Adela of Normandy was a high-born aristocrat and the daughter of William the Conqueror. Married to Stephen II, the count of Blois, she held significant political power as a regent during her husband's crusading expeditions and later during her son's minority. She was an educated woman, proficient in Latin, who managed vast territories and influenced the political landscape of Northern France. Her lineage also played a role in English history, as her son, King Stephen, eventually claimed the English throne.