Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Matilda, Queen of England - George Washington's 19-21st Great Grandmother

Queen Matilda was the wife of William "the Conqueror." Queen Matilda was George Washington's 19-21st great grandmother, with Washington being a descendant of hers through several lines. She was the daughter of Baldwin Forster V, 7th Count of Flanders and Adele Capet, daughter of Robert I, King of France. Baldwin Forster V was a descendant of Charlemagne through his son Louis "the Pious" and his grandson Charles "the Bald." He also was a descendant of Alfred "the Great", the first Anglo-Saxon king of England as well as the royal families of Luxemburg, Italy, Tuscany, Saxony, and Vermandois. Like her ancestor Judith, Princess of the Franks, Queen Matilda was one of the most important women in world history.