Conan IV of Penthièvre (1138 – February 20 1171), (
BretonThe Breton language is a Celtic language spoken in Brittany , France.-History:Breton is a Brythonic language, descended from the Celtic British language brought from Great Britain to Armorica by migrating Britons during the Early Middle Ages. Like the other Brythonic languages, Welsh and Cornish,...
: Konan V Penteur, and Konan Breizh) called "the Young", was
duke of BrittanyThe Duchy of Brittany was a medieval tribal and feudal state covering the Armorican peninsula west of Mont-Saint-Michel and north of Nantes/Naoned, including Rennes/Roazhon and Vannes/Gwened...
, from 1156 to his death. He was son of
Alan the Black, 1st Earl of RichmondAlan of Penthièvre Alan of Penthièvre Alan of Penthièvre (b.c.1100 – September 15,1146, ( Breton Alan Penteur ) also known as Alan the Black, was a Breton noble who fought for Stephen of England (before 1100 – September 15,1146 ) Alan was the third son of Stephen, Count of...
and Bertha of Brittany. He was his mother's heir as Duke
Conan IIIConan III of Cornwall , was duke of Brittany, from 1112 to his death. He was son of Duke Alan IV and Ermengarde of Anjou....
. From his father’s side, Conan was great great grandson of duke
Geoffrey IGeoffrey I of Rennes was duke of Brittany, from 992 to his death. He was son of Duke Conan I and Ermengarde of Anjou, whose parents were Geoffrey I of Anjou and Adele of Meaux....
and great grandson of Eudes of Brittany. Conan and his daughter Constance would be the only representatives of the Penthièvre dynasty of Brittany.
With the death of his mother Bertha in early 1156, Conan IV expected to inherit the ducal throne. However, he was denied his inheritance by his stepfather
EudesEudes, 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 his inheritance. Eudes allied with his brother-in-law, Hoèl, Count of Nantes, in his effort to deny Conan III his succession....
, who refused to let go over his authority. Eudas may have entered into a pact with Hoel, Count of Nantes, to divide Brittany between them. But Hoel was under threat of rebellion in Nantes, sponsored by
Geoffrey VI, Count of AnjouGeoffrey Count of Nantes from 1156 to 1158, was the second of the three sons of Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou and Empress Matilda. He was also known as Geoffrey of Anjou and Geoffrey FitzEmpress...
, and he could not send Eudas any aid. Within the year Conan IV was able to capture and imprison Eudas, and claim his inheritance.
By 1158, Geoffrey VI, Count of Anjou died and Conan seized Nantes, reuniting the Duchy once again. However, Geoffrey's brother, King
Henry II of EnglandHenry II, called Curtmantle ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France...
, responded by seizing the
Earldom of RichmondThe title of Earl of Richmond was created many times in the Peerage of England. The earldom of Richmond was held by various Bretons, Normans, the royal families of Plantagenet, Capet, Savoy, Tudor and Stuart.-Earls of Richmond:...
, Conan's paternal inheritance, and demanded the return of Nantes. Conan and Henry made peace, and Conan married Henry's cousin,
Margaret of Huntingdon, Princess of ScotlandMargaret of Huntingdon, Princess of Scotland, Duchess of Brittany was a Scottish noblewoman. Two of her brothers, Malcolm IV and William I were Scottish kings. She was the wife of Conan IV, Duke of Brittany and the mother of Constance, Duchess of Brittany. Her second husband was Humphrey de...
, in 1160. Margaret was daughter of
Henry of Scotland, 3rd Earl of HuntingdonHenry of Scotland was a Prince of Scotland, heir to the Kingdom of Alba. He was also Earl of Northumberland and Earl of the Honour of Huntingdon and Northampton....
and
Ada de WarenneAda de Warenne or Adeline de Varenne was the Norman-French wife of Henry of Scotland, Earl of Northumbria and Earl of Huntingdon. She was the daughter of William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey by Elizabeth of Vermandois, and a great-granddaughter of Henry I of France...
, a daughter of
William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of SurreyWilliam de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey , was the son of William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey and his first wife Gundred. He is more often referred to as Earl Warenne or Earl of Warenne than as Earl of Surrey....
and Elizabeth de Vermandois.
Conan faced several revolts from his own nobles, rebellions possibly covertly supported by England. To put down the unrest, the Duke appealed for help to
HenryHenry II, called Curtmantle ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France...
, who, in return, demanded the betrothal of Conan’s only daughter and heiress
ConstanceConstance of Penthièvre was hereditary Duchess of Brittany between 1171 and 1196...
to Henry's son
Geoffrey PlantagenetGeoffrey II, Duke of Brittany and Earl of Richmond was Duke of Brittany between 1181 and 1186, through his marriage with the heiress Constance. Geoffrey was the fourth son of King Henry II of England and Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine.-Family:He was a younger maternal half-brother of Marie de...
.