Constance of Arles, Queen of the Franks

Notes:

Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constance_of_Arles

Born ca 986 Constance was the daughter of William I, count of Provence and Adelaide-Blanche of Anjou, daughter of Fulk II of Anjou.

Constance was married to King Robert, after his divorce from his second wife, Bertha of Burgundy. The marriage was stormy; Bertha's family opposed her, and Constance was despised for importing her Provençal kinfolk and customs. Robert's friend, Hugh of Beauvais, tried to convince the king to repudiate her in 1007. Possibly at her request twelve knights of her kinsman, Fulk Nerra, then murdered Beauvais.

In 1010 Robert went to Rome, followed by his former wife Bertha, to seek permission to divorce Constance and remarry Bertha. Pope Sergius IV was not about to allow a consanguineous marriage which had been formally condemned by Pope Gregory V and Robert had already repudiated two wives. So the request was denied. After his return according to one source Robert "loved his wife more."

Robert and Constance had the following children:

1. Hedwig (or Advisa), Countess of Auxerre (c. 1003-after 1063), married Renauld I, Count of Nevers on 25 January 1016 and had issue.

2. Hugh Magnus, co-king (1007-17 September 1025)

3. Henry I, successor (4 May 1008-4 August 1060)

4. Adela, Countess of Contenance (1009-5 June 1063), married (a) Richard III of Normandy and (b) Count Baldwin V of Flanders.

5. Robert (1011-21 March 1076) Duke of Burgundy

6. Odo or Eudes (1013-c.1056), who may have been intellectually disabled and died after his brother's failed invasion of Normandy

7. Constance (1014-1052), married Count Manasses de Dammartin.

At Constance's urging, her eldest son Hugh Magnus was crowned co-king alongside his father in 1017. But later Hugh demanded his parents share power with him, and rebelled against his father in 1025. Constance, however, on learning of her son's rebellion was furious with him, rebuking him at every turn. At some point Hugh was reconciled with his parents but shortly thereafter died, probably about age eighteen.

Robert and Constance quarreled over which of their surviving sons should inherit the throne; Robert favored their second son Henry, while Constance favored their third son, Robert. Despite his mother's protests and her support by several bishops, Henry was crowned in 1027. Constance, however, was not graceful when she didn't get her way.

Constance encouraged her sons to rebel, and they began attacking and pillaging the towns and castles belonging to their father. Son Robert attacked Burgundy, the duchy he had been promised but had never received, and Henry seized Dreux. At last King Robert agreed to their demands and peace was made which lasted until the king's death.

King Robert died on 20 July 1031. Soon afterwards Constance was at odds with both her surviving sons. Constance seized her dower lands and refused to surrender them. Henry fled to Normandy, where he received aid, weapons and soldiers from his brother Robert. He returned to besiege his mother at Poissy but Constance escaped to Pontoise. She only surrendered when Henry began the siege of Le Puiset and swore to slaughter all the inhabitants.

Constance died 28 July 1032. and was buried beside her husband Robert at Saint-Denis Basilica

Constance married Robert II of the Franks, King of the Franks. Robert (son of Hugh Capet, King of the Franks and Adelaide of Aquitaine) was born 27 Mar 972, Orléans, France; died 20 Jul 1031, Melun, Seine-et-Marne, Île-de-France, France; was buried , Saint Denis Basilique, Saint-Denis, Île-de-France, France. [Group Sheet]

1. Robert I of Burgundy, Duke of Burgundy was born 1011; died 18 Mar 1076, Fleurey-sur-Ouche, France.

Notes:

Wikipeida

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_I_of_Provence

He was called the Liberator and was Count of Provence from 968 to his abdication. He is often considered the founder of the county of Provence. He and his elder brother Rotbold I were sons of Boso II of Arles and Constance of Viennois, daughter of Charles-Constantine.

In 980, he was installed as Count of Arles. His sobriquet comes from his victories against the Saracens [Muslims] by which he liberated Provence from their threat, which had been constant since the establishment of a base at Fraxinet. At the Battle of Tourtour in 973, with the assistance of the counts of the High Alps and the viscounts of Marseille and Fos, he definitively routed the Saracens, chasing them forever from Provence. He reorganised the region east of the Rhône, which he conquered from the Saracens and which had been given him as a gift from King Conrad of Burgundy.

He married first Arsenda, daughter of Arnold of Comminges and their son was William II of Provence.

He married second (against papal advice) in 984, Adelaide-Blanche of Anjou, daughter of Fulk II of Anjou and Gerberga, and their daughter was Constance of Arles (986?1034), married Robert II of France.

He donated land to Cluny and retired to become a monk, dying at Avignon, where he was buried in the church of Saint-Croix at Sarrians. He was succeeded as margrave by his brother. His great principality began to diminish soon after his death.

William married Adelaide-Blanche of Anjou. Adelaide-Blanche was born ca 940; died 1026, Avignon, France; was buried , Montmajour Abbey, Arles, France. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelaide-Blanche_of_Anjou

She was the daughter of Fulk II, Count of Anjou, and Gerberga. She successfully increased Angevin fortunes, being married a total of five times. Her family had become upwardly mobile to the point that, as a member of just the third generation from Ingelger, Adelaide-Blanche had married into the highest ranks of the older nobility of western Franks.

Her first marriage was to Stephen, the powerful Count of Gévaudan and Forez in eastern Aquitaine. She was no more than fifteen at the time and he was much older. Still, they had three children who survived to adulthood.

Stephen died in the early 960s and after his death she ruled the lands as regent for her sons William, Pons and Bertrand. She continued to govern Gevaudan and Forez while her remaining two sons learned to rule their father's counties. Additionally, after her oldest son William's death in 975 she raised his infant son Stephen. Her brother Guy (Guido II) was made Count-Bishop of le Puy in 975 amidst local opposition and at his request Adelaide, acting for her sons Guy and Bertrand, led an army to aid him in establishing the "Peace of God" in le Puy.

In 982, as the widow of her second husband, Raymond, count of Toulouse, she wed Louis, son of King Lothair of France. The two were crowned King and Queen of Aquitaine at Brioude by her brother Bishop Guy of le Puy. The marriage lasted just over a year due to the couple being unable to peacefully live together. There was also a significant age difference?he being fifteen and Adelaide-Blanche being over forty. Adelaide found herself in a precarious situation with King Lothair but was rescued by Count William I of Provence whom she subsequently married in c.?984. Count William of Provence died in 994 shortly after becoming a monk at Avignon.

In 1010 king Robert II of France along with Odo II, Count of Blois went to Rome to secure an annulment from Robert's second wife, Constance of Arles, Adelaide-Blanche's daughter by William I. Pope Sergius IV, a friend to the Angevin counts, upheld the marriage and additionally upheld Adelaide's struggle to maintain control of lands at Montmajour Abbey. These lands, at Perth, had been donated by Count William I of Provence with his wife Adelaide-Blanche, as well as by a previous donation by William's father, Boson. A dispute over these lands arose by four brothers, sons of Nevolongus, who pope Sergius threatened with excommunication if they did not withdraw their claim. The claim was withdrawn and the lands remained under the control of Adelaide-Blanche acting as regent for her son William II of Provence.

Her fifth marriage was to Otto-William, Count of Burgundy, who subsequently died 21 September 1026. Adelaide-Blanche herself died in 1026, aged approximately eighty-six.

She married first, c.? 955, Stephen, Count of Gévaudan. Children of this marriage were:

1. William, (c.? 955-975).

2.Pons, Count of Gévaudan and Forez. He died aft. 26 February 1011.

3. Bertrand, Count of Gévaudan.

4. Almodis of Gévaudan, she married Adalbert I de Charroux, Count de la Haute March.


Her second marriage was to Raymond, Count of Toulouse and Prince of Gothia, in 975. He died in 978. She had by him at least one child:

5. William III, Count of Toulouse

She married as her third husband Louis V of France and the two were crowned King and Queen of Aquitaine but the marriage ended in annulment.

As her fourth husband she married, c.?984, William I of Provence. Together they had:

6. Constance of Arles, who later married Robert II of France.

7. Ermengarde, she married Robert I, Count of Auvergne.

8. Tota-Adelaide, she married Bernard I, Count of Besalú.

Her final marriage was to Otto-William, Count of Burgundy. He and Adelaide had no children.

The location of her death was probably at Avignon, since the year of her death is recorded by Arnoux, a monk of the abbey of Saint-André, near Avignon. She was buried in Montmajour Abbey, near Arles, considered at the time as the burial place of the family of counts of Provence.