Editing Louis VI of France (section)

==Intervention in Flanders==

On 2 March 1127, the [[count of Flanders]], [[Charles the Good]], was assassinated in [[St. Donatian's Cathedral]] at [[Bruges]]. It was a scandal in itself but made worse because it precipitated a succession crisis. Soon a number of relatives raised claims, including [[William of Ypres]], popularly thought to be complicit in the murder; [[Thierry of Alsace]]; and Arnold of Denmark, nephew of Charles who seized [[Saint-Omer]]; Baldwin, [[Count of Hainault]], who seized [[Oudenarde]], and [[Godfrey I, Count of Louvain]] and [[Duke of Brabant]].{{sfn|Halphen|1926|p=599}}

Louis then moved decisively to secure Flanders, apprehending the murderers of Charles the Good and ousting the rival claimants. On 2 April he took [[Ghent]], on 5 April Bruges, on 26 April he took [[Ypres]], capturing William of Ypres and imprisoning him at [[Lille]]. He then quickly took Aire, Cassel and all the towns still loyal to William of Ypres.{{sfn|Halphen|1926|p=599}} Louis's final act before leaving for France was to witness the execution of Charles the Good's murderers. They were hurled from the roof of the church of Saint Donatian where they had committed their crime.{{sfn|Halphen|1926|p=599}}

Louis had his own candidate in mind and marched into Flanders with an army and urged the barons to elect [[William Clito]], son of [[Robert Curthose]], who had been disinherited of [[Normandy]] by his uncle [[Henry I of England]], as their new Count. He had no better claim to Flanders than being the King's candidate but on 23 March 1127 he was elected Count by the [[Flemings]].{{sfn|Halphen|1926|p=599}} It was a triumph for Louis and demonstrated how far the Crown had come under his leadership, but it was a brief triumph. The new young Count fared badly, opposition was growing in the towns as a result of Clito's increasingly incompetent treatment of Flemish burghers.{{sfn|Hollister|2003|p=320}} William's knights ran amok and the Flemings rebelled against Louis's candidate. Ghent and Bruge appealed to [[Thierry, Count of Flanders]] to Arnold of Denmark.{{sfn|Halphen|1926|p=599}} Louis attempted to intervene again but the moment was gone. The people of Bruge rejected him and recognized Thierry of Alsace as their Count, and he quickly moved to enforce his claim. Louis called a great assembly at Arras, whereby the archbishop of Reims excommunicated Thierry and laid an [[interdict]] over the city of Lille.{{sfn|Hollister|2003|p=321}} Louis abandoned William of Clito, who died during a siege at [[Alost]] on 27 July 1128, and after the whole country finally submitted to Thierry, Louis was obliged to confirm his claim.{{sfn|Halphen|1926|p=599}}