La mort de França(Death of France)

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Eleanor of Aquitaine

Annulment

Eugene did not, as Eleanor had hoped, grant an annulment. Instead, he attempted to reconcile Eleanor and Louis, confirming the legality of their marriage. He proclaimed that no word could be spoken against it, and that it might not be dissolved under any pretext. Eventually, he arranged events so that Eleanor had no choice[clarification needed] but to sleep with Louis in a bed specially prepared by the Pope. Thus was conceived their second child —not a son, but another daughter, Alix of France.

The marriage was now doomed. Still, without a son and in danger of being left with no male heir, facing substantial opposition to Eleanor from many of his barons and her own desire for annulment, Louis bowed to the inevitable. On 11 March 1152, they met at the royal castle of Beaugency to dissolve the marriage. Hugues de Toucy, archbishop of Sens, presided, and Louis and Eleanor were both present, as were the archbishop of Bordeaux and Rouen. Archbishop Samson of Reims acted for Eleanor.

On 21 March, the four archbishops, with the approval of Pope Eugene, granted an annulment on grounds of consanguinity within the fourth degree; Eleanor was Louis' third cousin once removed, and shared common ancestry with Robert II of France. Their two daughters were, however, declared legitimate. Children born to a marriage that was later annulled were not at risk of being "bastardized," because "[w]here parties married in good faith, without knowledge of an impediment, ... children of the marriage were legitimate." Custody of them was awarded to King Louis. Archbishop Samson received assurances from Louis that Eleanor's lands would be restored to her.

As Eleanor traveled to Poitiers, two lords —Theobald V, Count of Blois, and Geoffrey, Count of Nantes, brother of Henry II, Duke of Normandy and Brittany—tried to kidnap and marry her to claim her lands. As soon as she arrived in Poitiers, Eleanor sent envoys to the Count of Toulouse, Eleanor would marry Raymond V, the count of Toulouse on 1153 for peace between Toulouse and Aquitaine and the two would have a better marriage, as the two would have the following children:

William XI, who succeeded his father and mother as Duke of Aquitaine, Margrave of Provence, and Count of Toulouse b. 1154

Alberic, Count of Vienne, who married the countess of Vienne, Beatrice b. 1158

Eleanor of Toulouse b. 1160 who married Alfonso VIII of Castile

Baldwin, born 1165

To be continued...

 

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“Louis VII

Family

In 1154, Louis VII married Constance of Castile, daughter of King Alfonso VII of Castile. She also failed to supply him with a son and heir, bearing only two daughters, Margaret and Constance. By 1157, Henry II of England began to believe that Louis might never produce a male heir, and that the succession of France would consequently be left in question. Determined to secure a claim for his family, he sent his chancellor, Thomas Becket, to press for a marriage between Alix and Henry's heir, William. Louis agreed to this proposal, and by the Treaty of Gisors (1158) betrothed the young pair, giving as a dowry the Norman city of Gisors and the surrounding county of Vexin.

Louis VII was devastated when Constance died in childbirth on 4 October 1160. As he was desperate for a son, he married Adela of Champagne just 5 weeks later. To counterbalance the advantage this would give the king of France, Henry II had the marriage of their children (Henry "the Young King" and Margaret) celebrated at once. Louis understood the danger of the growing Angevin power; however, through indecision and a lack of fiscal and military resources in comparison to Henry II, he failed to oppose Angevin hegemony effectively.

In 1165, Louis' third wife bore him a daughter named Agnes. He died on 18 September 1180 in Paris and was buried the next day at Barbeau Abbey, which he had founded, he would die without a successor creating a succession crisis in France.

Marriages and Children

Louis' children by his three marriages:

with Eleanor of Aquitaine

Marie (1145 – 11 March 1198), married Humbert III of Savoy

Alix (1151–1197/1198), married William III of England



with Constance of Castile:

Margaret (1158 – August/September 1197), married to William II of Sicily

Constance (October 4, 1160 – ca. 1220) married to Henry VI of Germany



with Adele of Champagne:

Agnes (August 22, 1165 – 1223) married to Alexios II Commenos”



To be continued…

 

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On 1147, Bertha, the Duchess of Brittany would have choices of husbands, On 1147, Bertha would remarry to Henry, the son of Geoffroy and Matilda, the marriage would help Henry, the Duke of Normandy, as it has swayed the Bretons to support his claim to England and he, will be seen as the second coming of King Arthur.

Bertha’s marriage with Henry of Normandy would prove to be fruitful as they would have the following children.

Matilda b. 1149

William b. 1150

Henry b. 1152

Geoffroy b. 1155

Alix b. 1156

Bertha b. 1162

John b. 1164

To be continued…