The White Ship Disaster – How the Loss of William Adelin Set Off England’s Succession Crisis

In 1120, Henry I's sole legitimate son, William Adelin, drowned aboard the White Ship on its return from Normandy, throwing England into a succession crisis that would ignite The Anarchy. This episode explores the shipwreck’s circumstances, the contemporary reactions of nobles and chroniclers, and how the tragedy reshaped royal authority and baronial power in medieval England. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices