http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnulf_I,_Count_of_FlandersArnulf I of Flanders , called
the Great, was the third
count of Flanders.
Arnulf was the son of count
Baldwin II of Flanders and
Ælfthryth, daughter of
Alfred the Great. He was named after his distant ancestor, Saint
Arnulf of Metz; this was intended to emphasize his family's descent from the
Carolingian dynasty.
History
Arnulf greatly expanded
Flemish rule to the south, taking all or part of
Artois,
Ponthieu,
Amiens, and
Ostravent. He exploited the conflicts between
Charles the Simple and
Robert I of France, and later those between
Louis IV and his
barons.
In his southern expansion Arnulf inevitably had conflict with the
Normans, who were trying to secure their northern frontier. This led to the 943 murder of the
Duke of Normandy,
William Longsword, at the hands of Arnulf's men.
The
Viking threat was receding during the later years of Arnulf's life, and he turned his attentions to the reform of the Flemish government.
Family
In 934 he married
Adele of Vermandois, daughter of
Herbert II of Vermandois. Their children were:
▪ Luitgard, married Wichmann, Count of Hamaland
▪ Egbert, died 953
▪ Baldwin III of Flanders ▪ Elftrude, married Siegfried, Count of Guînes
▪ Hildegarde, died 990; married Dietrich II, Count of West Friesland
He also had a previous daughter, Hildegard.
Arnulf made his eldest son and heir
Baldwin III of Flanders co-ruler in 958, but Baldwin died untimely in 962, so Arnulf was succeeded by Baldwin's infant son,
Arnulf II of Flanders.