Arthur III, Duke Of Brittany
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Arthur III ( br, Arzhur), more commonly known as Arthur de Richemont (24 August 139326 December 1458), was briefly
Duke of Brittany This is a list of rulers of the Duchy of Brittany. In different epochs the sovereigns of Brittany were kings, princes, and dukes. The Breton ruler was sometimes elected, sometimes attained the position by conquest or intrigue, or by hereditary r ...
from 1457 until his death. He is noted primarily, however, for his role as a leading military commander during the
Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French Crown, ...
. Although Richemont briefly sided with the English once, he otherwise remained firmly committed to the
House of Valois The Capetian house of Valois ( , also , ) was a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty. They succeeded the House of Capet (or "Direct Capetians") to the List of French monarchs, French throne, and were the royal house of France from 1328 to 1589 ...
. He fought alongside
Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= ’an daʁk} ; 1412 â€“ 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of OrlĂ©ans and her insistence on the coronati ...
, and was appointed
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 ...
. His military and administrative reforms in the French state were an important factor in assuring the final defeat of the English in the Hundred Years' War. The name Richemont reflects the fact that he inherited the English title of
Earl of Richmond The now-extinct title of Earl of Richmond was created many times in the Peerage of England. The earldom of Richmond was initially held by various Breton nobles; sometimes the holder was the Breton duke himself, including one member of the cad ...
, which was held by previous dukes of Brittany, but his tenure was never recognized by the English crown. At the very end of his life he became
Duke of Brittany This is a list of rulers of the Duchy of Brittany. In different epochs the sovereigns of Brittany were kings, princes, and dukes. The Breton ruler was sometimes elected, sometimes attained the position by conquest or intrigue, or by hereditary r ...
and Count of Montfort after inheriting those titles upon the death of his nephew Peter II. Richemont had no legitimate issue and was succeeded in the duchy by his other nephew, Francis II.


Life

Arthur was a younger son of Duke John IV and his third wife Joanna of Navarre, and so a member of the Ducal House of Montfort. Arthur was born at the
Chùteau de Suscinio The Chùteau de Suscinio or de Susinio is a Breton castle, built in the late Middle Ages, to be the residence of the Dukes of Brittany. It is located in the commune of Sarzeau in the département of Morbihan, near the coast of the Atlantic ocean. ...
. After the death of his father, his mother remarried
Henry IV of England Henry IV ( April 1367 â€“ 20 March 1413), also known as Henry Bolingbroke, was King of England from 1399 to 1413. He asserted the claim of his grandfather King Edward III, a maternal grandson of Philip IV of France, to the Kingdom of F ...
and became Queen (Dowager) of England. Just a year before his own death, Arthur succeeded his nephew Peter II as Duke. Arthur was also titular
Earl of Richmond The now-extinct title of Earl of Richmond was created many times in the Peerage of England. The earldom of Richmond was initially held by various Breton nobles; sometimes the holder was the Breton duke himself, including one member of the cad ...
; the earldom had often been granted to the Dukes of Brittany, but after the death of Arthur's father, the English refused to recognize his heirs as earls. Nevertheless, they continued to style themselves "Count of Richmond", while the English title was given to John Plantagenet, Duke of Bedford (1389–1435) in 1414. Arthur was an important figure at the French court during the Hundred Years' War, even before becoming Duke of Brittany. Arthur sided with the
Armagnac Armagnac (, ) is a distinctive kind of brandy produced in the Armagnac region in Gascony, southwest France. It is distilled from wine usually made from a blend of grapes including Baco 22A, Colombard, Folle blanche and Ugni blanc, traditionally ...
faction against the Burgundians during their
civil conflict A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
in France which lasted from 1410 to 1414. He then entered the service of the Dauphin
Louis, Duke of Guyenne Louis (22 January 1397 – 18 December 1415) was the eighth of twelve children of King Charles VI of France and Isabeau of Bavaria. He was their third son and the second to hold the titles Dauphin of Viennois and Duke of Guyenne, inheriting th ...
, whose intimate friend he became and whose widow he later married. He profited by his position at court to obtain the lieutenancy of the
Bastille The Bastille (, ) was a fortress in Paris, known formally as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. It was sto ...
, the governorship of the
duchy of Nemours Duke of Nemours was a title in the Peerage of France. The name refers to Nemours in the Île-de-France region of north-central France. History In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Lordship of Nemours, in the Gatinais, France, was a possession of th ...
, and the confiscated territories of Jean LarchevĂȘque, ''
seigneur ''Seigneur'' is an originally feudal title in France before the Revolution, in New France and British North America until 1854, and in the Channel Islands to this day. A seigneur refers to the person or collective who owned a ''seigneurie'' (or ...
'' of
Parthenay Parthenay () is an ancient fortified town and ''commune'' in the Deux-SĂšvres department of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France. It is sited on a rocky spur that is surrounded on two sides by the River Thouet, and is the su ...
. He fought at the
Battle of Agincourt The Battle of Agincourt ( ; french: Azincourt ) was an English victory in the Hundred Years' War. It took place on 25 October 1415 (Saint Crispin's Day) near Azincourt, in northern France. The unexpected English victory against the numerica ...
on 25 October 1415, where he was wounded and captured. His mother Queen Dowager Joan unsuccessfully tried to have him released, only to worsen her relationship with her stepson
Henry V of England Henry V (16 September 1386 â€“ 31 August 1422), also called Henry of Monmouth, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1413 until his death in 1422. Despite his relatively short reign, Henry's outstanding military successes in the ...
. He was released by the English in 1420 and helped persuade his brother, Duke John, to sign the
Treaty of Troyes The Treaty of Troyes was an agreement that King Henry V of England and his heirs would inherit the French throne upon the death of King Charles VI of France. It was formally signed in the French city of Troyes on 21 May 1420 in the aftermath of ...
. In 1422, the English created him
Duke of Touraine {{Use dmy dates, date=April 2022 Duke of Touraine was a title in the Peerage of France, relating to Touraine. It was first created in 1360 for Philip the Bold, youngest son of King John II of France. He returned the duchy to the Crown in 1363 on b ...
. However, as the English refused to give him a high command he subsequently returned to the allegiance of the Dauphin in 1424, and was made
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 ...
with support from
Yolande of Aragon Yolande of Aragon (11 August 1384 â€“ 14 November 1442) was Duchess of Anjou and Countess of Provence by marriage, who acted as regent of Provence during the minority of her son. She was a daughter of John I of Aragon and his wife Violant ...
in 1425. Arthur now persuaded his brother,
John V, Duke of Brittany John V, sometimes numbered as VI, (24 December 1389 – 29 August 1442) bynamed John the Wise ( br, Yann ar Fur; french: Jean le Sage), was Duke of Brittany and Count of Montfort from 1399 to his death. His rule coincided with the height of t ...
, to conclude the treaty of Saumur with
Charles VII of France Charles VII (22 February 1403 – 22 July 1461), called the Victorious (french: le Victorieux) or the Well-Served (), was King of France from 1422 to his death in 1461. In the midst of the Hundred Years' War, Charles VII inherited the throne of F ...
(7 October 1425). But though he saw clearly enough the measures necessary for success, he lacked the temperament and means to carry them out. The peace concluded between John and the English in September 1427, alongside his tenacity and bad temper, led to his expulsion from the court, where
Georges de la Trémoille Georges may refer to: Places *Georges River, New South Wales, Australia *Georges Quay (Dublin) *Georges Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania Other uses *Georges (name) * ''Georges'' (novel), a novel by Alexandre Dumas * "Georges" (song), a 1977 ...
, whom he himself had recommended to the king, remained supreme for six years, during which Arthur tried in vain to overthrow him. As Constable of France, Arthur fought alongside
Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= ’an daʁk} ; 1412 â€“ 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of OrlĂ©ans and her insistence on the coronati ...
during her victory at the
Battle of Patay The Battle of Patay, fought on 18 June 1429 during the Hundred Years' War, was the culmination of the Loire Campaign between the French and English in north-central France. In this engagement, the horsemen of the French vanguard inflicted heavy ...
on 18 June 1429. He joined his brother John in the siege of Pouancé in 1432, where he notably but reluctantly fought alongside English captains, as the Duke of Brittany was allied with the English at the time. Around this time he received an offer from the Duke of Bedford (who hoped to exploit the conflict between Richemont and la Trémoille), which included Trémoille's lands in Poitou in return for him switching sides. Poitou was not in English hands; still he found more prudent to seize those lands through less strenuous means. On 5 March 1432 Charles VII concluded with him and with Brittany the treaty of Rennes; but it was not until June of the following year that Trémoille was overthrown. Arthur now resumed the war against the English, and at the same time took vigorous measures against the plundering bands of soldiers and peasants known as ''routiers'' or ''écorcheurs''. By 1435 he had regained his influence at the French court and then helped arrange the Treaty of Arras between Charles VII and
Philip III, Duke of Burgundy Philip III (french: Philippe le Bon; nl, Filips de Goede; 31 July 1396 – 15 June 1467) was Duke of Burgundy from 1419 until his death. He was a member of a cadet line of the Valois dynasty, to which all 15th-century kings of France belonge ...
. This treaty cemented the peace between France and Burgundy, leading to the eventual defeat of the English. He was commander of the French army at the
Battle of Formigny The Battle of Formigny, fought on 15 April 1450, was a major battle of the Hundred Years' War between the kingdom of England and the kingdom of France. The destruction of England's last army in Normandy in the battle and the decisive French vi ...
on 15 April 1450, the next-to-the-last battle of the Hundred Years' War which sealed the reconquest of
Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
. In the wake of the battle he successfully laid siege to Caen. It was not till May 1444 that the
Treaty of Tours The Treaty of Tours was an attempted peace agreement between Henry VI of England and Charles VII of France, concluded by their envoys on 28 May 1444 in the closing years of the Hundred Years' War. The terms stipulated the marriage of Charles ...
gave him leisure to carry out the reorganization of the army which he had long projected. He now created the ''compagnies d'ordonnance'', and endeavoured to organize the militia of the ''francs archers''. This reform had its effect in the struggles that followed. In alliance with his nephew, the duke of Brittany, he reconquered, during September and October 1449, nearly all the
Cotentin The Cotentin Peninsula (, ; nrf, CotentĂźn ), also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, is a peninsula in Normandy that forms part of the northwest coast of France. It extends north-westward into the English Channel, towards Great Britain. To its w ...
; and after thebattle of Formigny he recovered for France the whole of Normandy, which for the next six or seven years it was his task to defend from English attacks. On the death of his nephew Peter II, on 22 September 1457, he became duke of Brittany, and though retaining his office of constable of France, he refused, like his predecessors, to do homage to the French king for his duchy. He reigned little more than a year, dying on 26 December 1458.


Family

Arthur was married three times. His wives were as follows: # married in
Dijon Dijon (, , ) (dated) * it, Digione * la, Diviƍ or * lmo, Digion is the prefecture of the CĂŽte-d'Or department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-ComtĂ© region in northeastern France. the commune had a population of 156,920. The earlies ...
on 10 October 1423 Margaret of Burgundy (d. 1441), daughter of
John the Fearless John I (french: Jean sans Peur; nl, Jan zonder Vrees; 28 May 137110 September 1419) was a scion of the French royal family who ruled the Burgundian State from 1404 until his death in 1419. He played a key role in French national affairs durin ...
,
Duke of Burgundy Duke of Burgundy (french: duc de Bourgogne) was a title used by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, from its establishment in 843 to its annexation by France in 1477, and later by Holy Roman Emperors and Kings of Spain from the House of Habsburg ...
and widow of Dauphin Louis, Duke of Guyenne. # married in
NĂ©rac NĂ©rac (; oc, Nerac, ) is a commune in the Lot-et-Garonne department, Southwestern France. The composer and organist Louis Raffy was born in NĂ©rac, as was the former Arsenal and Bordeaux footballer Marouane Chamakh, as was Admiral Francois D ...
c. 29 August 1442 Jeanne II d'Albret (d. 1444), daughter of Charles II, Count of Dreux and
Anne of Armagnac Anne of Armagnac, Dame d'Albret, Countess of Dreux (1402 – before March 1473) was a French noblewoman and a member of the powerful Gascon Armagnac family which played a prominent role in French politics during the Hundred Years War and were th ...
(1402 – before March 1473). Jeanne II d'Albret was
Countess of Dreux This article is of the Countesses of Dreux; the consorts of the French counts of Dreux. Countess of Dreux House of Dreux House of Thouars House of Albret House of Valois-Orléans House of Albret House of Valois :None House ...
. Their marriage had no descendants. # married on 2 July 1445 Catherine of Luxembourg-Saint-Pol (d. 1492), daughter of
Peter of Luxembourg, Count of Saint-Pol Peter of Luxembourg (1390 – 31 August 1433) was a son of John of Luxembourg, Lord of Beauvoir, and his wife Marguerite of Enghien. His inheritance included the counties of Brienne, Conversano and Saint-Pol. Family Peter had succeeded his fat ...
Arthur also had a natural daughter named Jacqueline who was legitimatized in 1443.


Succession

Arthur died with no known legitimate issue. He was succeeded as Duke of Brittany by his nephew Francis II, Count of Étampes.


See also

*
Dukes of Brittany family tree This is a list of rulers of the Duchy of Brittany. In different epochs the sovereigns of Brittany were kings, princes, and dukes. The Breton ruler was sometimes elected, sometimes attained the position by conquest or intrigue, or by hereditary r ...


References

* * * * *


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Arthur 03, Duke of Brittany 1393 births 1458 deaths 14th-century Breton people 15th-century dukes of Brittany 15th-century peers of France People from Sarzeau Richemont, Arthur of Richemont, Arthur of People of the Hundred Years' War Brittany, Arthur III, Duke of House of Dreux Brittany, Arthur III, Duke of French prisoners of war in the Hundred Years' War Montfort of Brittany