Dangereuse de L' Isle Bouchard
Encyclopedia
Dangereuse de L' Isle Bouchard (died 1151) was a daughter of Barthelemy de L'Isle Bouchard and his wife Gerberge de Blaison. She was the maternal grandmother of the celebrated Eleanor of Aquitaine
. She was also mistress to her granddaughters' paternal grandfather William IX, Duke of Aquitaine. Dangereuse is also known as La Maubergeonne.
Through her granddaughter, Dangereuse was an ancestor of various nobles and monarchs including: Richard I of England
, Marie, Countess of Champagne, John of England
, Geoffrey, Duke of Brittany, Joan, Queen of Sicily
, Eleanor, Queen of Castile, Matilda, Duchess of Saxony
and Henry the Young King
.
Her granddaughter Eleanor was Queen consort of France, Queen consort of England and Duchess of Aquitaine (in her own right).
Their marriage produced five children (two sons and three daughters):
Dangereuse and Aimery were married for around seven years before she left her husband to become the mistress to Duke William IX; this became an infamous liaison.
(leading to her nickname La Maubergeonne), and, as related by William of Malmesbury
, even painted a picture of her on his shield.
Upon returning to Poitiers from Toulouse
, his wife Philippa of Toulouse
was enraged to discover a rival woman living in her palace. She appealed to her friends at court and to the Church; however, no noble could assist her since William was their feudal overlord, and whilst the Papal legate Giraud complained to William and told him to return Dangereuse to her husband, William's only response to the bald legate was, "Curls will grow on your pate before I part with the Viscountess." Humiliated, Philippa chose in 1116 to retire to the Abbey of Fontevrault, where she was befriended, ironically, by Ermengarde of Anjou
, William's first wife.
Dangereuse and William had three children:
Some believe that Raymond of Poitiers, was a child of William and Dangereuse, rather than by Philippa of Toulouse. The primary source which names his mother has not so far been identified. However, he is not named in other sources as a legitimate son of Willam IX. It is therefore reasonable to suppose that he was born from the duke's relationship with Dangereuse. If this is the case, Dangereuse was grandmother to Bohemund III of Antioch
, Maria of Antioch
and Philippa of Antioch
.
Philippa died two years later and William's first wife Ermengarde set out to avenge Philippa. In October 1119, she suddenly appeared at the Council of Reims being held by Pope Calixtus II and demanded that the Pope excommunicate William (again), oust Dangereuse from the ducal palace, and restore herself to her rightful place as Duchess consort. The Pope "declined to accommodate her"; however, she continued to trouble William for several years afterwards.
The relationship between William and his legitimate son William were troubled by his father's liaison Dangereuse, this was only settled when the pair arranged the marriage between William the Younger and Dangereuse's daughter Aenor in 1121; the following year Eleanor was born.
William died on 10 February 1126; nothing is recorded of Dangereuse after this point. Dangereuse died in 1151.
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 was also mistress to her granddaughters' paternal grandfather William IX, Duke of Aquitaine. Dangereuse is also known as La Maubergeonne.
Family
Dangereuse's paternal grandparents were Archimbaud Borel de Bueil and Agnes de L'Isle Bouchard. Her maternal grandparents were Eon de Blaison and Tcheletis de Trèves.Through her granddaughter, Dangereuse was an ancestor of various nobles and monarchs including: Richard I of England
Richard I of England
Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
, Marie, Countess of Champagne, John of England
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
, Geoffrey, Duke of Brittany, Joan, Queen of Sicily
Joan of England, Queen of Sicily
Joan of England was the seventh child of Henry II of England and his queen consort, Eleanor of Aquitaine.Joan was a younger maternal half-sister of Marie de Champagne and Alix of France...
, Eleanor, Queen of Castile, Matilda, Duchess of Saxony
Matilda of England, Duchess of Saxony
Matilda of England was the eldest daughter of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Through her marriage with Henry the Lion, she was Duchess of Saxony and later of Bavaria.-Early life:...
and Henry the Young King
Henry the Young King
Henry, known as the Young King was the second of five sons of King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine but the first to survive infancy. He was officially King of England; Duke of Normandy, Count of Anjou and Maine.-Early life:Little is known of the young prince Henry before the events...
.
Her granddaughter Eleanor was Queen consort of France, Queen consort of England and Duchess of Aquitaine (in her own right).
Marriage
Dangereuse married Viscount Aimery I of Châtellerault at an unknown date. She advised her husband to donate property to Saint-Denis en Vaux in a charter dated 1109, which means they were married before this point. Dangereuse was a woman who did as she pleased and cared little for public opinion.Their marriage produced five children (two sons and three daughters):
- Hugh (died before 1176) succeeded his father as Viscount
- Raoul (died 1190) married Elisabeth de Faye and had issue
- Aenor/EleanorAenor de ChâtelleraultAénor of Châtellerault, duchess of Aquitaine was the mother of Eleanor of Aquitaine, arguably the most powerful woman in Europe of her generation....
(c. 1103 – March 1130) married William X, Duke of Aquitaine, mother to Duchess Eleanor and PetronillaPetronilla of AquitainePetronilla of Aquitaine was the daughter of William X of Aquitaine and Aenor of Châtellerault. She was the sister of Eleanor of Aquitaine, who was Queen consort of England... - Amable, married Wulgrin II, Count of Angoulême
- Aois (fate unknown)
Dangereuse and Aimery were married for around seven years before she left her husband to become the mistress to Duke William IX; this became an infamous liaison.
Mistress to William IX
Whilst travelling through Poitou, Duke William met the "seductive" Dangereuse. This led to her leaving her husband for Duke William IX of Aquitaine, who was excommunicated by the church for "abducting her"; however, she appeared to have been a willing party in the matter. He installed her in the Maubergeonne tower of his castle in PoitiersPoitiers
Poitiers is a city on the Clain river in west central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and of the Poitou-Charentes region. The centre is picturesque and its streets are interesting for predominant remains of historical architecture, especially from the Romanesque...
(leading to her nickname La Maubergeonne), and, as related by William of Malmesbury
William of Malmesbury
William of Malmesbury was the foremost English historian of the 12th century. C. Warren Hollister so ranks him among the most talented generation of writers of history since Bede, "a gifted historical scholar and an omnivorous reader, impressively well versed in the literature of classical,...
, even painted a picture of her on his shield.
Upon returning to Poitiers from Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
, his wife Philippa of Toulouse
Philippa of Toulouse
Philippa Maude of Toulouse , also known as Philippa de Toulouse or Philippa de Rouergue, was the Duchess Consort of Aquitaine, and Countess of Toulouse...
was enraged to discover a rival woman living in her palace. She appealed to her friends at court and to the Church; however, no noble could assist her since William was their feudal overlord, and whilst the Papal legate Giraud complained to William and told him to return Dangereuse to her husband, William's only response to the bald legate was, "Curls will grow on your pate before I part with the Viscountess." Humiliated, Philippa chose in 1116 to retire to the Abbey of Fontevrault, where she was befriended, ironically, by Ermengarde of Anjou
Ermengarde of Anjou (d. 1146)
Ermengarde of Anjou was a member of the comital House of Anjou and by her two marriages was successively Duchess of Aquitaine and Brittany. Also, she was a patron of Fontevraud Abbey...
, William's first wife.
Dangereuse and William had three children:
- Henri (died after 1132), a monk and later Prior of Cluny
- Adelaide, married Raoul de Faye
- Sybille, Abbess of Saintes
Some believe that Raymond of Poitiers, was a child of William and Dangereuse, rather than by Philippa of Toulouse. The primary source which names his mother has not so far been identified. However, he is not named in other sources as a legitimate son of Willam IX. It is therefore reasonable to suppose that he was born from the duke's relationship with Dangereuse. If this is the case, Dangereuse was grandmother to Bohemund III of Antioch
Bohemund III of Antioch
Bohemond III of Antioch , also known as the Stammerer or the Stutterer, was Prince of Antioch from 1163 to his death. He was a son of Constance of Antioch by her first husband Raymond of Poitiers...
, Maria of Antioch
Maria of Antioch
Maria of Antioch was a Byzantine empress as the wife of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos. She was the daughter of Constance of Antioch and her first husband Raymond of Poitiers...
and Philippa of Antioch
Philippa of Antioch
Philippa of Antioch was the younger daughter of Constance, Princess of Antioch and her first husband Raymond of Poitiers. She was Lady of Toron by her marriage to Humphrey II of Toron and she was a mistress of Andronikos I Komnenos, who had seduced her while he was a guest at her stepfather's...
.
Philippa died two years later and William's first wife Ermengarde set out to avenge Philippa. In October 1119, she suddenly appeared at the Council of Reims being held by Pope Calixtus II and demanded that the Pope excommunicate William (again), oust Dangereuse from the ducal palace, and restore herself to her rightful place as Duchess consort. The Pope "declined to accommodate her"; however, she continued to trouble William for several years afterwards.
The relationship between William and his legitimate son William were troubled by his father's liaison Dangereuse, this was only settled when the pair arranged the marriage between William the Younger and Dangereuse's daughter Aenor in 1121; the following year Eleanor was born.
William died on 10 February 1126; nothing is recorded of Dangereuse after this point. Dangereuse died in 1151.
Sources
- Harvey, Ruth E. The wives of the 'first troubadour', Duke William IX of Aquitaine (Journal of Medieval HistoryJournal of Medieval HistoryThe Journal of Medieval History is a major international academic journal devoted to all aspects of the history of Europe in the Middle Ages....
), 1993 - Parsons, John Carmi. Eleanor of Aquitaine: Lord and Lady, 2002