It appeared to be a routine crossing of the Channel for passengers White Ship –a group of noisy and alcoholic young nobles among whom was Guillaume Adelin, the rightful heir to King Henry Iuh from England. As the ship sailed on November 25, 1120, a shrill sound broke the joyful and festive atmosphere: the crew hit a rock head-on.
Within moments, 300 people found themselves plunged into icy water. Almost all of them will lose their lives. “Nightmare scenario”summarizes Hugh Thomas, a specialist in medieval English history at the University of Miami. For the nobles White Shipcrossing the Channel was part of everyday life for rulers: their territories stretched from Normandy to England since William the Conqueror ascended the English throne in the 11th century.e century. In 1120, his youngest son, Henry, assumed power.
According to the story, the accident was caused by sheer carelessness: “Even in an era when sudden death was commonplace, losing so many high-ranking people in alcohol-related accidents was a very sad thing”determine the historian. However, at the time, the drink was not singled out as the primary explanation, as National Geographic points out.
The shipwreck is explained by the wrath of God
On the 12the this century, divine interpretation dominates. “It was a blow from God to the Anglo-Norman dynasty”explains Nicholas Paul, a Medieval specialist at Fordham University in New York. Bodies washed up in the sea will never be found, preventing families from praying for the safety of their souls. For medieval Christians, this was a problem: “To be free from the great pain and misery of purgatory, one must accept the intercession of living people.», explains the researcher. Which involves knowing the anniversary date of death and disposing of the body. Otherwise, there is a risk that the victims’ loved ones will find themselves… in hell. But that’s not the only problem. The absence of Guillaume Adelin’s body sparked a serious succession crisis in England.
A female successor to the throne?
Suitors fought to replace him, drawing the entire country into violence. Henry Iuhthen about fifty years old, had remarried shortly after the sinking White Shiphoping to get a new child. Failing that, he chose his daughter Mathilde as his successor. An unprecedented and fiercely contested choice in a deeply patriarchal society.
His cousin, Stephen of Blois, seized the opportunity. Spared by shipwreck due to a severe case of diarrhea that forced him to remain on land, he crossed the Channel after the king’s death in 1135 and seized the throne before the pregnant Mathilde could even claim her rights. The country then experienced political unrest and violent civil war for years.
“This was a lot of local warfare, with raids, burning and looting, in short a medieval war”underlines Hugh Thomas. The troubles only ended in 1153, when Stephen agreed to recognize Mathilde’s son Henry as heir. Henry II then succeeded Stephen the following year.
Historians today see a mirror effect between William the Conqueror’s triumphant crossing of the English Channel and his crew’s disastrous crossing of the English Channel. White Ship. “This entire empire was created by one successful voyage, and almost completely destroyed by another, what a shame», concludes Nicholas Paul.
