Joan II, Countess of Auvergne
Encyclopedia
Joan II, Countess of Auvergne and Boulogne , also known as Jeanne de Boulogne, and Joan, Duchess of Berry
, (1378 – c. 1424), was the daughter of John II of Auvergne (died 1394), and second wife of John, Duke of Berry
. She is arguably most famous for saving the life of her nephew, King Charles VI of France
, during the disastrous Bal des Ardents (Ball of the Burning Men).
, who in turn descended from Louis VI of France
.
In 1389, Joan was married to John, Duke of Berry
, a son of John II of France
, whose wife had died in the previous year. They had no children.
At the age of fourteen, Joan was present at the infamous Bal des Ardents
given by Queen Isabeau
, wife of the Duke of Berry's nephew King Charles
, on 28 January 1393. During this, the King and five nobles dressed up as wildmen, clad "in costumes of linen cloth sewn onto their bodies and soaked in resinous wax or pitch to hold a covering of frazzled hemp," and proceeded to dance about chained together. At length, the King became separated from the others, and made his way to the Duchess, who jokingly refused to let him wander off again until he told her his name. When Charles' brother, Louis of Orléans
, accidentally set the other dancers on fire, Joan swathed the King in her skirts, protecting him from the flames and saving his life.
Joan was widowed upon the death of the Duke of Berry in 1416. She married Georges de la Trémoille
soon after; however, they produced no children, and the counties passed to her cousin, Marie I of Auvergne, upon her death in 1424.
Duchess of Berry
-First Creation:-Second Creation:-Eighth Creation:-Ninth Creation:-Tenth Creation:...
, (1378 – c. 1424), was the daughter of John II of Auvergne (died 1394), and second wife of John, Duke of Berry
John, Duke of Berry
John of Valois or John the Magnificent was Duke of Berry and Auvergne and Count of Poitiers and Montpensier. He was the third son of King John II of France and Bonne of Luxemburg; his brothers were King Charles V of France, Duke Louis I of Anjou and Duke Philip the Bold of Burgundy...
. She is arguably most famous for saving the life of her nephew, King Charles VI of France
Charles VI of France
Charles VI , called the Beloved and the Mad , was the King of France from 1380 to 1422, as a member of the House of Valois. His bouts with madness, which seem to have begun in 1392, led to quarrels among the French royal family, which were exploited by the neighbouring powers of England and Burgundy...
, during the disastrous Bal des Ardents (Ball of the Burning Men).
Lineage
Joan was born c. 1378 to John II, Count of Auvergne and Boulogne and his wife Alenor de comiinges. Joan's grandfather, John I, had been an uncle of Queen Joanna of France, a previous heiress to Auvergne and Boulogne; John inherited the counties when his great-nephew, Joanna's son from a previous marriage, Philip of Burgundy, died without issue. Joan's mother was a descendant of Peter II of Courtenay, Emperor of ConstantinopleEmperor of Constantinople
Emperor of Constantinople can refer to:* the Byzantine Emperors, who ruled in the city from 330 to 1204 and from 1261 to 1453* the Latin Emperors, who ruled in the city from 1204 to 1261, as well as the later pretenders to this title...
, who in turn descended from Louis VI of France
Louis VI of France
Louis VI , called the Fat , was King of France from 1108 until his death . Chronicles called him "roi de Saint-Denis".-Reign:...
.
In 1389, Joan was married to John, Duke of Berry
John, Duke of Berry
John of Valois or John the Magnificent was Duke of Berry and Auvergne and Count of Poitiers and Montpensier. He was the third son of King John II of France and Bonne of Luxemburg; his brothers were King Charles V of France, Duke Louis I of Anjou and Duke Philip the Bold of Burgundy...
, a son of John II of France
John II of France
John II , called John the Good , was the King of France from 1350 until his death. He was the second sovereign of the House of Valois and is perhaps best remembered as the king who was vanquished at the Battle of Poitiers and taken as a captive to England.The son of Philip VI and Joan the Lame,...
, whose wife had died in the previous year. They had no children.
Bal des Ardents
At the age of fourteen, Joan was present at the infamous Bal des Ardents
Bal des Ardents
The Bal des Ardents was an incident that occurred on 28 January 1393 when the French king Charles VI of France was almost killed and four members of the French nobility burned to death while at a celebratory dance held by the Queen, for the remarriage of a lady-in-waiting, the dancers were...
given by Queen Isabeau
Isabeau of Bavaria
Isabeau of Bavaria was Queen consort of France as spouse of King Charles VI of France, a member of the Valois Dynasty...
, wife of the Duke of Berry's nephew King Charles
Charles VI of France
Charles VI , called the Beloved and the Mad , was the King of France from 1380 to 1422, as a member of the House of Valois. His bouts with madness, which seem to have begun in 1392, led to quarrels among the French royal family, which were exploited by the neighbouring powers of England and Burgundy...
, on 28 January 1393. During this, the King and five nobles dressed up as wildmen, clad "in costumes of linen cloth sewn onto their bodies and soaked in resinous wax or pitch to hold a covering of frazzled hemp," and proceeded to dance about chained together. At length, the King became separated from the others, and made his way to the Duchess, who jokingly refused to let him wander off again until he told her his name. When Charles' brother, Louis of Orléans
Louis of Valois, Duke of Orléans
Louis I was Duke of Orléans from 1392 to his death. He was also Count of Valois, Duke of Touraine , Count of Blois , Angoulême , Périgord, Dreux, and Soissons....
, accidentally set the other dancers on fire, Joan swathed the King in her skirts, protecting him from the flames and saving his life.
Later life
Upon her father's death in 1394, Joan became Countess of Auvergne and Boulogne.Joan was widowed upon the death of the Duke of Berry in 1416. She married Georges de la Trémoille
Georges de la Trémoille
Georges de la Trémoille was count of de Guînes from 1398 to 1446 and Grand Chamberlain of France to King Charles VII of France. He sought reconciliation between Philip, Duke of Burgundy and Charles VII during their estrangement in the latter part of the Hundred Years' War...
soon after; however, they produced no children, and the counties passed to her cousin, Marie I of Auvergne, upon her death in 1424.