Adèle of Champagne
Encyclopedia
Adèle of Champagne also known as Adelaide and Alix, was the third wife of Louis VII of France
(they married in November 1160, only five weeks after his previous wife Constance of Castile
had died at childbirth) and the mother of his only male heir, the future Philip II
. She was also the daughter of Theobald II of Champagne
and Matilda of Carinthia
.
She was active in the political life of the kingdom, along with her brothers Henry I of Champagne
, Theobald V of Blois, and Guillaume aux Blanches Mains
, archbishop of Reims
. Henry and Theobald were married to daughters of Louis VII and his first wife, Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine
. She and her brothers felt their position threatened when the heiress of Artois, Isabelle of Hainaut
, married Adèle's son Philip. Adèle formed an alliance with Hugh III, Duke of Burgundy
and Count Philip of Flanders, and even tried to interest Frederick Barbarossa. War broke out in 1181, and relations became so bad that Philippe attempted to divorce Isabelle in 1184.
Although her power decreased after the accession of Philip in 1180, she acted as regent of the kingdom in 1190 while Philip was away on the Third Crusade
. She returned to the shadows when he returned in 1192 but participated in the founding of many abbeys.
She died on 4 June 1206, and was buried in the church of Pontigny Abbey
near Auxerre
.
She had two children with Louis VII of France
:
Louis VII of France
Louis VII was King of France, the son and successor of Louis VI . He ruled from 1137 until his death. He was a member of the House of Capet. His reign was dominated by feudal struggles , and saw the beginning of the long rivalry between France and England...
(they married in November 1160, only five weeks after his previous wife Constance of Castile
Constance of Castile
Constance of Castile may refer to:* Constance of Castile, wife of Louis VII of France* Constance of Penafiel , wife of Alfonso XI of Castile and Peter I of Portugal* Infanta Constance of Castile, claimant to the throne of Castile...
had died at childbirth) and the mother of his only male heir, the future Philip II
Philip II of France
Philip II Augustus was the King of France from 1180 until his death. A member of the House of Capet, Philip Augustus was born at Gonesse in the Val-d'Oise, the son of Louis VII and his third wife, Adela of Champagne...
. She was also the daughter of Theobald II of Champagne
Theobald II of Champagne
Theobald the Great was Count of Blois and of Chartres as Theobald IV from 1102 and was Count of Champagne and of Brie as Theobald II from 1125....
and Matilda of Carinthia
Matilda of Carinthia
Matilda of Carinthia was the daughter of Engelbert, Duke of Carinthia and his wife Uta of Passau . She was married to Theobald II, Count of Champagne...
.
She was active in the political life of the kingdom, along with her brothers Henry I of Champagne
Henry I of Champagne
Henry I of Champagne , known as "the Liberal", was count of Champagne from 1152 to 1181. He was the eldest son of Count Thibaut II of Champagne and his wife, Matilda of Carinthia....
, Theobald V of Blois, and Guillaume aux Blanches Mains
Guillaume aux Blanches Mains
Guillaume de Blois , called Guillaume aux Blanches Mains , or Guillaume de Champagne, was a French Cardinal.He was born in Brosse, Île-de-France, France...
, archbishop of Reims
Archbishop of Reims
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Reims is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. Erected as a diocese around 250 by St. Sixtus, the diocese was elevated to an archdiocese around 750...
. Henry and Theobald were married to daughters of Louis VII and his first wife, Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages. As well as being Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, she was queen consort of France and of England...
. She and her brothers felt their position threatened when the heiress of Artois, Isabelle of Hainaut
Isabelle of Hainaut
Isabella of Hainault was queen consort of France as the first wife of King Philip II of France.- Early life :...
, married Adèle's son Philip. Adèle formed an alliance with Hugh III, Duke of Burgundy
Hugh III, Duke of Burgundy
Hugh III of Burgundy was duke of Burgundy between 1162 and 1192. Hugh was the eldest son of duke Odo II and Marie of Champagne, daughter of Theobald and Mathilda of Carinthia....
and Count Philip of Flanders, and even tried to interest Frederick Barbarossa. War broke out in 1181, and relations became so bad that Philippe attempted to divorce Isabelle in 1184.
Although her power decreased after the accession of Philip in 1180, she acted as regent of the kingdom in 1190 while Philip was away on the Third Crusade
Third Crusade
The Third Crusade , also known as the Kings' Crusade, was an attempt by European leaders to reconquer the Holy Land from Saladin...
. She returned to the shadows when he returned in 1192 but participated in the founding of many abbeys.
She died on 4 June 1206, and was buried in the church of Pontigny Abbey
Pontigny Abbey
Pontigny Abbey, founded in 1114 as the second of the four great daughter houses of Cîteaux Abbey, was a Cistercian monastery situated in the commune of Pontigny, on the River Serein, in the present diocese of Sens and department of Yonne, in Burgundy, France.-History:Hildebert , a canon of...
near Auxerre
Auxerre
Auxerre is a commune in the Bourgogne region in north-central France, between Paris and Dijon. It is the capital of the Yonne department.Auxerre's population today is about 45,000...
.
She had two children with Louis VII of France
Louis VII of France
Louis VII was King of France, the son and successor of Louis VI . He ruled from 1137 until his death. He was a member of the House of Capet. His reign was dominated by feudal struggles , and saw the beginning of the long rivalry between France and England...
:
- Dieudonné, the future Philip AugustusPhilip II of FrancePhilip II Augustus was the King of France from 1180 until his death. A member of the House of Capet, Philip Augustus was born at Gonesse in the Val-d'Oise, the son of Louis VII and his third wife, Adela of Champagne...
(born 21 August 1165), Louis VII's only male heir - Agnes of FranceAgnes of France (Byzantine empress)Agnes of France was a daughter of Louis VII of France by his third wife Adèle of Champagne.She was a younger half-sister of Marie de Champagne, Alix of France, Marguerite of France and Alys, Countess of the Vexin...
(1171 – after 1207)
Sources
- Gislebert of MonsGislebert of MonsGislebert of Mons was the Flemish chronicler whose Chronicon Hanoniense is an essential eyewitness source for events affecting his patron Baldwin V, Count of Hainaut....
' Chronicon - Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America Before 1700 by Frederick Lewis Weis, Lines: 101-25, 109-28, 137-25.