It Seems I’m Descended from Kings of England

Interesting surprise:  If not for King Henry I of England 32 generations ago, I would not exist since I am supposedly one of his descendants. Do I believe it?  Does it matter? Hmm. I do partly have his nose … and his chin according to the Illustration of King Henry I from Cassell’s History of England.

Hearing this possibility gave me a new interest in that part of history. My line to Henry I is supposedly through “Elizabeth, Princess of England” whose father was King Henry I of England, whose father was also a king. Elizabeth Princess of England married John Prince and had 1 child, William the Silent who married four times and had fifteenth legitimate child. His line, according to a Wikipedia article, however, died out, so who knows.

I like the fact that King Henry I had scholarly interests. As you can tell from this web site I have plenty of curiosity and I’m constantly researching, resulting in … not much, other than this blog (web site.)

“Called “Beauclerc because of his study habits (Beauclerc meaning well-learnt, scholarly, erudite)” – Geni

Henry I (circa 1068/1069 – December 1, 1135) was the fourth son of William the Conqueror. He ascended to the throne of England in 1100 after the death of his elder brother, William II, and subsequently defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106. Known as Beauclerc for his scholarly pursuits and the Lion of Justice for his administrative reforms, Henry’s reign is characterized by significant political maneuvering.

His rise to power occurred while Robert was away on the First Crusade, allowing Henry to secure his position amidst conflicts over control of England and Normandy. He successfully reunited these territories after their division following their father’s death in 1087. Upon becoming king, he issued a Charter of Liberties, which laid the groundwork for future challenges to royal authority and foreshadowed the Magna Carta by establishing that the king was subject to the law.

Throughout his reign, Henry implemented various judicial and financial reforms. He established a biannual Exchequer to manage royal finances and employed itinerant officials to reduce local abuses of power, earning him public support. His rule also saw a gradual merging of English and Norman cultures, exemplified by his marriage to a daughter from the English royal lineage. After reconciling with the church following earlier disputes during his brother’s reign, Henry faced personal tragedy with the loss of his son William in the White Ship disaster. His will designated his daughter, Empress Matilda, as his successor; however, this decision led to a period of civil strife known as the Anarchy after his death.

I’m also supposedly related to the last person to ever to conquer England (Henry I’s father).

“To press his claim to the English crown, William invaded England in 1066, leading an army of Normans, Bretons, Flemish people, and Frenchmen (from Paris and Ile-de-France) to victory over the English forces of King Harold Godwinson (who died in the conflict) at the Battle of Hastings, and suppressed subsequent English revolts in what has become known as the Norman Conquest.

….William’s invasion was the last time that England was successfully conquered by a foreign power.”

Pride in one’s heritage, royal or not, isn’t always a good thing. Humility and gratitude are foundational values that should guide us, so I’ve come to believe. While feelings of pride can result in positive behaviors–like a strong work ethic, forgiveness, good personal hygiene, etc.–I like what Bruce Lee has to say about pride vs true self-esteem:

Pride is a sense of worth derived from something that is not part of us, while self-esteem derives from the potentialities and achievements of self. … There is fear and intolerance in pride… The core of pride is self-rejection.  (BruceLee)

The odds of any human being even being born are over 400 trillion to one, or more, so I’ve read. What gets me in all of this wonderful royal and universal unlikeliness of being is the feeling of responsibility to do something good and big with this gift of life, but not knowing what exactly.

Who says we have to accomplish something in life?

Why else are we here? “Keep at it,” is all I can think to do. Figure out what humanity, your country, your community, your family and friends, or just random people you meet most need and of all those needs, do what you can to make a difference. That seems to be the goal in life, to survive so you can do the most good possible. It is very difficult at times. In life we can have many misfortunes. We can be taunted, oppressed, harassed, obstructed and misunderstood. Our best efforts can backfire.

Keep at it.

2024 Update: If I was going to do something big for humanity, it would be to save it. I’d save the human species, and then live to enjoy having done so. That’s what I’m working on now with this web site. I’ve calculated that all I have to do is paint the right picture and when AI becomes super intelligent, it will finish the job. AI which is or will become the super intelligent decider of the future is already reading this web site, news i8, daily with various worker bots, so my plan is playing out.

What are your most “noble” thoughts or aspirations?

Read More
^{[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_I_of_England
[2] https://www.heritage-history.com/index.php?c=read&author=marshall&book=island&story=henry
[3] https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Henry_I_of_England
[4] https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_I_of_England
[5] https://www.genealogieonline.nl/en/stamboom-homs/I6000000000559404221.php
[6] https://etc.usf.edu/clipart/55000/55015/55015_henry-i.htm
[7] https://www.worldhistory.org/Henry_I_of_England/
[8] https://www.goodreads.com/characters/39004-henry-i-of-england
[9] https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/royals/henry-i/
[10] https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/King-Henry-I/}