Review: Royal Bastards of Twelfth Century England by James Turner

Synopsis: The many storied monarchs of twelfth century England lived, fought, loved, and died surrounded by their illegitimate relatives. While their many contributions have too often been overlooked, these illegitimate sons, daughters and siblings occupied crucial positions within the edifice of royal authority, serving their legitimate relatives as proxies and lieutenants. In addition to occupying roles and offices at the center of royal administration, Anglo-Norman and Angevin royal bastards, exiled to the fringes of family identity by a twist of fate, provided the kings of England with military and political support from amidst the aristocratic affinities into which they were embedded. Rather than merely inert pieces on the dynastic game board or passive conduits of royal association, these men and women were engaged participants in contemporary politics, proactively cultivating and shaping the thrones’ relationship with its principal subjects.

This book, the first full length study dedicated to the subject, examines the seminal conflicts and changing shape of the royal dynasty during a period of turbulent and formative development in the nature and institutions royal government through the rarely before accessed perspective of the reigning monarchs’ illegitimate family members and deputies. More than that this study aims, as far as possible, to illuminate and bring to life the lives, triumphs and tragedies of these fascinating half-forgotten personages. The victims of a rapid and profound demographic and social change which drastically recontextualized their position with royal family identity and aristocratic society, the bastards of the English royal family found new methods to survive and thrive.

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The focus of this scholarly work is primarily on Henry I, a monarch noted for his numerous illegitimate offspring. It is a look at the role these offspring played in the greater scheme of the political aspirations of their sire. Key take-aways included the "high level of loyalty" each displayed toward the legitimate royal family, their inclusion within the family circle, and their assessment on an individual basis.

Turner begins with the concept of illegitimacy based upon changes to Church doctrine and coda, and Church reform at the time of William I of Normandy - William the Bastard.

We move onto Henry I - his birth, life as linked to his many mistresses and the resultant offspring, and the antecedents of his most well known bastard, Robert Earl of Gloucester. Turner remarks that Henry I's "... relationships follow the pattern of his itinerant lifestyle both before and after claiming the throne ...".  Historian Chris Given-Wilson wrote: "It might be permissible to wonder how it was that Henry I managed to keep track of all his illegitimate children, but there is no doubt that he did so". 

The use of illegitimate children to further political designs was not unusual among medieval kings, but the number of Henry I of England’s offspring was remarkable, even by contemporary standards.

Whilst assessing Henry I's political policy, Turner notes that .... "by pursuing liaisons with member of regional and often partially non-Norman familial networks, Henry I was, in a limited sense, extending his own influence into these localities by drawing such families into alignment with his own interests from the often unreliable and fractious top tier of Anglo-Norman magnates ...".  Turner again states that Henry I then married off his mistresses into Anglo-Norman families "... engaged in royal service to further build influence and personal affinities within lower aristocracy ...".

Turner thus assesses the role of the royal bastards as a familial resource that could be used for political gain and the protection of lands / borders and the expansion of family identity on both a local and international political chess-board. Turner then looks at the acceptance of royal bastards among the royal entourage using the disaster of the White Ship in 1120 as an example of their inclusion rather than exclusion. 

Turner then diverts our attention to Henry I's only legitimate daughter, Matilda, and his succession plan, whilst again looking at Robert Earl of Gloucester, more noted of all his illegitimate offspring, before looking at another bastard, Reginald of Cornwall in the context of the historical period known as The Anarchy.

Turner draws the reader further a-field to Europe as a whole, wherein he he alerts us to ...... that ".. rulership in 12th Century Europe was predicated almost entirely upon familial connections and personal relationships .." and that the "... position of the illegitimate offspring was dependent upon the political and dynastic context of their legitimate relatives and their implied advancement of familial interests..". 

This all dovetails nicely as our narrative is now directed towards Henry II and his own illegitimate offspring.  Again, a comparison between Henry I and II and their usage of their illegitimate offspring to further their own political ambitions is undertaken.

In the case of Henry II, we are treated to a review of the historical and political importance of Henry II's half-brother Hamelin de Warrenne, and Henry's own illegitimate offspring in Geoffrey Plantagenet and William Longspee.

Whilst the period of time being covered is rather narrow, Turner draws the reader to key points - bastards were accepted and used to promote the political interests of their sire, they were often more loyal than their legitimate siblings, and bastardy was no impediment to advancement.

Background knowledge would be an advantage as this isn't a chronologically presented of every single illegitimate royal offspring extant in 12th Century England, It is also heavily focused on the bastard sons, who were in a much better position to promote the political message of their monarch parent. Overall, I would recommend picking up this book for a more indepth look at the political decision making processes of Henrys I and II as applied to their illegitimate offspring and their greater political aspirations.