All Topics  
Bertha, Duchess of Brittany

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Bertha, Duchess of Brittany
 
 
  Topics Bertha, Duchess of Brittany Topic Home

Bertha of Cornwall (b.c 1114, died 1156), also known as Bertha of Brittany (Breton
Breton language

The Breton language is a Celtic languages spoken by some of the inhabitants of Brittany in France....
: Berthe Breizh ), was hereditary Duchess of Brittany between 1148 until her death. Bertha was the eldest daughter of Conan III of Brittany
Conan III, Duke of Brittany

Conan III of Cornwall , was duke of Brittany, from 1112 to his death. He was son of Duke Alan IV, Duke of Brittany and Ermengarde of Anjou .Conan III allied himself with Stephen of England in his war against the dispossessed Empress Matilda....
 by Maude, the illegitimate daughter of King Henry I of England
Henry I of England

Henry I was the fourth son of William I the Conqueror. He succeeded his elder brother William II of England as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106....
. She was the last member of the Cornwall family to reign over Brittany.

By 1138 Bertha was married to Alan
Alan de Bretagne, 1st Earl of Richmond

Alan of Penthi?vre In a politically arranged marriage Alan married Bertha, Duchess of Brittany, daughter of Conan III, Duke of Brittany, perhaps in a move to draw Brittany onto Stephen's side in the conflict against the dispossessed Empress Matilda....
 Count of Penthièvre
Counts and dukes of Penthièvre

In the 11th and 12th centuries the countship of Penthi?vre in Brittany belonged to a branch of the sovereign house of Brittany. Geoffrey I, Duke of Brittany, gave it to his brother Eudes, Count of Penthievre in 1035, and the line formed a cadet branch of the ducal house of Britanny....
, who was created created 1st Earl of Richmond
Earl of Richmond

The title of Earl of Richmondshire was created many times in the Peerage of Peerage of England. The earldom of Richmond was held by various Bretons, Normans, the royal families of Plantagenet, Capet, Savoy, Tudor and Stewart....
 by Stephen of England
Stephen of England

Stephen often known as Stephen of Blois was a grandson of William I of England. He was the last Norman dynasty King of England, from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne jure uxoris....
 for his support against the dispossessed Empress Matilda
Empress Matilda

Empress Matilda, also known as Matilda of England or Maude was the daughter and heir of King Henry I of England. Matilda and her younger brother, William Adelin, were the only legitimate children of King Henry....
 during the English Civil War.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Bertha, Duchess of Brittany'
Start a new discussion about 'Bertha, Duchess of Brittany'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Bertha of Cornwall (b.c 1114, died 1156), also known as Bertha of Brittany (Breton
Breton language

The Breton language is a Celtic languages spoken by some of the inhabitants of Brittany in France....
: Berthe Breizh ), was hereditary Duchess of Brittany between 1148 until her death. Bertha was the eldest daughter of Conan III of Brittany
Conan III, Duke of Brittany

Conan III of Cornwall , was duke of Brittany, from 1112 to his death. He was son of Duke Alan IV, Duke of Brittany and Ermengarde of Anjou .Conan III allied himself with Stephen of England in his war against the dispossessed Empress Matilda....
 by Maude, the illegitimate daughter of King Henry I of England
Henry I of England

Henry I was the fourth son of William I the Conqueror. He succeeded his elder brother William II of England as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106....
. She was the last member of the Cornwall family to reign over Brittany.

By 1138 Bertha was married to Alan
Alan de Bretagne, 1st Earl of Richmond

Alan of Penthi?vre In a politically arranged marriage Alan married Bertha, Duchess of Brittany, daughter of Conan III, Duke of Brittany, perhaps in a move to draw Brittany onto Stephen's side in the conflict against the dispossessed Empress Matilda....
 Count of Penthièvre
Counts and dukes of Penthièvre

In the 11th and 12th centuries the countship of Penthi?vre in Brittany belonged to a branch of the sovereign house of Brittany. Geoffrey I, Duke of Brittany, gave it to his brother Eudes, Count of Penthievre in 1035, and the line formed a cadet branch of the ducal house of Britanny....
, who was created created 1st Earl of Richmond
Earl of Richmond

The title of Earl of Richmondshire was created many times in the Peerage of Peerage of England. The earldom of Richmond was held by various Bretons, Normans, the royal families of Plantagenet, Capet, Savoy, Tudor and Stewart....
 by Stephen of England
Stephen of England

Stephen often known as Stephen of Blois was a grandson of William I of England. He was the last Norman dynasty King of England, from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne jure uxoris....
 for his support against the dispossessed Empress Matilda
Empress Matilda

Empress Matilda, also known as Matilda of England or Maude was the daughter and heir of King Henry I of England. Matilda and her younger brother, William Adelin, were the only legitimate children of King Henry....
 during the English Civil War. The marriage between Bertha and Alan may have been intended to bring Brittany on the side of Stephen in the war.

Bertha had three children with Alan,

  • Conan IV, Duke of Brittany
    Conan IV, Duke of Brittany

    Conan IV of Penthi?vre , called "the Young", was duke of Brittany, from 1156 to his death. He was son of Alan de Bretagne, 1st Earl of Richmond and Bertha of Brittany....
    , b. 1138, their son and heir.
  • Constance of Brittany, who married Alan III, Vicomte of Rohan
    Rohan (family)

    The house of Rohan was a family of viscounts, later dukes and princes, coming from the locality of Rohan in Brittany, descending from the viscounts of Porho?t and said to trace back to the legendary Conan Meriadoc....
    .
  • Enougen, abbess of St. Sulpice.


By 1146 her husband Alan had died, and Bertha returned home to Brittay where she married Eudes, Viscount of Porhoet
Eudes, Viscount of Porhoet

Eudes, viscount of Porhoet , was the second husband of Bertha, Duchess of Brittany, and her consort. On Bertha's death, Eudes denied her son Conan IV, Duke of Brittany his inheritance....
. Two years later her father Duke Conan III died, and on his deathbed he had renounced Hoèl as illegitimate and no son of his, designating Bertha as his heiress. However, Hoel would remain as count of Nantes.

When Bertha died in 1156 war broke out between Bertha's son Conan IV and her second husband Eudes. With her death the ducal throne passed to her son. Eudas may have made a compact with his brother-in-law, Hoel of Nantes to divide Brittany between them. However in late 1156 Conan IV was able to defeat Eudas and secure his maternal inheritance.