Robert I, Duke of Normandy

Robert I was born 22 June 1000, son of Duke Richard II of Normandy. He revolted unsuccessfully against his brother Richard III before taking the ducal throne himself in 1027. His reign was marked by quarrels with the church - including a bitter feud with his own uncle Robert, the archbishop of Rouen - and by interference in the turmoil across the border in Flanders. Eventually reconciled with his uncle and the Norman clergy, he restored church property and set out on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem as penance. He died en route on 2 July 1035, leaving power to his young illegitimate son William, who three decades later would win the Battle of Hastings and become the first Norman king of England.