In 1128 Geoffrey married Matilda, the widow of Henry V of Germany and daughter of Henry I of England. Following the death of French king Henry I, Geoffrey fought for possession of the late king's lands in Normandy (Normandie) from 1135 to 1144, while his wife Matilda fought her rival to the English throne, Stephen of Blois. In 1147 Geoffrey accompanied French king Louis VII to the Holy Land and returned to find a rebellion in Anjou, which he suppressed.
He passed the duchy of Normandy to his son Henry Plantagenet (later Henry II) in 1150. He had three sons with Matilda: Henry, Geoffrey, and William.