The White Ship

[@davidcooke8005]

Remember kids: Always designate a driver. This message brought to you by House Plantagenet.

[@iltc9734]

Exactly right.

[@Mw-tr2oz]

That's a good one lol

[@finddeniro]

I attend a Local Bar with a Poster of a young women photo Series. Who is She..0h ...she died Drunk Driving 2005..

[@ailsasublett9885]

Ancient PSA

[@deaddocreallydeaddoc5244]

The House of Plantagenet would not have existed without the wreck.

[@herrunsinn774]

My head was so spinning after the discussion of William, Henry, and Robert that the shipwreck seemed peaceful and easy to follow.

[@j3dwin]

and every female having the same name just added to the confusion.

[@johnslaughter5475]

Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, aka Princess Diana's younger brother, has recently written a book about the White Ship. "The White Ship: Conquest, Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry I’s Dream" is now available at Amazon, and probably elsewhere. I have just ordered as I very much prefer hardbound editions.

[@HM2SGT]

Algorithm, bring the joy of these 15 minutes at 8 Eastern thrice weekly to one & all. A remarkable Christmas gift

[@adiuntesserande6893]

The White Ship incident is one of the biggest turning points in history. If you get a chance to read the late Sharon Kay Penman's Plantagenet novel When Christ and His Saints Slept, her description of it, and of the ensuing Anarchy, is wonderful.

[@abbofun9022]

In English history maybe certainly not for the rest of the world.

[@farinatty]

@@abbofun9022 I am sure there are many similar turning points of history throughout the world. The attempted Mongol invasion of Japan is one of them. If you make great videos of the turning points of interest to you there will be an eager audience.

[@abbofun9022]

@@farinatty oh but I fully agree with you, was just triggered by calling a minor event at world or even European scale but possibly important to England a big turning point to history in general.

[@j0nnyism]

Thanks I’ll get that

[@wolverineeagle]

@@abbofun9022 It was a major event in European history. From this event came the seeds of the Hundred Years War which was a continental fight.

[@grapeshot]

Yeah I remember reading about this disaster in a biography of Richard 1 or Richard the Lionheart. What happened in this disaster is the equivalent of a medieval drunk driving vehicle accident. Which took out a large portion of the young nobility of anglo-norman Europe. Including a future king. They say King Henry never smiled again after this disaster.

[@johnfelan7586]

During Easter 1972, 73 or 74. a 'crew' of 4 lads set off in a Nicholson 30 from Gosport to spend Easter in Cowes. On the way, we picked up the Cherbourg signal on our radio direction finder. We decided that France would be more fun than England for Easter and changed course for Cherbourg. As I recall we had a gentle following breeze and we arrived in Cherbourg next morning. Unfortunately the wind was still from the north when it came time to head home on the Monday only a few hours into the passage it became a force 8 (with snow flurries as I recall). Long story short, sometime after midnight we gave up the fight and turned around and somehow managed to steer east of the Phare de Gatteville lighthouse. Dawn found us off Barfleur. The storm had eased and we motored back to Cherbourg, caught the afternoon ferry to Portsmouth and sent some real sailors from Camper and Nicholson back to retrieve the yacht. Only luck that we didn't join the White Ship.

[@PeterOkeefe54]

That any Captain of the day would leave a harbor at nights defies all common sailing practice of the day..amazing story as usual ..thanx THG

[@francispitts9440]

This is one of the few channels that I hit the like button before it even starts. Always good and great research.

[@wayneyadams]

So do I, his stuff is always great.

[@jeremygilbert7190]

This is amazing. A pivotal moment in history, for sure, but more for what the disaster left the door open for. Henry I, known as "Beauclerc" in his day (English kings were known by their post-nominals more typically after the three Edwards ruled in succession in the 14th century), a great deal of his success was in building an efficient administration - hence his name. His kingdom was one of the richest in Europe because of him. But it wasn't his ill-fated son who was taught the finances of the realm... it was his daughter Matilda, who was betrothed as a girl to the Holy Roman Emperor. While she was named heir to the throne (virtually unheard of for a woman in the 12th century) but lost it to cousin Stephen of Blois upon Henry's death in 1135, she nevertheless battled the new king and almost seized the crown for herself in 1141 during the Anarchy. While she didn't prevail, she did ensure that her son Henry, from her second marriage to Geoffrey of Anjou, would inherit the throne, over Stephen's own son. And Henry II, known as fitzEmpress, the Angevin, and, most famously, as the first Plantagenet (his father's nickname) would arguably be one of England's greatest kings, at one point controlling more land in France than the French king, indeed famously seizing the king's wife and marrying her while he was still a teenager - Eleanor of Aquitaine. In part this was because of the political acumen of her mother, who had a front seat to some of the great political fights of the 12th century between the Church and the Holy Roman Emperor, over investiture of church officials, a hugely consequential political fight that, arguably, foreshadowed the Reformation some 400 years later. Indeed, while the White Ship was the disaster that changed the course of English (and French) history, it was the person of the Empress Matilda, the only surviving legitimate heir, who helped guide her son to his own greatness, as he instituted Common Law, and started to apply primogeniture as a way to prevent succession crises. Of course, not all things went to plan (see The Lion In Winter...)

[@gyrene_asea4133]

A rollicking telling of raucous times. Eleanor of Aquitaine the queen of 3 kings I think. Mother of two kings. Queen of only two kings. Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings, Amy Kelly: Library of Congress Catalogue Num 50-6545.

[@BTScriviner]

Matilda is one of my favorite medieval queens, second only to Eleanor of Acquitaine.

[@dr.floridaman4805]

All monarchies must be eradicated! Burn it all

[@evensgrey]

Well, it didn't help that Henry's elder son, Richard, despised England and hardly ever went there (no doubt this is part of why the English liked him, it's hard to really dislike a noble you've never see and hardly every get orders from) and then his other son, John, managed to lose all the French territory he inherited from Henry (and his heavy taxation of the English to pay for his wars in France made him widely hated to the extent that in the mythic history of England, he's never called King John, always Prince John, and the fact John became king on Richard's death is entirely ignored in most of the English stories set in the period, up to the invention of claims that he usurped his brother's throne while Richard was away on crusade). It would be interesting to know what French mythic history has to say about them.

[@catspaw3815]

@@evensgrey not to mention john was screwing all his nobles' wives, signed the magna carta and got excommunicated for it and lost the original crown jewels in 'the wash' as he fled a group of angry barons and then died a few days later after drinking experimental wine at a monastery!

[@randallcox]

A couple of years ago I read "The Plantagenets" by Dan Jones. The tragedy of the White Ship has always stayed with me. Thanks for another great video!

[@artteacher71]

I was going to mention this! It's a well-written account, and has stayed with me as well.

[@skywatcher5616]

Always a learning experience with THG. Thank you.

[@goodun2974]

"....And the youngest of the family, is moving with authority / building castles by the sea, he dares the tardy tide/ to wash them all aside...." from Thick as a Brick, by Jethro Tull.

[@ullyesses-v1984]

Your mention recalls to my mind the mystery series "The Chonicles of Brother Cadfael" by Ellis Peters which is set during the time of the struggle between Stephen and Matilda and presented as an excellent BBC series starring Derek Jacobi - my own introduction to that period of history.

[@arthurpendragon9079]

The books are all great reads.

[@paulqueripel3493]

It wasn't BBC, it was ITV.

[@sarahhearn-vonfoerster7401]

A truly wonderful set of books as well as a well-made TV series. The weaving of fascinating what-if stories within actual historical data is entertaining as well as enlightening. I've collected most of them, and never tire of revisiting many episodes!

[@sarahhearn-vonfoerster7401]

@@paulqueripel3493 My originals were on BBC, too.

[@paulqueripel3493]

@@sarahhearn-vonfoerster7401 UK or BBC America? It was made by Central TV, an ITV company (even the ex BBC magazine Radio Times says it was ITV) and it still gets repeats on ITV 3.

[@rnedlo9909]

So what you are saying is 'don't drink and drive/operate ANYTHING! Thanks for another great video.

[@iannarita9816]

That's funny I thought that what they were doing was sailing not driving. Oh the ills of alcohol. :-(

[@briangarrow448]

Advice given to this day on KZbin by Broncos Guru! Remember to check that drain plug before you leave the ramp!

[@docjohnson2874]

What a great story......its good to remind ourselves that Normandy was part of the English monarchy for many years after these events (perhaps another story?).....Happy Turkey day.....looking pretty dapper today!!!

[@101Mant]

Well it was more England was a possession of the Norman aristocracy, they remained culturally Norman for a very long time.

[@mjbull5156]

@@101Mant And that Normandy was the more valuable possession, which was why William I's eldest son, Robert inherited that part, and the second son got England, though that made him officially outrank his older brother, which is why both of them coveted the other's inheritance.

[@sideshowbob]

That painting starting around 8:05 of the nobles sucking down wine demonstrates that the artist back then (assuming it was from the same era) indeed had a sense of humor, even if it wasn't specifically about this incident, the look on the imbiber's faces & their sideways turned eyes is downright Priceless.

[@russmcdowell7409]

Thank you Sir.

[@charlesseymour1482]

What a remarkable story about a pivot in English history. A tale well told...

[@1234j]

7:32 Why show a Viking ship (Gokstadskipet) from 890 when the White Ship was likely an early cog (descended from the knarr) from over 2 centuries later? Quite different styles and ages.

[@mrb3405]

I've been reading The Oxford Illustrated History of Britain. Your account of this time period is so much clearer, all while retaining a scholarly sensibility. Thank you for what you do.

[@edschermerhorn5415]

Reminds me of your episode about the incident aboard the USS Princeton in 1844 altering course in US politics. Fascinating how a single event alters paths of events.

[@glenchapman3899]

World war one was started by a car taking a wrong turn

[@ZilchBlackBeer]

Really interesting and well told account of how the Plantagenets came to power. Thank you!

[@easycamperdandog]

I have long been interested in the Plantagenets and also very happy to see this excellent history of how that all played out. Thanks

[@johnbockelie3899]

Sailing and drinking ?.

[@captainmajor1428]

Excellent 👏🧐👏🤓⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@jameskolan9195]

Great story which is particularly interesting as a sequel to the Norman Conquest. Only yesterday I finished an online unit on 1066. William the Conqueror was an outstanding military and political leader and at least one of his sons learned those lessons well. Even so, misfortune intervened. Thanks History Guy!

[@stevedietrich8936]

Good Morning and Happy Thanksgiving to THG and all of the viewers

[@rosetownstumpcity]

feeding that algorithm ... thanks for the consistently enlightening content. this channel never disappoints

[@paulkelley7445]

Happy Thanksgiving

[@aliceblue7305]

Ellis Peter's used the Civil War as the setting for a series of mystery novels with a a Welsh monk as the detective. They were excellent.

[@arthurpendragon9079]

The Brother Cadfael mysteries, by Ellis Peters.

[@TheKulu42]

Agreed. It's a great series for lovers of mysteries and history. The book "A Rare Benedictine: The Advent of Brother Cadfael" describes this episode of history very well.

[@jcsgodmother]

I've read some and had to read up on this time period to get what was going on.

[@blackstone777]

3:41 "oh dear. I appear to have an arrow in my chest. How unfortunate."

[@vbscript2]

Yeah, an arrow to the chest rarely ends well. Whereas an arrow to the knee will just end your career as an adventurer and force you to take up guard duty instead.

[@haroldjedrzejczyk9449]

'Just a flesh wound...' 😉

[@sterfry8502]

Happy thanksgiving! Thanks again for another great video!

[@kimlarso]

TY; Wish you & yours a Happy Thanksgiving 🦋

[@stevenmazeau3433]

I found this to be a very interesting story. Frankly, I'm surprised all the local folks allowed themselves to be sucked into "Family Feud" on a national scale like this! I wonder if the one positive thing that may have come out of the sinking of this "White Ship", and the associated war and instability, might have been the Magna Carta in 1215, which was another turning point in history.

[@frankgulla2335]

A wonderful story from the early days of Anglo-Norman England. A period frequently glossed over in my opinion. Thank you for filling the gap.

[@TomDLuv777]

Thank you for another excellent History Guy video. This is always one of the highlights of my day. Everybody have a great day!

[@melaniehickey236]

A very good rendition of this story. Enjoyed it a lot.

[@oneminutereviews25]

Another great show. You are the best sir thank you

[@waynejohnstone3685]

Ken Follett’s Pillers of the Earth is based on the aftermath of this disaster - diving into everyday life of people at the time. While fiction it is based on history and one of my favourite series.

[@roberthill3207]

Excellent book.

[@j0nnyism]

Yeah an age of civil war and cathedral building

[@DesertRockfall]

By far, the best book I ever read. Most folks who read it agree.("A Place Called Freedom" is really good, too.)

[@Farweasel]

There's a prequel too 'The Evening & the Morning'

[@rick4electric]

Heard about it but didn't know all these details. Thanks for resurrecting an amazing historical chapter!

[@johnvetula4101]

The History Guy is the BEST!!!!

[@shawnr771]

Thank you for the lesson.

[@reallyseriously7020]

When life is bad I can always count on a fascinating story to help get me through. Thank you History Guy.

[@runningintohistory]

Very interesting!

[@geoffreybslater1146]

Really the best history channel! Thanks

[@scotsmith2391]

British history to me tends to be a confusing mash of my head spinning with who did what to whom with who again? And where did they come from???? But The History Guy helped untangle a few threads for me with this one. Thank you!!!!

[@CharlesAustin]

Such a pivotal historic event. Thanks for the reveal ..!!

[@patrickgiblin4213]

Great video! Really reinforces the wisdom of the designated driver.

[@annvictor9627]

Matilda and Stephen -- I recall that conflict mainly from reading Brother Cadfael mysteries.

[@stuartriefe1740]

Sibling rivalry can be bad enough for us Commoners, I can’t imagine it with a kingdom at stake. However it seems like William tried to divide very fairly between his three sons. Unfortunately fairness goes right out the window when people get greedy.

[@neilbuckley1613]

This would promote primogeniture, if it is the law the eldest son gets the whole inheritance to avoid any grounds for dispute.

[@dr.floridaman4805]

Kill the king, problem solved

[@danacasale7381]

This all may have been avoided if they just left Henry alone and let him have his little kingdom of England. It didn't really sound like he was trying to take over just protect his inheritance.

[@kencarp57]

And they ALWAYS get greedy... 🙄

[@arnoldcaines9012]

Drunk teens driving was a catastrophe 900 years ago...

[@scottjohnson9817]

Thank you

[@morgangallowglass8668]

A classic "DOH" of history! Amazing vid as always!

[@dedrakuhn6103]

Nice interesting episode. Great job THG!

[@patrickthebutcher]

Great episode. I am a total nerd for this period in European history, thanks for bringing it to life!!!

[@skyden24195]

A few years ago, while researching alcohol related tragic events of history, I came across a limited noting of this story. It was nice to get more details about this event from The History Guy.

[@davidseymour6447]

Thanks for this Look at a story that I've long wanted to hear in greater detail. I enjoy stories about these kings of the past. If I remember correctly, Steven also had a son he was grooming as his successor, who also died. Although he had other sons, he saw an opportunity to end the war and offered to make Matilda's son the heir if she would end the war. Her son became Henry II. Henry's sons began another chapter of drama filled rivalry for the throne.

[@icantthinkofaname940b2]

In the summer of 1153, Stephen and Henry agreed to a truce. Stephen's son, Eustace was upset by the truce and withdrew from court, only to die a few weeks later. According to William of Newburgh, Stephan was "grieved beyond measure by the death of the son whom he hoped would succeed him; he pursued warlike preparations less vigorously, and listened more patiently than usual to the voices of those urging peace." This, combined with pressure from the Church (including Stephan's brother who was the Bishop of Winchester) for a permanent peace, may have finally forced Stephen's hand into adopting Henry and ending the war.

[@JohnDoe-jq5wy]

Your diligence of investigation and record delight my senses

[@bigsarge2085]

Fascinating to consider what might have been.

[@RetiredSailor60]

Happy Thanksgiving Mr History Guy and family from Ft Worth TX

[@jtgd]

Nothing shows ambitious greed more than princes getting a kingdom that’s split for them. The siblings don’t develop the newly divided kingdom. Instead they immediately try to conquer each other

[@alphagt62]

The way of the world in those days.

[@paulryan2128]

Ummm ... So, I did not *know* that ! Again!!! Big Thank You

[@kristensorensen2219]

Thanks Professor!!😀💛

[@hoosierplowboy5299]

Happy Thanksgiving, HG, you are the best!!!

[@VanillaKilla]

As a KZbin Premium subscriber and a Patreon supporter, it’s nice to have a video without an ad for Magellan for a change.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

I am not sure what you mean. We usually produce twelve episodes a month, only two of which will be sponsored. Also, as a patron, if you watch via the link provided on Patreon the sponsored content is removed.

[@sarahhearn-vonfoerster7401]

I enjoy Magellan...excellent sponsor of PBS, and thank goodness for them!

[@davidtucker3729]

Thanks HG. You never cease to amaze with History and fine story telling

[@emmahardesty4330]

Interesting era, for sure, with tricky ins & outs. I was nearly breatless trying to follow. Great job.

[@angusmacdonald7187]

Having studied this era fairly extensively, I have to say this is a great summation of Henry I's rise and tragedy.

[@Iamrightyouarewrong]

@7:29 Gokstad ship is from the 9th century, lil bit older then the white ship.

[@kennethrouse7942]

Thanks, HG! As a matter of fact there's a recent book titled "The White Ship", which I planned on reading; now more than before your video! 👍😎

[@theblackprince1346]

Got it for Christmas last year. Highly recommend it.

[@thestrangegreenman]

If you want to know more about this story and what happened after, read *The Greatest Knight,* about Guillaume de Marchaut (William Marshall) who was, as a child, suspended from the sling of a trebuchet by Stephen of Blois.

[@JamesWilliams-en3os]

It is indeed a fascinating story. William Marshall was another larger than life historical figure of this time.

[@russwoodward8251]

Great research and presentation. Thank you.

[@hmmmiseeisee]

Thanks!

[@christersundin773]

I have William the Conqueror and his descendants in my family tree but I didn't know much about them. So this was very interesting! (But I did know about the long conflict between Stephen and Maude, from the book by Sharon Kay Penman - although the book is only partly historical)

[@justme_gb]

Happy Thanksgiving History Family! Thank you for giving us exciting history every week!

[@kevinhall8025]

Very nice ending,,, thsnks.

[@SamBrickell]

It's amazing, and I never thought about it before, but primogeniture was probably a very stabilizing force compared with the infighting and wars fought between brothers.

[@ancient_history]

Great dramatic history! Thank you for telling it!

[@NickRatnieks]

All the characters in this tale probably did not have a single English word between them and this vessel was known as la Blanche nef. It is important not to underestimate the significance of Henry marrying Matilda. By doing so, his heir could help heal the wounds inflicted on England by the Norman Conquest and claim ancestry from such illustrious Anglo-Saxon kings. Sadly , when Henry died further ravaging took place in England for many more years. The death of Henry himself, is of interest and worth an episode. He died in Normandy, and his foul and decomposing body was brought back to be interred at the altar of Reading Abbey. After the dissolution of the monastic orders, his bones were tossed outside and it has been suggested that the area now be searched for them- like the successful discovery of King Richard III. I would imagine the only bones around are also discarded bones- but KFC.

[@user-wo7us4tk8m]

Great video.

[@kevinhall6099]

I would like to see an episode in which you discuss the military items in the background. Where and when you got the items and any interesting stories behind them.

[@richvanek1363]

History dude wish I could just hangout with you. All the intricate facts you would say casually, would teach me more than all my History classes combined. I'd be like Tim Allen on Tool Time, slicing and dicing what ya said. But still moving forwards learning. . I give thanks to you and yours for sharing. Happy Thanksgiving.

[@kevincorkery6292]

Well said!

[@saabreplay7553]

Excellent

[@questfortruth665]

All I can say after hearing that story is: I'm happy to be a peasant! And I thought I had family problems!!!

[@notthefbi7932]

Love these hidden gems of history 😁

[@jasonz7788]

Great work Sir thank you

[@keithwins]

Never heard of it, fascinating! Thanks THG!

[@earllutz2663]

Another great video, along with your excellent narration, and explanation.

[@1chumley1]

Happy to see The History Guy has 1 million subs!

[@peterobrien4277]

Love stuff like this. History is so important

[@robsimer9296]

Thank you.

[@roryvonbrutt7302]

fascinating as always ‼️®™️ 👏👏

[@georgeking6356]

Thanks for this. Henry and Matilda are my 31st great grandparents. You inspire further attention, by me, to my genealogy. I've currently recorded the records of just under 119,000 relatives and ancestors. You have helped me with "color commentary" well researched. Thanks.

[@jogarthehutt]

Thank you! It's funny when you tell people that we had a king Steven!

[@schroedingersdog7965]

Can't help but wonder if there'll ever be a King Stephen II, or even a King John II. Or have those names been too badly "soiled" by their original bearers?

[@neilbuckley1613]

If Stephen's eldest son had lived we could have had a King Eustace.

[@Farmer-bh3cg]

read the Ellis Peters Cadfael stories, set in the late 1130's -40's in the midst of the Great Anarchy. They aren't history, but they're interesting and do give a great flavour of the times.

[@losttranslation8766]

I’m so surprised I haven’t run it to your channel before now it’s great content and I spend a lot of time on history channels

[@DawnOldham]

Amazing how a group of drunken teens can cause such a turn in history’s direction!

[@chrisnedbalek2866]

As I get older, more and more I am deeply impressed with how destructive drinking is.

[@con.troller4183]

During this period, much of Europe was ruled by drunken teen agers, most of the time.

[@johnhobson9165]

How about something on the war between Matilda and Stephen? Talk about how Matilda had a positive genius for pissing people off. How Stephen offered her a compromise and why she was forced to accept it.

[@stephenphillip5656]

In the 60s, I was "taught" history but it was dry & *boring* (IMHO). Rockets were being launched at the moon, it was the Jet Age & the music was great- who wanted to know what happened 6, 7, 8 hundred years ago? Not me certainly & I just blanked it out. I *do* wish my history teachers had been the likes of The History Guy, bringing it all to life with context instead of boring me to stupefaction as they did in my school days. Thank you The History Guy!👏👏👏👏👏

[@finddeniro]

Whiz Bang ..Jet Age.. Rock n Roll..

[@truckermikemct1]

I could watch this guy's history videos 24/7 if I weren't required to sleep.

[@patrickhayes3099]

Or eat, or work or many other "chores." I have to sneak these episodes when nobody is home, nit popular amo g my family

[@fredcloud9668]

Very enjoyable.