The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy
The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.
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Paternal Family Tree: Oldenburg
On 28th October 1449 [his father] Christian I King of Denmark [aged 23] and [his mother] Dorothea of Brandenburg [aged 18] were married.
On 7th October 1471 King Frederick I of Denmark was born to [his father] Christian I King of Denmark [aged 45] and [his mother] Dorothea of Brandenburg [aged 40].
On 6th September 1478 [his brother] John King of Denmark Norway and Sweden [aged 23] and [his sister-in-law] Christina Queen Consort Denmark Norway and Sweden [aged 16] were married. He the son of [his father] Christian I King of Denmark [aged 52] and [his mother] Dorothea of Brandenburg [aged 47].
On 21st May 1481 [his father] Christian I King of Denmark [aged 55] died. His son [his brother] John [aged 26] succeeded King of Denmark. [his sister-in-law] Christina Queen Consort Denmark Norway and Sweden [aged 19] by marriage Queen Consort Denmark.
On 14th July 1486 [his sister] Margaret Oldenburg Queen Consort Scotland [aged 30] died.
On 10th November 1495 [his mother] Dorothea of Brandenburg [aged 64] died.
On 10th April 1502 King Frederick I of Denmark [aged 30] and Anna of Brandenburg [aged 14] were married. She the daughter of John "Cicero" Hohenzollern Elector Brandenburg and Margaret of Thuringia. He the son of Christian I King of Denmark and Dorothea of Brandenburg. They were half second cousins.
On 12th August 1503 [his son] Christian III King of Denmark was born to King Frederick I of Denmark [aged 31] and [his wife] Anna of Brandenburg [aged 15]. He married 29th October 1525 Dorothea of Saxe Lauenburg Queen Consort Denmark and Norway and had issue.
On 1st August 1504 [his daughter] Dorothea Oldenburg was born to King Frederick I of Denmark [aged 32] and [his wife] Anna of Brandenburg [aged 16]. She married 1526 her half first cousin once removed Albert "The Elder" Hohenzollern I Duke Prussia, son of Frederick Hohenzollern I Margrave Brandenburg-Ansbach and Sophia Jagiellon Margravine of Brandenburg-Ansbach, and had issue.
Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall
The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.
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On 20th February 1513 [his brother] John King of Denmark Norway and Sweden [aged 58] died. His son [his nephew] Christian [aged 31] succeeded II King of Denmark, II King Norway.
On 3rd May 1514 [his wife] Anna of Brandenburg [aged 26] died.
On 9th October 1518 King Frederick I of Denmark [aged 47] and Sophie of Pomerania Queen Consort of Denmark and Sweden [aged 20] were married. The difference in their ages was 26 years. He the son of Christian I King of Denmark and Dorothea of Brandenburg.
On 28th June 1521 [his son] John "Elder" Oldenburg was born to King Frederick I of Denmark [aged 49] and [his wife] Sophie of Pomerania Queen Consort of Denmark and Sweden [aged 23].
In 1523 [his nephew] Christian II King of Denmark II King Norway [aged 41] Abdicated following pressure from his nobility. His uncle Frederick [aged 51] succeeded I King of Denmark.
On 14th October 1524 [his daughter] Elizabeth Oldenburg was born to King Frederick I of Denmark [aged 53] and [his wife] Sophie of Pomerania Queen Consort of Denmark and Sweden [aged 26]. She married 14th February 1556 her half third cousin once removed Ulrich Mecklenburg-Schwerin, son of Albrecht VII Duke Mecklenburg and Anna Hohenzollern Duchess Mecklenburg.
On 29th October 1525 Christian III King of Denmark [aged 22] and Dorothea of Saxe Lauenburg Queen Consort Denmark and Norway [aged 14] were married. He the son of King Frederick I of Denmark [aged 54] and Anna of Brandenburg.
In 1526 [his son-in-law] Albert "The Elder" Hohenzollern I Duke Prussia [aged 35] and Dorothea Oldenburg [aged 21] were married. She the daughter of King Frederick I of Denmark [aged 54] and Anna of Brandenburg. He the son of Frederick Hohenzollern I Margrave Brandenburg-Ansbach [aged 65] and Sophia Jagiellon Margravine of Brandenburg-Ansbach. They were half first cousin once removed.
On 25th January 1526 [his son] Duke Adolph Oldenburg of Holstein-Gotorp was born to King Frederick I of Denmark [aged 54] and [his wife] Sophie of Pomerania Queen Consort of Denmark and Sweden [aged 28]. He married 17th December 1564 his half fourth cousin once removed Christine Hesse, daughter of Landgrave Philip I of Hesse and Christine of Saxony, and had issue.
In 1527 [his daughter] Anna Oldenburg was born to King Frederick I of Denmark [aged 55] and [his wife] Sophie of Pomerania Queen Consort of Denmark and Sweden [aged 29].. She died aged eight in 1535.
In 1528 [his daughter] Dorothea Oldenburg was born to King Frederick I of Denmark [aged 56] and [his wife] Sophie of Pomerania Queen Consort of Denmark and Sweden [aged 30].. She married 27th October 1573 her half third cousin once removed Christopher Mecklenburg-Schwerin, son of Albrecht VII Duke Mecklenburg and Anna Hohenzollern Duchess Mecklenburg.
William of Worcester's Chronicle of England
William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.
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On 13th April 1532 [his son] Frederick Oldenburg was born to King Frederick I of Denmark [aged 60] and [his wife] Sophie of Pomerania Queen Consort of Denmark and Sweden [aged 34]..
On 10th April 1533 King Frederick I of Denmark [aged 61] died. His son Christian [aged 29] succeeded III King of Denmark.
In 1560 Duke Adolph Oldenburg of Holstein-Gotorp [aged 33] was appointed 343rd Knight of the Garter by Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland [aged 26]. It isn't entirely clear why he was awarded the Garter. He was a thirty-four years old, unmarried younger son of the King of Denark. He may have been pursuing a marriage to Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland.
In 1568 [his former wife] Sophie of Pomerania Queen Consort of Denmark and Sweden [aged 70] died.
Christian III King of Denmark [1]
Louise of Mecklenburg Güstrow Queen Consort Denmark and Norway [2]
Sophia Louise Mecklenburg-Schwerin Queen Consort Prussia [2]
King George III of Great Britain and Ireland [3]
Charlotte Mecklenburg Strelitz Queen Consort England [2]
Caroline Matilda Hanover Queen Consort Denmark and Norway [3]
Caroline of Brunswick Queen Consort England [3]
Frederica Mecklenburg Strelitz Queen Consort Hanover [2]
King Christian I of Norway and VIII of Denmark [5]
Frederick William IV King Prussia [2]
Frederick VII King of Denmark [8]
Queen Louise Hesse-Kassel of Denmark [5]
Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom [5]
Queen Sophia of Sweden and Norway [3]
Victoria Empress Germany Queen Consort Prussia [16]
King Edward VII of the United Kingdom [16]
Frederick Charles I King Finland [5]
Alexandrine Mecklenburg-Schwerin Queen Consort Denmark [10]
Victoria Eugénie Mountbatten Queen Consort Spain [16]
Louise Mountbatten Queen Consort Sweden [16]
Ingrid Bernadotte Queen Consort Denmark [18]
Philip Mountbatten Duke Edinburgh [18]
Carl XVI King Sweden [34]
GrandFather: Dietrich Count of Oldenburg 
Father: Christian I King of Denmark
GrandMother: Helvig of Schauenburg
Great x 4 Grandfather: Frederick Hohenzollern
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Hohenzollern II Burgrave Nuremburg
Great x 2 Grandfather: Frederick Hohenzollern V Burgrave Nuremburg
Great x 1 Grandfather: Frederick I Elector Brandenburg
GrandFather: John "The Alchemist" Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
Mother: Dorothea of Brandenburg
Great x 1 Grandfather: Rudolf III Duke of Saxe-Wittenberg
GrandMother: Barbara of Saxe-Wittenberg