It was apparently a routine crossing of the Channel for the passengers of the White Ship –a noisy and alcoholic crowd of young nobles among whom was Guillaume Adelin, legitimate heir of King Henry Ier from England. As the ship sets sail on November 25, 1120, a shrill noise breaks the joyful and festive atmosphere: the crew hits a rock head-on.
In a few moments, 300 people found themselves plunged into icy water. Almost all of them will lose their lives. “A nightmare scenario”summarizes Hugh Thomas, specialist in the history of medieval England at the University of Miami. For the nobles of White Shipcrossing the Channel was part of the daily life of power: their lands extended from Normandy to England since William the Conqueror took the English throne in the 11the century. In 1120, his youngest son, Henry, held power.
According to stories, the accident was caused by sheer carelessness: “Even in an era when sudden deaths were common, losing so many high-ranking people in an alcohol-related accident is devastating”specifies the historian. At that time, however, the drink was not chosen as the primary explanation, as National Geographic points out.
A shipwreck explained by the wrath of God
In the 12the century, divine interpretation dominates. “It was in a way a blow from God to the Anglo-Norman dynasty”explains Nicholas Paul, a specialist in the Middle Ages at Fordham University in New York. The bodies, washed away by the sea, will never be found, preventing families from praying for the salvation of their souls. For medieval Christians, this was a problem: “To be freed from the great pain and tribulations of purgatory, one must receive the intercessory prayer of the living», Explains the researcher. Which involves knowing the anniversary date of death and disposing of the body. Otherwise, there is a risk that the victims’ loved ones will find themselves… in hell. But that’s not the only problem. The absence of Guillaume Adelin’s body triggers a serious succession crisis in England.
A female successor to the throne?
The suitors fight to take his place, dragging the entire country into violence. Henry Ierthen aged around fifty, remarried shortly after the sinking of the White Shiphoping for a new son. Failing that, he chose his daughter Mathilde as successor. An unprecedented choice violently contested in a deeply patriarchal society.
His cousin, Stephen of Blois, seized the opportunity. Spared from shipwreck because of a nasty case of diarrhea that forced him to stay on land, he crossed the Channel upon the death of the king in 1135 and seized the throne even before the pregnant Mathilde could claim her right. The country then experienced years of political unrest and violent civil war.
“These are numerous local wars, with raids, burnings and pillaging, in short a medieval war”underlines Hugh Thomas. The troubles only ended in 1153, when Stephen agreed to recognize Mathilde’s son, Henry, as heir. Henry II then succeeded Stephen the following year.
Historians today see a mirror effect between the triumphant crossing of the Channel by William the Conqueror and its disastrous counterpart with the crew of the White Ship. “This whole kingdom was created by one successful voyage, and it was almost completely destroyed by another voyage, unfortunate», concludes Nicholas Paul.
