Richilde, Countess of Mons and Hainaut ( 1018 – 15 March 1086), was a ruling countess of Hainaut from c. 1050 until 1076, in co-regency with her husband Baldwin VI of Flanders (until 1070) and then her son Baldwin II of Hainaut. She was also countess of Flanders by marriage to Baldwin VI between from 1067 to 1070. She ruled Flanders as

regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

during the minority of her son Arnulf III in 1070–1071.

Life

Richilde was most likely a daughter of Reinier of

Hasnon Hasnon () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Heraldry See also *Communes of the Nord department The following is a list of the 648 communes of the Nord department of the French Republic. The communes cooperate in th ...

(died c. 1049) and Adelheid of

Egisheim Eguisheim (; german: Egisheim; Alsatian dialect, Alsatian: ''Egsa'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Haut-Rhin Departments of France, department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It lies in the historical region of Alsace (german: Els ...

. She was born c. 1018.Karen S. Nicholas, 'Countesses as Rulers in Flanders', ''Aristocratic Women in Medieval France'', Ed. Theodore Evergates (Philadelphia : University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999), p. 115 In 1040, she married

Herman of Mons Herman (died 3 July 1049), Count of Mons and Hainaut, son of Reginar V, Count of Mons, and Mathilde of Verdun, daughter of Herman, Count of Verdun. As the Count of Mons, a title inherited from his father, he allied with Godfrey the Bearded, Duke ...

, who became

Count of Hainaut The Count of Hainaut (; ; ) was the ruler of the county of Hainaut, a historical region in the Low Countries (including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany). In English-la ...

Countess of Hainaut

For a long time, Richilde's own rights and position were not well understood. She is counted as ruling countess of Hainaut for different periods in different sources. In a first phase, she followed in the marche of

Valenciennes Valenciennes (, also , , ; nl, label=also Dutch, Valencijn; pcd, Valincyinnes or ; la, Valentianae) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France, France. It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced a ...

c. 1049 as only heir of her father, Reinier of Hasnon, who was installed in 1047 as

margrave Margrave was originally the medieval title for the military commander assigned to maintain the defence of one of the border provinces of the Holy Roman Empire or of a kingdom. That position became hereditary in certain feudal families in the Em ...

of Valenciennes to replace Baldwin V of Flanders (who rebelled against the

empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

and lost his

fief A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form ...

s). Richilde's first husband, Herman of Mons, count of Hainaut, died c. 1050/1051, and left her in the position of "heiress of Hainaut". As such, she was countess in her own right in Valenciennes and in her husband's rights in Hainaut. Her position as "heiress of Hainaut" made her an attractive bride, but placed the county in a dangerous position. She was forced, by the threat of invasion, by Baldwin V of Flanders to marry his eldest son Baldwin.Renée Nip, 'The Political Relations Between England and Flanders (1066–1128)', ''Anglo-Norman Studies 21: Proceedings of the Battle Conference 1998'', Ed. Christopher Harper-Bill (Woodbridge: The Boydell Press, 1989), p. 147. As Hainaut and Valenciennes were imperial fiefs and

Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor Henry III (28 October 1016 – 5 October 1056), called the Black or the Pious, was Holy Roman Emperor from 1046 until his death in 1056. A member of the Salian dynasty, he was the eldest son of Conrad II and Gisela of Swabia. Henry was raised ...

had not been consulted, the marriage resulted in a war between the emperor and the Baldwins, ending in a total defeat of the latter in 1054.Detlev Schwennicke, ''Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten'', Neue Folge, Band II (Marburg, Germany: Verlag von J. A. Stargardt, 1984), Tafle 5 But still Richilde's husband Baldwin became ruling count of Hainaut '' jure uxoris'' and the two children she had with Herman were disinherited. Roger, probably lame, became a secular clerk (later bishop of

Bishop of Châlons-sur-Marne 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 ca ...

) and her daughter a nun. Hainaut and Valenciennes being inherited by the count of Flanders. Baldwin VI followed as count of Flanders in 1067, unifying as such Hainaut, Valenciennes and Flanders, and ruled until his death (17 July 1070).

Regency of Flanders

Baldwin VI left Flanders to their eldest son, Arnulf III, and the

County of Hainaut The County of Hainaut (french: Comté de Hainaut; nl, Graafschap Henegouwen; la, comitatus hanoniensis), sometimes spelled Hainault, was a territorial lordship within the medieval Holy Roman Empire that straddled what is now the border of Belg ...

to the younger son, Baldwin II, with the provision that if either son preceded the other in death, he would inherit the other's county as well.

Gilbert of Mons Gislebert (or Gilbert) of Mons ( 1150 – 1225) was a clergyman in the administration of the County of Hainaut and a chronicler whose ''Chronicon Hanoniense'' (''Chronicle of Hainaut'') is an essential eyewitness source for events affecting his pat ...

, ''Chronicle of Hainaut'', Trans. Laura Napran (Woodbridge: The Boydell Press, 2005), p. 5 Baldwin VI also obtained assurances from his brother

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

who gave his oath of homage and promised to protect his nephew. After Baldwin VI's death their son Arnulf III became Count of Flanders, but as he was a minor, Richilde served as

of Flanders. Almost immediately,

broke his oath and disputed Arnulf's right to Flanders.

Jim Bradbury Jim Bradbury (born 27 February 1937) is a British historian specialising in the military history of the Middle Ages. Bradbury lectured in history at Brunel University. Selected works * (1975) ''Shakespeare and his Theatre'', Longman, * (1985) ...

, ''The Capetians: The History of a Dynasty (987–1328)'' (London & New York: Hambledon Continuum, 2007), p. 114 Richilde obtained support from King

Philip I of France Philip I (23 May 1052 – 29 July 1108), called the Amorous, was King of the Franks from 1060 to 1108. His reign, like that of most of the early Capetians, was extraordinarily long for the time. The monarchy began a modest recovery from the low i ...

William FitzOsbern William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford, Lord of Breteuil ( 1011 – 22 February 1071), was a relative and close counsellor of William the Conqueror and one of the great magnates of early Norman England. FitzOsbern was created Earl of Hereford ...

of Normandy (who married her) also assisted her in the conflict, but likely with a very small contingent.Charles Verlinden, ''Robert Ier Le Frisson'' (Universitet de Gent, 1935), p. 62Karen S. Nicholas, 'Countesses as Rulers in Flanders', ''Aristocratic Women in Medieval France'', Ed. Theodore Evergates (Philadelphia : University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999), p. 116 However, her forces were defeated at the Battle of Cassel and

William Fitzosbern William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford, Lord of Breteuil ( 1011 – 22 February 1071), was a relative and close counsellor of William the Conqueror and one of the great magnates of early Norman England. FitzOsbern was created Earl of Hereford ...

was killed along with her oldest son, Arnulf. Richilde herself was captured and released, and King Philip later married Robert's stepdaughter Bertha and recognized him as Count of Flanders, abandoning the cause of Richilde and her son.Gilbert of Mons, ''Chronicle of Hainaut'', Trans. Laura Napran (Woodbridge: The Boydell Press, 2005), p. 6

Later reign

Richilde and her younger son, Baldwin II, retained Hainaut, and made subsequent unsuccessful attempts to recover Flanders. They enfeoffed Hainaut to the Prince-Bishopric of Liège, and formed a big coalition of nobles which included Duke Godfrey of Bouillon, Albert I, Count of Namur, Lambert I, Count of Louvain and

Conon, Count of Montaigu Conon (also Cono or Cuno; died 1 May 1106) was a Lotharingian nobleman and military leader of the First Crusade. He was one of the most prominent lords of the Ardennes, being the count of Montaigu, lord of Rochefort and advocate (defender) of th ...

. However, the attempt was ultimately unsuccessful.Gilbert of Mons, ''Chronicle of Hainaut'', Trans. Laura Napran (Woodbridge: The Boydell Press, 2005), p. 10-11 Richilde built the castle at

Beaumont Beaumont may refer to: Places Canada * Beaumont, Alberta * Beaumont, Quebec England * Beaumont, Cumbria * Beaumont, Essex ** Beaumont Cut, a canal closed in the 1930s * Beaumont Street, Oxford France (communes) * Beaumont, Ardèche * ...

along with a chapel there dedicated to St. Venantius. She, along with her son Baldwin, founded the monastery of Saint-Denis-en-Broqueroie. At the end of her regency she retired to the Abbey of Messines. In 1076, she was evidently deposed by her son. Richilde died on 15 March 1086.

George Edward Cokayne George Edward Cokayne, (29 April 1825 – 6 August 1911), was an English genealogist and long-serving herald at the College of Arms in London, who eventually rose to the rank of Clarenceux King of Arms. He wrote such authoritative and standa ...

, ''The Complete Peerage of England Scotland Ireland Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant Extinct or Dormant'', Vol. VI, Ed. H. A. Doubleday & Howard de Walden (London: The St. Catherine Press, Ltd., 1926), p. 449

Family

Richilde married

Herman, Count of Hainaut Herman (died 3 July 1049), Count of Mons and Hainaut, son of Reginar V, Count of Mons, and Mathilde of Verdun, daughter of Herman, Count of Verdun. As the Count of Mons, a title inherited from his father, he allied with Godfrey the Bearded, Duke ...

. They had two children: * Roger (d. 1093) who was apparently lame, became

, ''Chronicle of Hainaut'', Trans. Laura Napran (Woodbridge, The Boydell Press, 2005), pp. 3 & n. 8 * Daughter, whose name is unknown. Richilde married secondly

Baldwin VI, Count of Flanders Baldwin VI ( 1030 – 17 July 1070), also known as Baldwin the Good, was Count of Hainaut from 1051 to 1070 (as Baldwin I) and Count of Flanders from 1067 to 1070. Baldwin was the eldest son of Baldwin V of Flanders and Adela, a daughter of Kin ...

. They were the parents of: *

Arnulf III, Count of Flanders Arnulf III (died 22 February 1071) was Count of Flanders from 1070 until his death at the Battle of Cassel in 1071. Born , Arnulf was the eldest son of Baldwin VI, Count of Flanders, and Richilde, Countess of Mons and Hainaut.Detlev Schwennicke, ...

(c. 1055 – 22 February 1071). * Baldwin II, Count of Hainaut (c. 1056 – 1098). In 1071 Richilde married thirdly

William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford, Lord of Breteuil ( 1011 – 22 February 1071), was a relative and close counsellor of William the Conqueror and one of the great magnates of early Norman England. FitzOsbern was created Earl of Hereford ...

(c. 1025 – 1071).

Notes

References

{{S-end 1030s births 1086 deaths 11th-century women rulers Countesses of Flanders Countesses of Hainaut

Hereford Hereford () is a cathedral city, civil parish and the county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, south-west of Worcester and north-west of Gloucester. With a population ...

Counts of Hainaut