The White Ship

In the year 1120, a beautiful ship called the **White Ship** was ready to travel from Normandy to England. It was a new, fast, and strong ship. Many rich and important people were on board. One of them was **William Adelin**, the son of King Henry I of England.

William was very important because he was expected to become king one day. King Henry had already left for England on another ship. The captain of the White Ship, Thomas FitzStephen, told William that his ship was very fast and could reach England quickly.

Before the journey began, the passengers and sailors had a big celebration. They ate, drank wine, and enjoyed themselves. Many of them drank too much. Because of this, they were not careful.

The White Ship left the harbour late at night. The sea was calm, but it was very dark. The sailors wanted to travel fast and catch up with the king’s ship.

Suddenly, the ship hit a large rock in the sea.

There was a loud crash. A big hole appeared in the side of the ship, and water started to come inside. Everyone became frightened. People shouted and tried to save themselves as the ship began to sink.

Prince William was put into a small rescue boat. He was moving away from the sinking ship and could have escaped. But then he heard his half-sister, Matilda, calling for help.

William told the sailors to go back and save her.

When the small boat returned, many frightened people tried to climb into it. There were too many people, so the boat turned over. William, Matilda, and almost everyone else drowned in the cold sea.

Only one man survived. His name was **Berold**, and he was a butcher. He held onto a piece of the broken ship all night until he was rescued the next morning.

When King Henry heard that his son had died, he was very sad. William had been his heir, so his death also caused a big problem. England no longer had a clear future king.

The sinking of the White Ship became an important event in English history. It shows how one accident can cause great sadness and even change the future of a country.