Mathilde of Bourbon (french: links=no, Mahaut de Bourbon; Theodore Evergates, ''The Aristocracy in the County of Champagne, 1100-1300'', (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2007), 217. – 18 June 1228) was a French noblewoman who was the ruling Lady of
Bourbon Bourbon may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bourbon whiskey, an American whiskey made using a corn-based mash
* Bourbon barrel aged beer, a type of beer aged in bourbon barrels
* Bourbon biscuit, a chocolate sandwich biscuit
* A beer produced by Bras ...
from 1171 until her death.
Life
Mathilde was the only child of Archambault of Bourbon and his wife Alix (or Adelaide) of Burgundy (daughter of Odo II). She was born in the second half of the 1160s.
Her father, the heir apparent of Bourbon, died in 1169, without ever inheriting the lordship. Her grandfather, Archambault VII, died in 1171. Mathilde, as his only surviving grandchild, succeeded him.
Before 1183, she married Gaucher IV of
Vienne
Vienne (; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Viéne'') is a landlocked department in the French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It takes its name from the river Vienne. It had a population of 438,435 in 2019. After he returned from the
Third Crusade
The Third Crusade (1189–1192) was an attempt by three European monarchs of Western Christianity (Philip II of France, Richard I of England and Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor) to reconquer the Holy Land following the capture of Jerusalem by ...
, they frequently quarreled. In the end, he became violent and had her locked up. She fled to her grandmother's estate in
Champagne
Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...
During her escape, she allegedly also used violence, and for this she was
excommunicated
Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...
by
Archbishop
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
Henri de Sully of
Bourges
Bourges () is a commune in central France on the river Yèvre. It is the capital of the department of Cher, and also was the capital city of the former province of Berry.
History
The name of the commune derives either from the Bituriges, t ...
. After she arrived in Champagne, she asked
Pope Celestine III
Pope Celestine III ( la, Caelestinus III; c. 1106 – 8 January 1198), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 30 March or 10 April 1191 to his death in 1198. He had a tense relationship with several monarchs, ...
for a divorce from her husband, arguing that Gaucher IV and she were close relatives and that the marriage therefore had been inadmissible. The Pope tasked the bishops of
Autun
Autun () is a subprefecture of the Saône-et-Loire department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of central-eastern France. It was founded during the Principate era of the early Roman Empire by Emperor Augustus as Augustodunum to give a Ro ...
and
Troyes
Troyes () is a commune and the capital of the department of Aube in the Grand Est region of north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about south-east of Paris. Troyes is situated within the Champagne wine region and is near to ...
and the
abbot
Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. The fem ...
of Monthiers-en-Argonne with investigating her claim. These men found that Mathilde and her husband were third cousins, as they were both great-great-grandchildren of William II, Count of Burgundy, and that, therefore, her claim that they were too closely related was justified. The pope granted the divorce, and also lifted the excommunication.
In September 1196, only a few months after her divorce, she married Lord
Guy II of Dampierre
{{Infobox noble
, name = Guy II of Dampierre
, title = Lord of Dampierre
, image = Coat of arms of the House of Welf-Brunswick (Braunschweig).svg
, caption = The arms borne
, alt = ...
. Thus, the
Bourbonnais
Bourbonnais () was a historic province in the centre of France that corresponds to the modern ''département'' of Allier, along with part of the ''département'' of Cher. Its capital was Moulins.
History
The title of the ruler of Bourbonnais ...
fell to the
House of Dampierre
The House of Dampierre played an important role during the Middle Ages. Named after Dampierre, in the Champagne region, where members first became prominent, members of the family were later Count of Flanders, Count of Nevers, Counts and Dukes ...
. This marriage lasted 20 years: he died in 1216.
Mathilde died twelve years after her husband. After her death, Margaret, her daughter from her first marriage claimed the Lordship of Bourbon. Guy II had initially recognized Margaret as heir of Bourbon, however, he later claimed the Lordship for his oldest son, Archambault VIII. In the end, Archambault prevailed.
Marriages and issue
Mathilde married Gaucher IV of
Vienne
Vienne (; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Viéne'') is a landlocked department in the French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It takes its name from the river Vienne. It had a population of 438,435 in 2019.Guy II of Dampierre
{{Infobox noble
, name = Guy II of Dampierre
, title = Lord of Dampierre
, image = Coat of arms of the House of Welf-Brunswick (Braunschweig).svg
, caption = The arms borne
, alt = ...
. With him, she had:
* Archambaud VIII (1189–1242), Lord of Bourbon
* William II (1196–1231), married Margaret II, Countess of Flanders and Hainaut (d. 1280), a daughter of
Latin Emperor
The Latin Emperor was the ruler of the Latin Empire, the historiographical convention for the Crusader realm, established in Constantinople after the Fourth Crusade (1204) and lasting until the city was recovered by the Byzantine Greeks in 1261 ...
Baldwin I of Constantinople
Baldwin I ( nl, Boudewijn; french: Baudouin; July 1172 – ) was the first Emperor of the Latin Empire of Constantinople; Count of Flanders (as Baldwin IX) from 1194 to 1205 and Count of Hainaut (as Baldwin VI) from 1195-1205. Baldwin was ...
* Philippe (d. 1223), married in 1205 to Guigues IV, Count of Forez (d. 1241)
* Guy of Saint Just (d. 22 March 1275)
* Marie, married 1201 to Hervé of
Vierzon
Vierzon () is a commune in the Cher department, Centre-Val de Loire, France.
Geography
A medium-sized town by the banks of the river Cher with some light industry and an area of forestry and farming to the north. It is situated some northwe ...
, later married 1220 to Henry I of Sully
* Matilde, married Guigues V of Forez
Sources
* Theodore Evergates: ''The aristocracy in the county of Champagne, 1100–1300'', University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, 2007, , pp. 117, 217, 343 Partially online .
*