Yolande de Dreux, Countess of Penthièvre and of Porhoet
Encyclopedia
Yolande de Dreux, Countess of Penthièvre and of Porhoet (late 1218 – 10 October 1272) was a French
noblewoman and a suo jure
countess. By her marriage to Hugh XI of Lusignan
, the eldest uterine half-brother of King Henry III of England
, she became Countess of La Marche and of Angoulême. She was the mother of seven children. From 1250 to 1256, she acted as Regent
of La Marche and Angoulême for her son, Hugh XII of Lusignan
.
Yolande was betrothed to King Henry III of England in 1226 at the age of seven years.
and Alix of Thouars
, Duchess of Brittany. She had two brothers, John I, Duke of Brittany
and Arthur of Brittany (1220–1224). By her father's second marriage to Nicole, she had a half-brother, Olivier de Braine (1231–1279). Her mother had died on 21 October 1221, when Yolande was not quite three years old. Yolande's paternal grandparents were Robert II, Count of Dreux
and Yolande de Coucy, and her maternal grandparents were Guy de Thouars and Constance, Duchess of Brittany
.
In 1236, Yolande received as her dowry, the titles of Countess of Penthièvre, Dame de la Fère-en-Tardenois, de Chailly, and de Longjumeau which she held suo jure. Her brother John I, Duke of Brittany granted her the title of suo jure Countess of Porhoet.
. Yolande's second betrothal occurred in March 1227 to John of France, Count of Anjou, the son of King Louis VIII of France
. The engagement was broken off and she was affianced thirdly in 1231 to Theobald IV, Count of Champagne
. As in the case with King Henry and John of France, this betrothal to Theobald did not result in marriage. His daughter Blanche however married her brother John in 1236. Yolande was more fortunate in her fourth betrothal, and in January 1236 she married Hugh XI of Lusignan who would succeed his father in 1249 as Count of La Marche and Count of Angoulême. His uterine half-brother was King Henry III of England to whom Yolande had been betrothed in 1226.
Together Hugh and Yolande had seven children:
Her husband Hugh was killed at the Battle of Faruskur in Egypt on 6 April 1250. Yolande acted as Regent of La Marche and Angoulême
for her eldest son Hugh from 1250 to 1256.
Yolande died at the Chateau de Bouteville, Charente
on 10 October 1272. She was buried at the Notre Dame Abbey in Villeneuve-lez-Nantes.
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
noblewoman and a suo jure
Suo jure
Suo jure is a Latin phrase meaning "in her [or his] own right".It is commonly encountered in the context of titles of nobility, especially in cases where a wife may hold a title in her own right rather than through her marriage....
countess. By her marriage to Hugh XI of Lusignan
Hugh XI of Lusignan
Hugh XI de Lusignan, Hugh VI of La Marche or Hugh II of Angoulême or Hugues XI & VI & II de Lusignan . He succeeded his mother Isabelle of Angoulême, former queen of England, as Count of Angoulême in 1246. He likewise succeeded his father Hugh X as Count of La Marche in 1249...
, the eldest uterine half-brother of King 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...
, she became Countess of La Marche and of Angoulême. She was the mother of seven children. From 1250 to 1256, she acted as Regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
of La Marche and Angoulême for her son, Hugh XII of Lusignan
Hugh XII of Lusignan
Hugh XII de Lusignan, Hugh VII of La Marche or Hugh III of Angoulême or Hugues XII & VII & III de Lusignan . He succeeded his father Hugh XI as seigneur of Lusignan, Couhe, and Peyrat, Count of La Marche and Count of Angoulême in 1250.He married at Fougères 29 January 1253/4 Jeanne de Fougères...
.
Yolande was betrothed to King Henry III of England in 1226 at the age of seven years.
Family
Yolande was born in Dreux, France at the end of 1218, the only daughter of Peter I, Duke of BrittanyPeter I, Duke of Brittany
Pierre Mauclerc , also known as Peter of Dreux or Pierre de Dreux, was duke of Brittany jure uxoris from 1213 to 1221, then regent of the duchy from 1221 to 1237 as well as Earl of Richmond from 1219 to 1235.-Biography:He was the second son of Robert II, Count of Dreux...
and Alix of Thouars
Alix of Thouars
Alix of Thouars was the nominal Duchess of Brittany from 1203 to her death.- Life :...
, Duchess of Brittany. She had two brothers, John I, Duke of Brittany
John I, Duke of Brittany
John I the Red , known as John the Red due to the colour of his beard, was Duke of Brittany, from 1237 to his death...
and Arthur of Brittany (1220–1224). By her father's second marriage to Nicole, she had a half-brother, Olivier de Braine (1231–1279). Her mother had died on 21 October 1221, when Yolande was not quite three years old. Yolande's paternal grandparents were Robert II, Count of Dreux
Robert II of Dreux
Robert II of Dreux , Count of Dreux and Braine, was the eldest surviving son of Robert I, Count of Dreux, and Agnes de Baudemont, countess of Braine, and a grandson of King Louis VI of France....
and Yolande de Coucy, and her maternal grandparents were Guy de Thouars and Constance, Duchess of Brittany
Constance, Duchess of Brittany
Constance of Penthièvre was hereditary Duchess of Brittany between 1171 and 1196...
.
In 1236, Yolande received as her dowry, the titles of Countess of Penthièvre, Dame de la Fère-en-Tardenois, de Chailly, and de Longjumeau which she held suo jure. Her brother John I, Duke of Brittany granted her the title of suo jure Countess of Porhoet.
Betrothals, marriage and issue
Sometime before 19 October 1226, when she was seven years old, Yolande was betrothed to King Henry III of England. A letter of the King dated 19 October 1226 confirms his betrothal to Jolentam filiam Petri ducis Brittanniae et comitis Richemundiae The marriage never took place, and King Henry eventually married Eleanor of ProvenceEleanor of Provence
Eleanor of Provence was Queen consort of England as the spouse of King Henry III of England from 1236 until his death in 1272....
. Yolande's second betrothal occurred in March 1227 to John of France, Count of Anjou, the son of King Louis VIII of France
Louis VIII of France
Louis VIII the Lion reigned as King of France from 1223 to 1226. He was a member of the House of Capet. Louis VIII was born in Paris, France, the son of Philip II Augustus and Isabelle of Hainaut. He was also Count of Artois, inheriting the county from his mother, from 1190–1226...
. The engagement was broken off and she was affianced thirdly in 1231 to Theobald IV, Count of Champagne
Count of Champagne
The Counts of Champagne ruled the region of Champagne from 950 to 1316. Champagne evolved from the county of Troyes in the late eleventh century and Hugh I was the first to officially use the title "Count of Champagne". When Louis became King of France in 1314, upon the death of his father Philip...
. As in the case with King Henry and John of France, this betrothal to Theobald did not result in marriage. His daughter Blanche however married her brother John in 1236. Yolande was more fortunate in her fourth betrothal, and in January 1236 she married Hugh XI of Lusignan who would succeed his father in 1249 as Count of La Marche and Count of Angoulême. His uterine half-brother was King Henry III of England to whom Yolande had been betrothed in 1226.
Together Hugh and Yolande had seven children:
- Hugh XII of LusignanHugh XII of LusignanHugh XII de Lusignan, Hugh VII of La Marche or Hugh III of Angoulême or Hugues XII & VII & III de Lusignan . He succeeded his father Hugh XI as seigneur of Lusignan, Couhe, and Peyrat, Count of La Marche and Count of Angoulême in 1250.He married at Fougères 29 January 1253/4 Jeanne de Fougères...
, Count of La Marche and Count of Angoulême (died after 25 August 1270), married 29 January 1254 Jeanne de FougèresJeanne de FougèresJeanne de Fougères, suo jure Lady of Fougères, Countess of La Marche and Angoulême , was a Breton noblewoman and heiress. She was the wife of Hugh XII of Lusignan, Count of La Marche and Count of Angoulême...
, Dame de Fougères by whom he had six children. He died while on crusade. - Guy of Lusignan, (died 1288/89), Seigneur de Cognac, d'Archiac, and de Couhé; Seigneur de la Fère-en-Tardenois.
- Geoffroy of Lusignan (died 1264)
- Alice of LusignanAlice de Lusignan of AngoulemeAlice of Lusignan was the first wife of Marcher baron Gilbert de Clare, 6th Earl of Gloucester and half-niece of King Henry III of England....
(died May 1290), married in 1253 as his first wife, Gilbert de Clare, 6th Earl of Gloucester, by whom she had two daughters. - Marie of Lusignan (1242- after 11 July 1266), married Robert de Ferrers, 6th Earl of DerbyRobert de Ferrers, 6th Earl of DerbyRobert III de Ferrers, 6th Earl of Derby was an English nobleman.He was born at Tutbury Castle in Derbyshire, England, the son of William de Ferrers, 5th Earl of Derby and the Earl's 2nd wife Margaret de Quincy , daughter of Roger de Quincy, 2nd Earl of Winchester and Helen of Galloway.-Early...
. She died childless. - Isabelle of Lusignan, Dame de Belleville (1248–1304), married Maurice de Belleville
- Yolande of Lusignan (died 10 November 1305), married Pierre I, Sire de Preaux
Her husband Hugh was killed at the Battle of Faruskur in Egypt on 6 April 1250. Yolande acted as Regent of La Marche and Angoulême
Angoulême
-Main sights:In place of its ancient fortifications, Angoulême is encircled by boulevards above the old city walls, known as the Remparts, from which fine views may be obtained in all directions. Within the town the streets are often narrow. Apart from the cathedral and the hôtel de ville, the...
for her eldest son Hugh from 1250 to 1256.
Yolande died at the Chateau de Bouteville, Charente
Charente
Charente is a department in southwestern France, in the Poitou-Charentes region, named after the Charente River, the most important river in the department, and also the river beside which the department's two largest towns, Angoulême and Cognac, are sited.-History:Charente is one of the original...
on 10 October 1272. She was buried at the Notre Dame Abbey in Villeneuve-lez-Nantes.
Ancestry
Sources
- Charles Cawley, Medieval Lands, Angoulême, La Marche, Périgord
- Charles Cawley, Medieval Lands, Brittany