Hugh IV (9 March 1213 – 27 or 30 October 1272) was

Duke of Burgundy Duke of Burgundy () was a title used by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, from its establishment in 843 to its annexation by the Crown lands of France, French crown in 1477, and later by members of the House of Habsburg, including Holy Roman E ...

from 1218 and titular King of Thessalonica from 1266 until his death in 1272. Hugh was the son of Odo III, Duke of Burgundy, and Alice de Vergy.

Issue

Hugh married twice, first to Yolande of Dreux when he was 16 and she 17 years of age.Michael Lower, ''The Barons' Crusade: A Call to Arms and Its Consequences'', (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2005), 97. He then married Beatrice of Navarre, when he was 45. With Yolande, he had: * Margaret, Lady of Molinot (1230s–1277), married first to William III, lord of Mont St JeanDu Chesne, A. (1628) Histoire géneálogique des ducs de Bourgogne de la maison de France (Paris), Preuves, p. 79-80. and then to Guy VI, viscount of Limoges; their daughter was the first wife of Duke Arthur II of Brittany * Odo (1230–1266), who married Countess Matilda II of Nevers *

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

(1231–1268), who married Agnes of Dampierre and had Beatrice, heiress of Bourbon *

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

, who married Duke Henry III of Brabant * Robert II (1248–1306), successor in the Duchy of Burgundy With Beatrice, he had: * Hugh, viscount of Avallon * Margaret, lady of Vitteaux, wife of John I of Chalon-Arlay''Philippe Le Bel et la Noblesse Franc-Comtoise'', Frantz Funck-Brentano, ''Bibliothèque de l’École des chartes'', Vol. 49 (1888), 9. *Joan, a nun * Beatrice, lady of Grignon (ca.1260–1329), who married Hugh XIII of Lusignan * Isabella, who married King

Rudolf I of Germany Rudolf I (1 May 1218 – 15 July 1291) was the first King of Germany of the Habsburg dynasty from 1273 until his death. Rudolf's imperial election of 1273, election marked the end of the Interregnum (Holy Roman Empire), Great Interregnum whic ...

Early years

His father died during the war of War of the Succession of Champagne in 1218. Hugh was an opponent of the regency of the County of Champagne by Blanche of Castile. With his father's death in 1218, he switched sides and joined the rebels in 1229. This led to blows with Theobald IV, Count of Champagne. Hugh IV, through a transaction with John l'Antique de Chalon, gave up the barony of Salon for the counties of Chalon and Auxonne in 1237, which expanded the Duchy and the regional economy benefited from the growing wine trade.

Crusades

In 1239, Hugh joined the

Barons' Crusade The Barons' Crusade (1239–1241), also called the Crusade of 1239, was a crusade to the Holy Land that, in territorial terms, was the most successful crusade since the First Crusade. Called by Pope Gregory IX, the Barons' Crusade broadly embodie ...

led by King

Theobald I of Navarre Theobald I (, ; 30 May 1201 – 8 July 1253), also called the Troubadour and the Posthumous, was Count of Champagne (as Theobald IV) from birth and King of Navarre from 1234. He initiated the Barons' Crusade, was famous as a trouvère, and was the ...

and supported by

Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II (, , , ; 26 December 1194 – 13 December 1250) was King of Sicily from 1198, King of Germany from 1212, King of Italy and Holy Roman Emperor from 1220 and King of Jerusalem from 1225. He was the son of Emperor Henry VI, Holy Roman ...

. During this crusade, he was one of the nobles who sought battle with the Muslims against the advice of King Theobald and the Military Orders. Realizing that the expedition was disadvantageous, he opted to withdraw to Ascalon with Walter IV, Count of Brienne and a few others, avoiding the disastrous battle of Gaza. Soon after, King Theobald left for France and

Richard of Cornwall Richard (5 January 1209 – 2 April 1272) was an English prince who was King of the Romans from 1257 until his death in 1272. He was the second son of John, King of England, and Isabella, Countess of Angoulême. Richard was nominal Count of ...

arrived. He chose to ally with him, aid in rebuilding

Ascalon Ascalon or Ashkelon was an ancient Near East port city on the Mediterranean coast of the southern Levant of high historical and archaeological significance. Its remains are located in the archaeological site of Tel Ashkelon, within the city limi ...

and negotiated a peace with

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

in 1241. He returned to Burgundy afterwards. Hugh arrived at Cyprus by May 1249 and joined

Louis IX of France Louis IX (25 April 1214 – 25 August 1270), also known as Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death in 1270. He is widely recognized as the most distinguished of the Direct Capetians. Following the death of his father, Louis VI ...

on the

Seventh Crusade The Seventh Crusade (1248–1254) was the first of the two Crusades led by Louis IX of France. Also known as the Crusade of Louis IX to the Holy Land, it aimed to reclaim the Holy Land by attacking Egypt, the main seat of Muslim power in the Nea ...

. He led one of the two camps of the army that crossed during the siege of Mansurah, the other camp being led by the King of France himself. He was taken prisoner with his king during the retreat of Fariskur, following the betrayal of a treacherous sergeant. He would not be released until March 1252, as such he returned home. In 1266, he met with

Baldwin II, Latin Emperor Baldwin II, also known as Baldwin of Courtenay (; ; late 1217 – October 1273), was the last Latin Emperor ruling from Constantinople. He was the only Latin Emperor born in Constantinople. Biography Baldwin II was born in Constantinople, a y ...

, who sold Hugh the title of king of

Thessalonica Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area) and the capital city, capital of the geographic reg ...

in exchange for reconquering his lost domains. Although it had been recaptured by

Epirus Epirus () is a Region#Geographical regions, geographical and historical region, historical region in southeastern Europe, now shared between Greece and Albania. It lies between the Pindus Mountains and the Ionian Sea, stretching from the Bay ...

more than 40 years before. The sale would only remain valid until Hugh aided in Baldwin's reconquest and should he fail to uphold his end, the title would pass to

Charles I of Anjou Charles I (early 1226/12277 January 1285), commonly called Charles of Anjou or Charles d'Anjou, was King of Sicily from 1266 to 1285. He was a member of the royal Capetian dynasty and the founder of the House of Anjou-Sicily. Between 1246 a ...

and his heirs. The invasion wouldn't come to pass, as

Pope Gregory X Pope Gregory X (; – 10 January 1276), born Teobaldo Visconti, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1 September 1271 to his death and was a member of the Third Order of St. Francis. He was elected at the ...

, under the false promise of Emperor

Michael VIII Palaiologos Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus (; 1224 – 11 December 1282) reigned as Byzantine emperor from 1261 until his death in 1282, and previously as the co-emperor of the Empire of Nicaea from 1259 to 1261. Michael VIII was the founder of th ...

to unite the churches, staved off any attempts. In 1270, Hugh joined the Eighth Crusade. But after King Louis IX died, he returned home.

Death

Hugh IV died on 27 October 1272 (Aged 60) at Villaines-en-Duismois, France. His burial place is unknown.

References

Sources