France. Succession of Henry IV of France Henry IV of France's succession to the throne in 1589 was followed by a four-year war of succession to establish his legitimacy. This was part of the French Wars