White Ship Sinks: Heir Drowns, England Plunges into Chaos
The White Ship struck a submerged rock off Barfleur, Normandy, on the night of November 25, 1120, and sank rapidly. Among the dead was William Adelin, the 17-year-old only legitimate son and heir of King Henry I of England. According to Orderic Vitalis, the ship's crew and passengers had been drinking heavily before departure, and the helmsman was drunk. William initially escaped in a small boat but turned back to rescue his half-sister. The rescue boat was swamped by swimmers and sank. Only two people survived. Henry I was reportedly never seen to smile again. Without a male heir, he named his daughter Matilda as successor, but after his death in 1135, his nephew Stephen seized the throne. The resulting civil war, called the Anarchy, devastated England for nearly 20 years.
November 25, 1120
906 years ago
Key Figures & Places
English Channel
Wikipedia
Henry I of England
Wikipedia
White Ship
Wikipedia
William Adelin
Wikipedia
White Ship disaster
Wikipedia
English Channel
Wikipedia
William Adelin
Wikipedia
Henry I of England
Wikipedia
Normandie (région administrative)
Wikipedia
England
Wikipedia
Barfleur
Wikipedia
English Anarchy
Wikipedia
Anglo-Norman
Wikipedia
1103
Wikipedia
What Else Happened on November 25
Servius Tullius paraded through Rome in a grand triumph after crushing the Etruscan forces, cementing his authority as the city’s sixth king. This victory allow…
The throne didn't pass son to son. It skipped sideways — through a daughter. Máel Coluim mac Cináeda died leaving no male heir, so his grandson Donnchad inherit…
Sixteen-year-old King Baldwin IV, suffering from advanced leprosy, led a surprise charge that shattered Saladin’s numerically superior army at Montgisard. This …
The wave hit without warning. One earthquake beneath the Tyrrhenian Sea, and Amalfi — once a maritime superpower rivaling Venice and Genoa — never recovered. Th…
King Minkhaung I ascended the throne of Ava, consolidating power over the fractured Irrawaddy Valley. His reign stabilized the kingdom against the persistent th…
Elizabeth of York was crowned Queen of England, her marriage to Henry VII having united the warring houses of York and Lancaster. The union ended the Wars of th…
Talk to History
Have a conversation with historical figures who witnessed this era. Ask questions, explore perspectives, and bring history to life.