Theobald V of Blois (1130 – 20 January 1191), also known as Theobald the Good (french: Thibaut le Bon), was
Count of Blois
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
from 1151 to 1191.
Biography
Theobald was son of
Theobald II of Champagne and
Matilda of Carinthia. Although he was the second son, Theobald inherited Blois (including
Chartres
Chartres () is the prefecture of the Eure-et-Loir department in the Centre-Val de Loire region in France. It is located about southwest of Paris. At the 2019 census, there were 170,763 inhabitants in the metropolitan area of Chartres (as d ...
), while his elder brother,
Henry got the more important
county of Champagne.
Theobald first married Sybil of Chateaurenault, which made him ''
jure uxoris
''Jure uxoris'' (a Latin phrase meaning "by right of (his) wife"), citing . describes a title of nobility used by a man because his wife holds the office or title ''suo jure'' ("in her own right"). Similarly, the husband of an heiress could becom ...
'' Lord of Chateaurenault. Next, in 1164, he married
Alix of France
Alice of France (french: Alix; July/August 1150 – 1197/1198) was countess consort of Blois by marriage to Theobald V, Count of Blois. She was regent of Blois during the absence of her spouse in 1190-1191, and regent during the minority of Loui ...
, daughter of
Louis VII of France
Louis VII (1120 – 18 September 1180), called the Younger, or the Young (french: link=no, le Jeune), was King of the Franks from 1137 to 1180. He was the son and successor of King Louis VI (hence the epithet "the Young") and married Duchess ...
and his first wife
Eleanor of Aquitaine.
According to medieval Jewish sources, in 1171 Theobald was responsible for orchestrating the first
blood libel in continental Europe. His alleged Jewish mistress
Pulcelina of Blois unsuccessfully attempted to prevent him. As a result of a church-sponsored trial, 30 or 31 members of the Jewish community were burned at the stake.
Theobald lived primarily in Chartres and had its city walls renovated. After joining his brother
Henry and a number of other nobles in opposing the young king
Philip II, he reconciled with the king and supported him on the
Third Crusade. He arrived in the summer of 1190 in the Holy Land and died on 20 January 1191, during the
Siege of Acre.
Family
Theobald and Alix had seven children:
#Theobald, d. young
#Philip, d. young
#Henry, d. young
#
Louis I of Blois (d. 1205)
#Alix, Abbess of
Fontevrault
#
Margaret
Margaret is a female first name, derived via French () and Latin () from grc, μαργαρίτης () meaning "pearl". The Greek is borrowed from Persian.
Margaret has been an English name since the 11th century, and remained popular througho ...
, married Walter of Avesnes, later Countess of Blois
#
Isabella, married John II, lord of Oisy and Montreuil, later countess of Chartres
References
External links
Counts of Blois
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Blois, Theobald V of
Theobald V
Theobald V
Blois, Theobald V, comte de
1130 births
1191 deaths