Albert III ( 1027 – 22 June 1102) was the

Count of Namur Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

from 1063 until his death. He was the son of Count Albert II and Regelinde of Verdun. Although he was not formally a duke, Albert is considered to have played the role of an acting

Duke of Lower Lotharingia The rulers of Lorraine have held different posts under different governments over different regions, since its creation as the kingdom of Lotharingia by the Treaty of Prüm, in 855. The first rulers of the newly established region were kings of t ...

, or "vice duke", during part of his lifetime, while the king's young son Conrad was named as Duke. However he lost this position when

Godfrey of Bouillon Godfrey of Bouillon (, , , ; 18 September 1060 – 18 July 1100) was a French nobleman and pre-eminent leader of the First Crusade. First ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem from 1099 to 1100, he avoided the title of king, preferring that of princ ...

was given the duchy.See Margue.

Biography

From 1071 to 1072, he helped Richilde, Countess of Hainaut and Flanders fight against

Robert the Frisian Robert I ( – 13 October 1093), known as ''Robert the Frisian'', was count of Flanders from 1071 to his death in 1093. He was a son of Baldwin V, Count of Flanders and the younger brother of Baldwin VI, Count of Flanders. He usurped the countsh ...

, but the Countess was beaten and lost Flanders. In 1076, supported by

Matilda of Tuscany Matilda of Tuscany ( it, Matilde di Canossa , la, Matilda, ; 1046 – 24 July 1115 or Matilda of Canossa after her ancestral castle of Canossa), also referred to as ("the Great Countess"), was a member of the House of Canossa (also known as th ...

, he claimed the

Duchy of Bouillon The Duchy of Bouillon (french: Duché de Bouillon) was a duchy comprising Bouillon and adjacent towns and villages in present-day Belgium. The state originated in the 10th century as property of the Lords of Bouillon, owners of Bouillon Castle. ...

, claiming to have rights by his mother, and fought against

to assert his claims. During a battle near

Dalhem Dalhem (; wa, Dålem) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium. On 1 January 2012 Dalhem had a total population of 6,996. The total area is 36.06 km² which gives a population density of 180 inhabitants pe ...

, he killed Hermann II, Count Palatine of Lotharingia (20 September 1085), making him fall out of favor with the German emperor. Finally, with the

Truce of God The Peace and Truce of God ( lat, Pax et treuga Dei) was a movement in the Middle Ages led by the Catholic Church and one of the most influential mass peace movements in history. The goal of both the ''Pax Dei'' and the ''Treuga Dei'' was to limit ...

in 1086, the

Bishop of Liège A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...

succeeded in making peace between the warring parties in favor of Godfrey. In 1099, Otbert, Bishop of Liege gave him the county of

Brunengeruz The county of Brunengeruz (or Brugeron, Brunengeruuz, Brunengurt) existed in the 10th and 11th centuries in what is now eastern Belgium, between the towns of Leuven, on the river Dyle (river), Dyle and Tienen, on the river Gete, within the larger re ...

, territory which had been contested by the counts of Leuven, but the counts of Namur were not able to hold this territory in the long run.

Marriages and issue

In 1065 he married Ida (d. 1102), widow of Frederick of Luxembourg, Duke of Lower Lorraine, and daughter of Bernard II, Duke of Saxony. They had 5 children *

Godfrey I, Count of Namur Godfrey of Namur (attested in 1080; died 19 August 1139) was a Lotharingian nobleman. He was Count ''jure uxoris'' of Porcéan from 1097 until his death. From 1102, he was also Count of Namur. He was the oldest son of Count Albert III and his ...

(1068–1139) * Henry, Count of La Roche (1070–1138) * Frederick, Bishop of Liège (d. 1121) * Albert, Count of Jaffa (d. 1122) * Adelaide (1068–1124), married

Otto II Otto II (955 – 7 December 983), called the Red (''der Rote''), was Holy Roman Emperor from 973 until his death in 983. A member of the Ottonian dynasty, Otto II was the youngest and sole surviving son of Otto the Great and Adelaide of Italy. ...

, Count of Chiny

Notes

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Albert 03, Count of Namur Counts of Namur House of Namur 1020s births 1102 deaths Year of birth uncertain 11th-century people of the Holy Roman Empire 12th-century people of the Holy Roman Empire