Arnaud Amanieu (also ''Arnold'' and ''Amaneus'', 4 August 1338–1401) was the Lord of Albret from 1358. Amanieu held lands in

Gascony Gascony (; french: Gascogne ; oc, Gasconha ; eu, Gaskoinia) was a province of the southwestern Kingdom of France that succeeded the Duchy of Gascony (602–1453). From the 17th century until the French Revolution (1789–1799), it was part o ...

which by the Treaty of Brétigny (1360) were obtained by Edward III of England. Edward III appointed his son Edward, the Black Prince Prince of Aquitaine and

, and in 1363 Amanieu paid homage to the two Edwards. In 1368 Amanieu in a secret treaty switched his allegiance to Charles V of France.

Biography

Arnaud Amanieu was the son of Bernard Ezi IV and Mathe of Armagnac. In 1330, Edward III of England sent men to

to negotiate with the nobles. Bernard Ezi IV attempted to arrange a marriage between Arnaud Amanieu and a daughter of Edmund of Woodstock, Earl of Kent but failed. In 1363, Edward the Black Prince, then Prince of Aquitaine and Gascony, went to his province to procure the homage of his barons, chief among whom was Arnaud Amanieu. In the cathedral of Bordeaux on 9 July, the lord of Albret was the first to kneel ''sans'' belt and cap before the Prince and swear an oath of fealty (save his allegiance to the

King of England The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies (the Bailiw ...

), then to kiss a Bible and a cross, and finally to kiss the Prince on the mouth (a " holy kiss" signifying fellowship and peace). However, good relations did not last long between Lord and Prince. In 1368, while preparing to cross the Pyrenees to join in the Castilian Civil War, Edward demanded a contingent from Arnaud Amanieu, but the forces requested were more than the lord of Albret could suffice. Arnaud Amanieu refused, causing the Black Prince to say: Edward's Council also declared a ''

fouage A hearth tax was a property tax in certain countries during the Middle Ages, medieval and early modern period, levied on each hearth, thus by proxy on wealth. It was calculated based on the number of hearths, or fireplaces, within a municipal area ...

'', a new tax, which was bitterly resented by the great landholders. John I of Armagnac, Peter-Raymond II of Comminges, Roger Bernard of Périgord, and Arnaud Amanieu sent appeals to Charles V of France, appeals which are preserved to this day in the '' Archives Nationales'' in Paris. They addressed him as the "sovereign lord of the ''duchée de Guienne'' and the other lands ''baillées'' to the king of England by the treaty of peace". Needless to say, the king of France readily received the Gascon rebels into his fold. On 30 June 1368, after Arnaud Amanieu married Margaret of Bourbon, a secret treaty was signed between Charles V, Arnaud Amanieu, John, and Roger Bernard. Charles pledged aid in the event of war and he swore never to give up his claims of sovereignty over Gascony. The lords agreed to serve Charles—for pay—in Auvergne, Toulouse,

Berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, raspb ...

, and Touraine, and to take an oath to him. The ''fouage'' was remitted for the next decade, unless the barons chose to reimpose it on themselves. A body of lawyers and barons was called to decide the sovereignty question and they unanimously affirmed that Charles was sovereign over Gascony. Amanieu remained close to the French monarchy until his death in 1401.

Family

His son, Charles I, became

Constable of France The Constable of France (french: Connétable de France, from Latin for 'count of the stables') was lieutenant to the King of France, the first of the original five Great Officers of the Crown (along with seneschal, chamberlain, butler, and chanc ...

References

Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Albret, Arnaud Amanieu, Lord of House of Albret 1338 births 1401 deaths