Marie of Montpellier
Encyclopedia
Marie of Montpellier (1182 – 18 April 1213), was by birth heiress and later Sovereign Lady of Montpellier and by her three marriages Viscountess of Marseille, Countess of Comminges and Queen of Aragon.
She was the daughter of William VIII
, Lord of Montpellier by his wife Eudokia Komnene
, a niece of Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos
.
on William VIII's death.
In April 1187, William VIII repudiated Eudokia Komnene and married with certain Agnes, a relative of the Kings of Aragon. She bore him eight children, six sons and two daughters. Although Eudokia entered in a convent in Aniane as a Benedictine nun, William VIII's second marriage was declared invalid and all the children born from this union declared illegitimate, so Marie remained as the undisputed heiress of Montpellier.
Marie married Viscount Raymond Geoffrey II of Marseille
, also named Barral, in 1192 or shortly before, but was widowed at the end of that year. Her second marriage, in December 1197, was to Count Bernard IV of Comminges, and at the insistence of her father, Marie renounced to her rights over Montpellier in favor of her eldest half-brother William (IX), son of Agnes.
From her marriage with Bernard IV, Marie had two daughters, Mathilde (by marriage Viscountess de la Barthe) and Petronille (by marriage Countess of Astarac). The marriage was, however, notoriously polygamous (Bernard IV had two other living wives) and was finally annulled (some say on Marie's insistence, some say on that of King Peter II of Aragon
) in 1201. With this annulment, Marie was once more heir to Montpellier, but her father never recognized her and openly acknowledge his son William IX as his heir.
William VIII died in 1202. Marie's half-brother William IX, had taken control of the city, but she asserted her right to it. On 15 June 1204 Marie married Peter II of Aragon
and thanks to a revolt against William IX, she was recognised as Lady of Montpellier.
From her marriage with Peter II, Marie gave birth two children: Infanta Sancha (born in 1205, died aged one) and Infante James
, the future King James I the Conqueror (born on 1 February 1208). Peter II immediately attempted to divorce her, hoping both to marry Maria of Montferrat
, Queen of Jerusalem, and to claim Montpellier for himself. Marie's last years were spent in combating these political and matrimonial manoeuvres. Pope Innocent III
finally decided in her favour, refusing to permit the divorce. Marie died in Rome (21 January 1213) in her way back to Aragon, and Peter II a few months later (14 September 1213) at the Battle of Muret. Marie and Peter II's only surviving child, James I, inherited Aragon and Montpellier.
She was the daughter of William VIII
William VIII of Montpellier
William VIII of Montpellier was Lord of Montpellier, the son of William VII.He married Eudoxie or Eudokia Komnene, grand-niece of the Byzantine emperor Manuel I Komnenos. A condition of the marriage was that the firstborn child, boy or girl, would succeed to the lordship of Montpellier on...
, Lord of Montpellier by his wife Eudokia Komnene
Eudokia Komnene
Eudokia Komnene was a niece of Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos, and wife of William VIII of Montpellier....
, a niece of Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos
Manuel I Komnenos
Manuel I Komnenos was a Byzantine Emperor of the 12th century who reigned over a crucial turning point in the history of Byzantium and the Mediterranean....
.
Life
Since her birth, Marie was the legitimate heiress of the Lordship of Montpellier, because a clausule of the marriage contract of her parents established that the firstborn child, boy or girl, would succeed in MontpellierMontpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
on William VIII's death.
In April 1187, William VIII repudiated Eudokia Komnene and married with certain Agnes, a relative of the Kings of Aragon. She bore him eight children, six sons and two daughters. Although Eudokia entered in a convent in Aniane as a Benedictine nun, William VIII's second marriage was declared invalid and all the children born from this union declared illegitimate, so Marie remained as the undisputed heiress of Montpellier.
Marie married Viscount Raymond Geoffrey II of Marseille
Raymond Geoffrey II of Marseille
Raymond Geoffrey, viscount of Marseille, usually called Barral of Marseille, was the third son of Hugh Geoffrey of Marseille and his wife Cécile of Aurons. Barral of Marseille was a patron of troubadours, including Folquet of Marseille and Peire Vidal....
, also named Barral, in 1192 or shortly before, but was widowed at the end of that year. Her second marriage, in December 1197, was to Count Bernard IV of Comminges, and at the insistence of her father, Marie renounced to her rights over Montpellier in favor of her eldest half-brother William (IX), son of Agnes.
From her marriage with Bernard IV, Marie had two daughters, Mathilde (by marriage Viscountess de la Barthe) and Petronille (by marriage Countess of Astarac). The marriage was, however, notoriously polygamous (Bernard IV had two other living wives) and was finally annulled (some say on Marie's insistence, some say on that of King Peter II of Aragon
Peter II of Aragon
Peter II the Catholic was the King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona from 1196 to 1213.He was the son of Alfonso II of Aragon and Sancha of Castile...
) in 1201. With this annulment, Marie was once more heir to Montpellier, but her father never recognized her and openly acknowledge his son William IX as his heir.
William VIII died in 1202. Marie's half-brother William IX, had taken control of the city, but she asserted her right to it. On 15 June 1204 Marie married Peter II of Aragon
Peter II of Aragon
Peter II the Catholic was the King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona from 1196 to 1213.He was the son of Alfonso II of Aragon and Sancha of Castile...
and thanks to a revolt against William IX, she was recognised as Lady of Montpellier.
From her marriage with Peter II, Marie gave birth two children: Infanta Sancha (born in 1205, died aged one) and Infante James
James I of Aragon
James I the Conqueror was the King of Aragon, Count of Barcelona, and Lord of Montpellier from 1213 to 1276...
, the future King James I the Conqueror (born on 1 February 1208). Peter II immediately attempted to divorce her, hoping both to marry Maria of Montferrat
Maria of Montferrat
Maria of Montferrat was Queen of Jerusalem, the daughter of Conrad of Montferrat and Isabella, Queen of Jerusalem...
, Queen of Jerusalem, and to claim Montpellier for himself. Marie's last years were spent in combating these political and matrimonial manoeuvres. Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III was Pope from 8 January 1198 until his death. His birth name was Lotario dei Conti di Segni, sometimes anglicised to Lothar of Segni....
finally decided in her favour, refusing to permit the divorce. Marie died in Rome (21 January 1213) in her way back to Aragon, and Peter II a few months later (14 September 1213) at the Battle of Muret. Marie and Peter II's only surviving child, James I, inherited Aragon and Montpellier.
Ancestry
Sources
- Guillaume de Puylaurens, Chronique 1145-1275 ed. and tr. Jean Duvernoy (Paris: CNRS, 1976) pp. 62–3.
- Sources in Catalan quoted in the Catalan Wikipedia