Henry I, Duke of Burgundy
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Henry I (946 – 15 October 1002), called the Great,Template:Efn was Duke of Burgundy from 965 to his death and Count of Nevers through his first marriage. He is sometimes known as Odo-Henry or Otto-Henry (in French Eudes-Henri), since his birth name was "Odo" and he only adopted "Henry" on being elected duke of Burgundy.
Life
He was a younger son of Hugh the Great, Duke of the Franks, and Hedwig of Saxony and thus the younger brother of King Hugh Capet.<ref name="ESII10">Detlev Schwennicke, Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten, Neue Folge, Band II (Marburg, Germany: Verlag von J. A. Stargardt, 1984), Tafel 10</ref> As Odo, he entered the church at a young age and was a cleric at the time of the death of his brother Otto, Duke of Burgundy, on 22 February 965.<ref>Jim Bradbury, The Capetians: Kings of France, 987-1328 (London, New York: Hambledon Continuum, 2007), p. 42</ref> He was elected by the Burgundian counts to succeed his brother and they gave him the name Henry. However Otto-Henry only held three counties of his own, his vassals holding the remaining six that comprised the core of that held by Richard the Justiciar who died in 921.<ref>Jim Bradbury, The Capetians: Kings of France, 987-1328 (London, New York: Hambledon Continuum, 2007), p. 62</ref>
In 978, Henry participated in the invasion of Lotharingia and the defence of Paris from a counter-raid.<ref>Template:New Cambridge Medieval History</ref>
In 972, he married Gerberga, the widow of Adalbert II of Italy,<ref name="ESII10"/> who had sought refuge at Autun. Through Gerberga, he had a stepson named Otto-William.<ref>Detlev Schwennicke, Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten, Neue Folge, Band II (Marburg, Germany: Verlag von J. A. Stargardt, 1984), Tafel 59</ref> This marriage allowed Henry to rule the County of Nevers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
He married a second time to Gersenda, daughter of William II of Gascony. As Henry had no child, Otto-William became a legitimate contender to inherit the Duchy of Burgundy. So did Henry's nephew, the king Robert II of France. This resulted<ref>Constance Brittain Bouchard, Sword, Miter, and Cloister: Nobility and the Church in Burgundy, 980-1198 (New York: Cornell University Press, 1987), pp. 33, 265, 267 and 310.</ref> in a war of succession (from 1003 to 1005) between Otto-William and Robert II. Otto-William eventually gave up the Duchy but kept in the Western Frankish Kingdom, the county of Mâcon, the county of Beaune and the advowson for the abbey of St-Benigne in Dijon.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Family
Henry died without any sons of his own two wives.<ref name="ESII10"/> He adopted his step-son Otto-William making him a possible heir of the Duchy of Burgundy.<ref>Constance Brittain Bouchard, Sword, Miter, and Cloister: Nobility and the Church in Burgundy, 980-1198 (New York: Cornell University Press, 1987), pp. 33, 265, 267 and 310.</ref>
Odo-Henry had at least one illegitimate child by an unknown mother:
- Odo of Beaune († after August 25, 1005), viscount of Beaune.