Marguerite d'Orléans, Countess of Vertus
Encyclopedia
Marguerite, Countess of Vertus (French: Marguerite d'Orléans), was born on 4 December 1406. She was the daughter of Louis I, Duke of Orléans, and Valentina Visconti
, and the granddaughter and niece of King Charles V of France
and King Charles VI of France
, respectively. Her mother was the daughter of Gian Galeazzo Visconti
, Duke of Milan, and Isabelle of France, who was a daughter of King John II of France
. Her brother was the famous and unfortunate Charles, Duke of Orléans, (father of the future Louis XII of France
), captured at Agincourt and imprisoned for twenty-five years in England and who during his long captivity, became the greatest poet of the 15th century in the French language.
, and Jeanne of Navarre, later Queen of England as wife of Henry Bolingbroke
. Marguerite succeeded her brother Philip as Countess of Vertus. She and Richard had seven children, of whom only two, Francis and Catherine, would have progeny. In 1458 Francis succeeded his uncle Arthur III as Duke of Brittany. Marguerite, widowed in 1438, lived for a long time at Longchamp and in other monasteries with her younger daughters, Marguerite and Madeleine (who was born after her father's death). She was a very pious woman.
The Book of Hours of Marguerite d'Orleans (see below), a defining example of the Illustrated Prayer Book of the Fifteenth Century, was made for her so that she might practice her devotion on a daily basis. She obtained a declaration from the Cardinal of Estouteville that sheltered her liberty and that of her daughters as they moved among the convents and religious monasteries of northern France. She finally retired to the Abbey at Guiche, order of Sainte Claire near Blois, where she died April 24, 1466 at the age of sixty.
During the Hundred Years' War
of France with England, with the increasing insanity of her uncle King Charles VI (who suffered from either schizophrenia
, porphyria
or bipolar disorder
), her father, Louis disputed the regency
and guardianship of the royal children with John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy
. The enmity between the two was public and a source of political unrest in the already troubled France. Louis had the initial advantage, being the brother rather than the first cousin of the king, but his character and rumour of an affair with the queen consort Isabeau of Bavaria
made him extremely unpopular. For the following years, the struggle for the custody of the royal children continued, until the Duke of Burgundy managed to be appointed, by royal decree, guardian of the Dauphin
and regent of France.
Refusing to give up, Louis took every effort to disrupt John's rule, including squandering the money raised for the relief of Calais
, then occupied by the English. This resulted in John and Louis breaking into open threats, stopped only by the intervention of their uncle, John of Valois
, Duke of Berry. Despite a solemn reconciliation vowed in front of the court of France on November 20, 1407, Louis was brutally assassinated
in the streets of Paris
, by armed men under the orders of John the Fearless. Louis' murder would spark a bloody feud and civil war between Burgundy and the French Royal Family which would divide France for the next seventy years and only end with the death of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, in 1477.
. However, the claim was disputed by the then Duke of Burgundy, Philip the Good, who succeeded his father John the Fearless in 1419 after the latter's assassination by the agents of Dauphin Charles
. Philip took possession and ruled the county personally, (possibly wresting it from Richard in vengeance of his father's death) till 1434, after which he gave it to John II, Count of Nevers
, his first cousin, who kept it in peaceful possession, until it was reverted to Richard in September 1435 (who died in 1438) by the former Dauphin, who was now King Charles VII of France. The new king confirmed his gift to the deceased duke by letters patent presented to his widow in 1442. However, this decision was contested by the Attorney General of the Parlement, who argued that the County should have been reunited with the Crown, after the death of Richard. It was taken back from Marguerite's son Francis in 1478 and in the month of April of the following year, Charles's son and successor, King Louis XI gave it to John of Foix, Viscount of Narbonne
, whose wife Marie of Orleans was a niece of Marguerite and sister of the future Louis XII of France
.
Valentina Visconti
Not to be confused with Valentina Visconti, Queen of CyprusValentina Visconti was the wife of Louis de Valois, Duke of Orléans, a younger brother of Charles VI of France....
, and the granddaughter and niece of King Charles V of France
Charles V of France
Charles V , called the Wise, was King of France from 1364 to his death in 1380 and a member of the House of Valois...
and 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...
, respectively. Her mother was the daughter of Gian Galeazzo Visconti
Gian Galeazzo Visconti
Gian Galeazzo Visconti , son of Galeazzo II Visconti and Bianca of Savoy, was the first Duke of Milan and ruled the late-medieval city just before the dawn of the Renaissance...
, Duke of Milan, and Isabelle of France, who was a daughter of King 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,...
. Her brother was the famous and unfortunate Charles, Duke of Orléans, (father of the future Louis XII of France
Louis XII of France
Louis proved to be a popular king. At the end of his reign the crown deficit was no greater than it had been when he succeeded Charles VIII in 1498, despite several expensive military campaigns in Italy. His fiscal reforms of 1504 and 1508 tightened and improved procedures for the collection of taxes...
), captured at Agincourt and imprisoned for twenty-five years in England and who during his long captivity, became the greatest poet of the 15th century in the French language.
Life and Marriage
In 1423 she married Richard of Montfort, son of John V, Duke of BrittanyJohn V, Duke of Brittany
John V the Conqueror KG was Duke of Brittany and Count of Montfort, from 1345 until his death.-Numbering:...
, and Jeanne of Navarre, later Queen of England as wife of Henry Bolingbroke
Henry IV of England
Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
. Marguerite succeeded her brother Philip as Countess of Vertus. She and Richard had seven children, of whom only two, Francis and Catherine, would have progeny. In 1458 Francis succeeded his uncle Arthur III as Duke of Brittany. Marguerite, widowed in 1438, lived for a long time at Longchamp and in other monasteries with her younger daughters, Marguerite and Madeleine (who was born after her father's death). She was a very pious woman.
The Book of Hours of Marguerite d'Orleans (see below), a defining example of the Illustrated Prayer Book of the Fifteenth Century, was made for her so that she might practice her devotion on a daily basis. She obtained a declaration from the Cardinal of Estouteville that sheltered her liberty and that of her daughters as they moved among the convents and religious monasteries of northern France. She finally retired to the Abbey at Guiche, order of Sainte Claire near Blois, where she died April 24, 1466 at the age of sixty.
Issue
- Marie of Brittany (b. Nantes, 22 June 1424 - d. Orléans (Loiret), 9 October 1477), Abbess of Fontevrault since 1457 until her death.
- Isabelle of Brittany (b. Nantes, 2 February 1426 - d. Nantes, 9 February 1438).
- Catherine of Brittany (b. Nantes, 28 May 1428 - d. 22 June 1476), Dame de l'Epine-Gaudin; married on 19 August 1438 to William VII of ChalonWilliam VII of ChalonWilliam VII of Chalon was a prince of Orange and lord of Chalon-Arlay. He was the son of Louis II of Chalon-Arlay and the father of John IV of Chalon....
, Prince d'Orange, Comte de Penthièvre and Seigneur de Cerlier. - Francis II, Duke of Brittany (b. 23 June 1435 - d. château de Coüeron, 9 September 1488)
- Unnamed son (b. 1436 - d. 19 December 1436).
- Marguerite of Brittany (b. Nantes, 22 November 1437 - Longchamp, 1466), a nun.
- Madeleine of Brittany (b. posthumously, Nantes, 1 May 1439 - Longchamp, 29 March 1462), a nun.
Hundred Year's War and the struggle for control
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was a series of separate wars waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet, also known as the House of Anjou, for the French throne, which had become vacant upon the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings...
of France with England, with the increasing insanity of her uncle King Charles VI (who suffered from either schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
, porphyria
Porphyria
Porphyrias are a group of inherited or acquired disorders of certain enzymes in the heme bio-synthetic pathway . They are broadly classified as acute porphyrias and cutaneous porphyrias, based on the site of the overproduction and accumulation of the porphyrins...
or bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...
), her father, Louis disputed the regency
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...
and guardianship of the royal children with John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy
Duke of Burgundy
Duke of Burgundy was a title borne by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, a small portion of traditional lands of Burgundians west of river Saône which in 843 was allotted to Charles the Bald's kingdom of West Franks...
. The enmity between the two was public and a source of political unrest in the already troubled France. Louis had the initial advantage, being the brother rather than the first cousin of the king, but his character and rumour of an affair with the queen consort Isabeau of Bavaria
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...
made him extremely unpopular. For the following years, the struggle for the custody of the royal children continued, until the Duke of Burgundy managed to be appointed, by royal decree, guardian of the Dauphin
Charles VII of France
Charles VII , called the Victorious or the Well-Served , was King of France from 1422 to his death, though he was initially opposed by Henry VI of England, whose Regent, the Duke of Bedford, ruled much of France including the capital, Paris...
and regent of France.
Refusing to give up, Louis took every effort to disrupt John's rule, including squandering the money raised for the relief of Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
, then occupied by the English. This resulted in John and Louis breaking into open threats, stopped only by the intervention of their uncle, John of Valois
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...
, Duke of Berry. Despite a solemn reconciliation vowed in front of the court of France on November 20, 1407, Louis was brutally assassinated
Assassination of Louis I, Duke of Orléans
The assassination of Louis I, Duke of Orléans took place on November 23, 1407 in Paris.-Background:Under the reign of Charles V, French generals like Bertrand du Guesclin had steadily regained ground previously lost to the English in the Hundred Years' War. At the same time England was suffering...
in the streets of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, by armed men under the orders of John the Fearless. Louis' murder would spark a bloody feud and civil war between Burgundy and the French Royal Family which would divide France for the next seventy years and only end with the death of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, in 1477.
Succession dispute to the County of Étampes
With her father's death, Marguerite inherited the rights to the County of Étampes, and was named countess with her husband, Richard as count, in 1423, which was recovered from the crown lands after the death in 1416, of its last incumbent lord, John, Duke of BerryJohn, 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...
. However, the claim was disputed by the then Duke of Burgundy, Philip the Good, who succeeded his father John the Fearless in 1419 after the latter's assassination by the agents of Dauphin Charles
Charles VII of France
Charles VII , called the Victorious or the Well-Served , was King of France from 1422 to his death, though he was initially opposed by Henry VI of England, whose Regent, the Duke of Bedford, ruled much of France including the capital, Paris...
. Philip took possession and ruled the county personally, (possibly wresting it from Richard in vengeance of his father's death) till 1434, after which he gave it to John II, Count of Nevers
John II, Count of Nevers
John II, Count of Nevers He was the son of Philip II, Count of Nevers by his wife Bonne of Artois, daughter of Philip of Artois, Count of Eu. From 1442 to 1465 he was Count of Etampes. John's elder brother was also his predecessor in his titles, Charles I, Count of Nevers...
, his first cousin, who kept it in peaceful possession, until it was reverted to Richard in September 1435 (who died in 1438) by the former Dauphin, who was now King Charles VII of France. The new king confirmed his gift to the deceased duke by letters patent presented to his widow in 1442. However, this decision was contested by the Attorney General of the Parlement, who argued that the County should have been reunited with the Crown, after the death of Richard. It was taken back from Marguerite's son Francis in 1478 and in the month of April of the following year, Charles's son and successor, King Louis XI gave it to John of Foix, Viscount of Narbonne
John of Foix, Viscount of Narbonne
John of Foix was a younger son of Gaston IV of Foix and Queen Eleanor of Navarre. His elder brother was Gaston, Prince of Viana.-Life:...
, whose wife Marie of Orleans was a niece of Marguerite and sister of the future Louis XII of France
Louis XII of France
Louis proved to be a popular king. At the end of his reign the crown deficit was no greater than it had been when he succeeded Charles VIII in 1498, despite several expensive military campaigns in Italy. His fiscal reforms of 1504 and 1508 tightened and improved procedures for the collection of taxes...
.