Theobald III of Blois (French: Thibaut) (1012–1089) was count of Blois

Blois

Blois is the capital of Loir-et-Cher department in central France, situated on the banks of the lower river Loire between Orléans and Tours.-History:...

, Meaux

Meaux

Meaux is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located east-northeast from the center of Paris. Meaux is a sub-prefecture of the department and the seat of an arondissement...

 and Troyes

Troyes

Troyes is a commune and the capital of the Aube department in north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about southeast of Paris. Many half-timbered houses survive in the old town...

. He was son of Odo II, Count of Blois

Odo II, Count of Blois

Odo II , Count of Blois, Chartres, Châteaudun, Provins, Rheims, and Tours from 1004 and Count of Troyes and Meaux from 1022, was the son of Odo I of Blois and Bertha, daughter of Conrad of Burgundy...

 and Ermengarde of Auvergne.

Theobald inherited amongst others the counties of Blois, Tours

Tours

Tours is a city in central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department.It is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the...

, Chartres

Chartres

Chartres is a commune and capital of the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. It is located southwest of Paris.-Geography:Chartres is built on the left bank of the Eure River, on a hill crowned by its famous cathedral, the spires of which are a landmark in the surrounding country...

. Chateaudun

Châteaudun

Châteaudun is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of Eure-et-Loir.-Geography:Châteaudun is located about 45 km northwest of Orléans, and about 50 km south-southwest of Chartres, on the river Loir, a tributary of the...

 and Sancerre

Sancerre

Sancerre is a medieval hilltop town , commune and canton in the Cher department of central France overlooking the Loire River. It is noted for its wine.-History:...

, and also in Champagne

Champagne (province)

The Champagne wine region is a historic province within the Champagne administrative province in the northeast of France. The area is best known for the production of the sparkling white wine that bears the region's name...

: Château-Thierry

Château-Thierry

Château-Thierry is a commune in northern France about east-northeast of Paris. It is a sub-prefecture of the Aisne department in Picardy.-History:...

, Provins

Provins

Provins is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.Provins, a town of medieval fairs, became a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site in 2001.-Administration:...

 and St. Florentin. His brother Stephen

Stephen II of Troyes

Stephen II of Troyes , sometimes called Etienne, was a Count of Troyes and Meaux from 1037 to 1047. He was the son of Odo II, Count of Blois, Chartres, Rheims, Troyes and Meaux, and of Ermengarde of Auvergne....

 inherited the counties of Meaux, Troyes and Vitry-le-François

Vitry-le-François

Vitry-le-François is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France. It is located on the Marne River and is the western terminus of the Marne-Rhine Canal.- History :In 1142, Louis VII invaded Champagne and seized Vitry-le-François...

.

Theobald conspired against the king of France Henry I

Henry I of France

Henry I was King of France from 1031 to his death. The royal demesne of France reached its smallest size during his reign, and for this reason he is often seen as emblematic of the weakness of the early Capetians...

, was beaten in 1044 and had to give up the county of Tours to regain his freedom. From then on the centre of power for the House of Blois moved to Champagne. Theobald found ways to become close to the royal court again and gain influence. He got the title of Count Palatine, which his father had used before. He used this influence to get control over his brother's possessions in Champagne that were inherited by his minor nephew Odo, Count of Champagne. Odo later joined the army of William the Conqueror, participated in the battle of Hastings

Battle of Hastings

The Battle of Hastings occurred on 14 October 1066 during the Norman conquest of England, between the Norman-French army of Duke William II of Normandy and the English army under King Harold II...

, married a sister of William and became count of Aumale and Holderness.

Theobald had a position of considerable power, that increased when he married the daughter of Raoul de Valois. From 1074 onward, he left his son Henry in control of Blois, Chateaudun and Chartres.

Family and children

Theobald's first wife Gersende of Maine, daughter of Herbert I of Maine

Herbert I of Maine

Herbert I , called Wakedog or Evigilans Canis , was the count of Maine from 1015, the son and successor of Hugh III....

, Count of Maine, bore him one child:

1. Henry, who adopted the name of Stephen.

His second wife Alix de Crepy (Adela) or Adèle of Valois [see Note], daughter of Raoul II of Valois and Adélaide of Bar sur Aube, bore 3 children:

1. Philip, who became bishop of Châlons-sur-Marne
2. Odo, who inherited possessions in Champagne (Troyes). He died in 1093, leaving the possessions to his brother Hugh.
3. Hugh
   Hughes of Champagne
   -Life:Hugh was the third son of Theobald III, Count of Blois, bearing the title Count of Bar-sur-Aube. His older brother Odo V, Count of Troyes, died in 1093, leaving him master of Troyes, where he centred his court, and Vitry-le-François...
   
   , who became the first to be called count of Champagne.