Marguerite of Provence
Encyclopedia
Margaret of Provence was Queen of France as the consort of King Louis IX of France
.
She was the eldest daughter of Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence
and Beatrice of Savoy
.
, and Gersende II de Sabran, Countess of Forcalquier. Her maternal grandparents were Thomas I of Savoy
and Margaret of Geneva.
Her younger sisters were:
She was especially close to her sister Eleanor, to whom she was close in age, and with whom she sustained friendly relationships until they grew old. The marriages of the royal brothers from France and England to the four sisters from Provence
improved the relationship between the two countries and this led up to the Treaty of Paris
of France and wife of Louis IX of France
, by whom she had eleven children. She was crowned on the following day.
Margaret, like her sisters, was noted for her beauty, she was said to be "pretty with dark hair and fine eyes", and in the early years of their marriage she and Louis enjoyed a warm relationship. Her Franciscan confessor, William de St. Pathus, related that on cold nights Margaret would place a robe around Louis' shoulders, when her deeply religious husband rose to pray. Another anecdote recorded by St. Pathus related that Margaret felt that Louis' plain clothing was unbecoming to his royal dignity, to which Louis replied that he would dress as she wished, if she dressed as he wished. Much of what is said about Margaret in such sources seems to be meant to display her in a questionable light, as vainglorious or immodest, in order to showcase her husband as a wise and pious king. In contrast, the chronicler Joinville, who was not a priest, reports incidents demonstrating Margaret's bravery after Louis was made prisoner in Egypt: she decisively acted to assure a food supply for the Christians in Damietta, and went so far as to ask the knight who guarded her bedchamber to kill her and her newborn son if the city should fall to the Arabs. Joinville also recounts incidents that demonstrate Margaret's good humor, as on one occasion when Joinville sent her some fine cloth and, when the queen saw his messenger arrive carrying them, she mistakenly knelt down thinking that he was bringing her holy relics. When she realized her mistake, she burst into laughter and ordered the messenger, "Tell your master evil days await him, for he has made me kneel to his camelines!"
However, Joinville also remarked with noticeable disapproval that Louis rarely asked after his wife and children. In a moment of extreme danger during a terrible storm on the sea voyage back to France from the Crusade, Margaret begged Joinville to do something to help; he told her to pray for deliverance, and to vow that when they reached France she would go on a pilgrimage and offer a golden ship with images of the king, herself and her children in thanks for their escape from the storm. Margaret could only reply that she dared not make such a vow without the king's permission, because when he discovered that she had done so, he would never let her make the pilgrimage. In the end, Joinville promised her that if she made the vow he would make the pilgrimage for her, and when they reached France he did so.
The Treaty of Paris came about since the relationship between Louis and Henry III of England
had improved, since both they and their younger brothers had married the four sisters from Provence. Margaret was present during the negotiations, along with all her sisters and her mother.
In later years Louis became vexed with Margaret's ambition. It seems that when it came to politics or diplomacy she was indeed ambitious, but somewhat inept. An English envoy at Paris in the 1250s reported to England, evidently in some disgust, that "the queen of France is tedious in word and deed," and it is clear from the envoy's report of his conversation with the queen that she was trying to create an opportunity for herself to engage in affairs of state even though the envoy was not impressed with her efforts. After the death of her eldest son Louis in 1260, Margaret induced the next son, Philip, to swear an oath that no matter at what age he succeeded to the throne, he would remain under her tutelage until the age of thirty. When Louis found out about the oath, he immediately asked the pope to excuse Philip from the vow on the grounds that he himself had not authorized it, and the pope immediately obliged, ending Margaret's attempt to make herself a second Blanche of Castile. Margaret subsequently failed as well to influence her nephew Edward I of England to avoid a marriage project for one of his daughters that would promote the interests in her native Provence of her brother-in-law, Charles of Anjou, who had married her youngest sister Beatrice.
Margaret accompanied Louis on his first crusade
and was responsible for negotiations and ransom when he was captured. She was thus for a brief time the only woman ever to lead a crusade. During this period, while in Damietta
, she gave birth to her son Jean Tristan.
After the death of Louis on his second crusade, during which she remained in France, she returned to Provence. She was devoted to her sister Queen Eleanor of England, and they stayed in contact until Eleanor's death in 1291. Margaret herself died four and a half years after her sister, on 21 December 1295, at the age of seventy-four. She was buried near (but not beside) her husband in the Basilica of St-Denis outside Paris. Her grave, beneath the altar steps, was never marked by a monument, so its location was unknown; probably for this reason, it was the only royal grave in the basilica that was not ransacked during the French Revolution, and it probably remains intact today.
Margaret outlived eight of her eleven children; only Blanche, Agnes and Robert outlived their mother.
:
Louis IX of France
Louis IX , commonly Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death. He was also styled Louis II, Count of Artois from 1226 to 1237. Born at Poissy, near Paris, he was an eighth-generation descendant of Hugh Capet, and thus a member of the House of Capet, and the son of Louis VIII and...
.
She was the eldest daughter of Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence
Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence
Ramon Berenguer IV , Count of Provence and Forcalquier, was the son of Alfonso II of Provence and Garsenda of Sabran, heiress of Forcalquier. After his father's death , Ramon was imprisoned in the castle of Monzón, in Aragon until he was able to escape in 1219 and claim his inheritance. He was a...
and Beatrice of Savoy
Beatrice of Savoy
Beatrice of Savoy was the daughter of Thomas I of Savoy and Margaret of Geneva. She was Countess consort of Provence by her marriage to Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence.-Family:...
.
Family
Her paternal grandparents were Alfonso II, Count of ProvenceAlfonso II, Count of Provence
Alfonso II was the second son of Alfonso II of Aragon and Sancha of Castile. His father transferred the County of Provence from his uncle Sancho to him in 1185. Alfonso II was born in Barcelona....
, and Gersende II de Sabran, Countess of Forcalquier. Her maternal grandparents were Thomas I of Savoy
Thomas I of Savoy
Thomas I or Tommaso I was Count of Savoy from 1189-1233. He was the son of Humbert III of Savoy and Beatrice of Viennois. His birth was seen as miraculous; his monkish father had despaired of having a male heir after three wives. Count Humbert sought counsel from St...
and Margaret of Geneva.
Her younger sisters were:
- Eleanor of ProvenceEleanor of ProvenceEleanor of Provence was Queen consort of England as the spouse of King Henry III of England from 1236 until his death in 1272....
, who became queen consort of England, - Sanchia of ProvenceSanchia of ProvenceSanchia of Provence was the third daughter of Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence and Beatrice of Savoy. Sanchia was described as "of incomparable beauty".-Life:...
, who became queen consort of Germany, and - Beatrice of ProvenceBeatrice of ProvenceBeatrice of Provence , was a countess regnant of Provence. She was also a Queen consort of Sicily by marriage to King Charles I of Sicily....
, who was queen consort of Sicily.
She was especially close to her sister Eleanor, to whom she was close in age, and with whom she sustained friendly relationships until they grew old. The marriages of the royal brothers from France and England to the four sisters from Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
improved the relationship between the two countries and this led up to the Treaty of Paris
Marriage
On 27 May 1234 at the age of thirteen, Margaret became the queen consortQueen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of France and wife of Louis IX of France
Louis IX of France
Louis IX , commonly Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death. He was also styled Louis II, Count of Artois from 1226 to 1237. Born at Poissy, near Paris, he was an eighth-generation descendant of Hugh Capet, and thus a member of the House of Capet, and the son of Louis VIII and...
, by whom she had eleven children. She was crowned on the following day.
Margaret, like her sisters, was noted for her beauty, she was said to be "pretty with dark hair and fine eyes", and in the early years of their marriage she and Louis enjoyed a warm relationship. Her Franciscan confessor, William de St. Pathus, related that on cold nights Margaret would place a robe around Louis' shoulders, when her deeply religious husband rose to pray. Another anecdote recorded by St. Pathus related that Margaret felt that Louis' plain clothing was unbecoming to his royal dignity, to which Louis replied that he would dress as she wished, if she dressed as he wished. Much of what is said about Margaret in such sources seems to be meant to display her in a questionable light, as vainglorious or immodest, in order to showcase her husband as a wise and pious king. In contrast, the chronicler Joinville, who was not a priest, reports incidents demonstrating Margaret's bravery after Louis was made prisoner in Egypt: she decisively acted to assure a food supply for the Christians in Damietta, and went so far as to ask the knight who guarded her bedchamber to kill her and her newborn son if the city should fall to the Arabs. Joinville also recounts incidents that demonstrate Margaret's good humor, as on one occasion when Joinville sent her some fine cloth and, when the queen saw his messenger arrive carrying them, she mistakenly knelt down thinking that he was bringing her holy relics. When she realized her mistake, she burst into laughter and ordered the messenger, "Tell your master evil days await him, for he has made me kneel to his camelines!"
However, Joinville also remarked with noticeable disapproval that Louis rarely asked after his wife and children. In a moment of extreme danger during a terrible storm on the sea voyage back to France from the Crusade, Margaret begged Joinville to do something to help; he told her to pray for deliverance, and to vow that when they reached France she would go on a pilgrimage and offer a golden ship with images of the king, herself and her children in thanks for their escape from the storm. Margaret could only reply that she dared not make such a vow without the king's permission, because when he discovered that she had done so, he would never let her make the pilgrimage. In the end, Joinville promised her that if she made the vow he would make the pilgrimage for her, and when they reached France he did so.
The Treaty of Paris came about since the relationship between Louis and Henry III of England
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
had improved, since both they and their younger brothers had married the four sisters from Provence. Margaret was present during the negotiations, along with all her sisters and her mother.
In later years Louis became vexed with Margaret's ambition. It seems that when it came to politics or diplomacy she was indeed ambitious, but somewhat inept. An English envoy at Paris in the 1250s reported to England, evidently in some disgust, that "the queen of France is tedious in word and deed," and it is clear from the envoy's report of his conversation with the queen that she was trying to create an opportunity for herself to engage in affairs of state even though the envoy was not impressed with her efforts. After the death of her eldest son Louis in 1260, Margaret induced the next son, Philip, to swear an oath that no matter at what age he succeeded to the throne, he would remain under her tutelage until the age of thirty. When Louis found out about the oath, he immediately asked the pope to excuse Philip from the vow on the grounds that he himself had not authorized it, and the pope immediately obliged, ending Margaret's attempt to make herself a second Blanche of Castile. Margaret subsequently failed as well to influence her nephew Edward I of England to avoid a marriage project for one of his daughters that would promote the interests in her native Provence of her brother-in-law, Charles of Anjou, who had married her youngest sister Beatrice.
Margaret accompanied Louis on his first crusade
Seventh Crusade
The Seventh Crusade was a crusade led by Louis IX of France from 1248 to 1254. Approximately 800,000 bezants were paid in ransom for King Louis who, along with thousands of his troops, was captured and defeated by the Egyptian army led by the Ayyubid Sultan Turanshah supported by the Bahariyya...
and was responsible for negotiations and ransom when he was captured. She was thus for a brief time the only woman ever to lead a crusade. During this period, while in Damietta
Damietta
Damietta , also known as Damiata, or Domyat, is a port and the capital of the Damietta Governorate in Egypt. It is located at the intersection between the Mediterranean Sea and the Nile, about north of Cairo.-History:...
, she gave birth to her son Jean Tristan.
After the death of Louis on his second crusade, during which she remained in France, she returned to Provence. She was devoted to her sister Queen Eleanor of England, and they stayed in contact until Eleanor's death in 1291. Margaret herself died four and a half years after her sister, on 21 December 1295, at the age of seventy-four. She was buried near (but not beside) her husband in the Basilica of St-Denis outside Paris. Her grave, beneath the altar steps, was never marked by a monument, so its location was unknown; probably for this reason, it was the only royal grave in the basilica that was not ransacked during the French Revolution, and it probably remains intact today.
Margaret outlived eight of her eleven children; only Blanche, Agnes and Robert outlived their mother.
Issue
With Louis IX of FranceLouis IX of France
Louis IX , commonly Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death. He was also styled Louis II, Count of Artois from 1226 to 1237. Born at Poissy, near Paris, he was an eighth-generation descendant of Hugh Capet, and thus a member of the House of Capet, and the son of Louis VIII and...
:
- Blanche (1240 – 29 April 1243)
- Isabella (2 March 1241 – 28 January 1271), married Theobald II of NavarreTheobald II of NavarreTheobald II , called the Young, was Count of Champagne and Brie and King of Navarre from 1253 until his death....
- Louis (25 February 1244 – January 1260)
- Philip III of FrancePhilip III of FrancePhilip III , called the Bold , was the King of France, succeeding his father, Louis IX, and reigning from 1270 to 1285. He was a member of the House of Capet.-Biography:...
(1 May 1245 – 5 October 1285), married firstly Isabella of AragonIsabella of AragonIsabella of Aragon , infanta of Aragon, was, by marriage, Queen consort of France in the Middle Ages from 1270 to 1271.-Life:...
, by whom he had issue, including Philip IV of FrancePhilip IV of FrancePhilip the Fair was, as Philip IV, King of France from 1285 until his death. He was the husband of Joan I of Navarre, by virtue of which he was, as Philip I, King of Navarre and Count of Champagne from 1284 to 1305.-Youth:A member of the House of Capet, Philip was born at the Palace of...
and Charles, Count of Valois; he married secondly Maria of Brabant, by whom he had issue, including Margaret of France. - John (born and died in 1248)
- John Tristan (1250 – 3 August 1270), born in Egypt on his father's first Crusade and died in Tunisia on his second
- PeterPeter, Count of Perche and AlençonPeter of France or Peter I of Alencon was the son of Louis IX of France and Margaret of Provence. He became Count of Alençon in 1269 and in 1284, Count of Blois and Chartres, and Seigneur de Guise in 1272 and 1284.He was born in the Holy Land while his father headed the Seventh Crusade...
(1251–1284) - BlancheBlanche of France (1253–1323)Blanche of France was a daughter of King Louis IX of France and Margaret of Provence, and sister of King Philip III of France and Queen Isabella of Navarre.-Biography:...
(1253–1323), married Ferdinand de la Cerda, Infante of CastileFerdinand de la Cerda, Infante of CastileDon Ferdinand de la Cerda was the Crown Prince of Castile, eldest son of King Alfonso X of Castile and Violant of Aragon. His nickname, de la Cerda, means "of the bristle" in Spanish, a reference to being born with a strand of thick hair running down his chest.In November 1268 he married Princess... - MargaretMargaret of France, Duchess of BrabantMargaret of France was a daughter of Louis IX of France and his wife Margaret of Provence. She was a member of the House of Capet and was Duchess of Brabant by her marriage to John I, Duke of Brabant.- Siblings :...
(1254–1271), married John I, Duke of BrabantJohn I, Duke of BrabantJohn I of Brabant, also called John the Victorious was Duke of Brabant , Lothier and Limburg .-Life:... - Robert, Count of ClermontRobert, Count of ClermontRobert of France was made Count of Clermont in 1268. He was son of King Louis IX of France and Margaret of Provence...
(1256 – 7 February 1317), married Beatrice of Burgundy, by whom he had issue. He is an ancestor of King Henry IV of FranceHenry IV of FranceHenry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
. - AgnesAgnes of France, Duchess of BurgundyAgnes of France , Daughter of France by birth, was the youngest daughter of Louis IX of France and Margaret of Provence. She served as regent of Burgundy during the minority of her son.- Family :...
(c. 1260 – 19 December 1327), married Robert II, Duke of BurgundyRobert II, Duke of BurgundyRobert II of Burgundy was duke of Burgundy between 1271 and 1306, inheriting the title from his brother Eudes of Burgundy, who had no male heirs. Robert was the third son of duke Hugh IV and Yolande of Dreux...
Ancestry
Sources
- Murray, Jacqueline, Conflicted Identities and Multiple Masculinities, 1999
- Costain, Thomas B., The Plantagenets, The Magnificent Century, 1951