Robert II (archbishop of Rouen)

Robert II, Archbishop of Rouen (bef. 989–1037),Template:Efn and Count of Évreux was a powerful and influential prelate, and a family member of and supporter of five dukes of Normandy.

Life

Robert was a son of Duke Richard I of Normandy and his second wife, Gunnor.Template:Sfn He was a younger brother of Duke Richard II and uncle of Duke Robert I.Template:Sfn

Robert had been appointed archbishop of Rouen by his father c. Template:Trim and had been given the county of Évreux at the same time.Template:Sfn Robert was well aware he was destined for the church and seemingly accepted his role as both archbishop and count willingly.Template:Sfn But he had always been involved in Norman politics and was a powerful adherent of the Norman dukes.Template:Sfn Robert had proved himself a powerful ecclesiastical ally of his father, Richard I, as well as his brother, Richard II, and at the latter's death effectively became the senior male adviser to the ducal clan.Template:Sfn But his nephew Richard III had a turbulent and short reign of just over a year and when replaced by his brother Robert I, as Duke of Normandy, the prelate Robert had a great deal of trouble restraining the new duke.Template:Sfn In 1028 he found himself besieged and then banished by his young nephew.Template:Sfn Duke Robert I then besieged Hugh d'Ivry, Bishop of Bayeux who, along with Archbishop Robert had apparently questioned his authority as duke.Template:Sfn From exile in France, Archbishop Robert excommunicated his nephew Duke Robert and placed Normandy under an interdict.Template:Sfn

The Archbishop and Duke finally came to terms and to facilitate the lifting of the interdict and excommunication, Duke Robert restored the archbishop to his see, to his countship of Evereux, and returned all his properties.Template:Sfn To further illustrate his change of heart towards the church, Duke Robert restored property that he or his vassals had confiscated, and by 1034 had returned all church properties including those taken from Fécamp Abbey.Template:Sfn By 1033 Duke Robert was mounting a major campaign against his double cousin Duke Alan III of Brittany.Template:Sfn He and Alan had been raiding back and forth but finally a peace was negotiated between them by the returned Archbishop Robert, their mutual uncle.Template:Sfn

In his last years Robert, realizing his past mistakes, began giving freely to the poor and undertook to rebuild the cathedral church at Rouen.Template:Sfn In 1035 Duke Robert had decided on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.Template:Sfn After making his illegitimate son, the future William the Conqueror his heir and arranging for the archbishop to watch over and protect young William, Duke Robert set out on his pilgrimage never to return to Normandy.Template:Sfn Archbishop Robert fulfilled his promise and effectively ruled Normandy as regent for WilliamTemplate:Sfn until Robert's death in 1037, which almost immediately caused an increase in lawlessness in Normandy.Template:Sfn His title of Archbishop of Rouen was succeeded by his nephew, Mauger.Template:Sfn

Orderic Vitalis relates of a richly illustrated great psalter given to Archbishop Robert by his sister Queen Emma of England.Template:Efn

Robert was the recipient of two epistolary poems from Warner of Rouen, who describes himself as the bishop's "servant" (famulus).Template:Sfn

Family

Robert married Herlevea,Template:Sfn and they had several children including the following:

• Richard, Count of Évreux (d. 1067)Template:Sfn
• Ralph d'Évreux, Seigneur of Gacé.Template:Sfn He married Basilla Flaitel, daughter of Gerard Flaitel. They had one son, Robert d'Évreux, who died without heirs.
• William d'Évreux,Template:Sfn married Hawise de Échauffour,Template:Efn daughter of Giroie, Lord of Échauffour,Template:Efn and had a daughter, Judith d'Évreux, who married Roger I of Sicily.Template:Sfn