Bertha of Cornouaille (

fl. ''Floruit'' (; abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for "they flourished") denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indicatin ...

1125–56), also known as Bertha of Brittany ( br, Berthe Breizh), was the Duchess of

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...

between 1148 until her death and Dowager Countess of Richmond. Bertha was the elder daughter of Conan III of Brittany by Maude, the

illegitimate Legitimacy, in traditional Western common law, is the status of a child born to parents who are legally married to each other, and of a child conceived before the parents obtain a legal divorce. Conversely, ''illegitimacy'', also known as '' ...

daughter of King

Henry I of England Henry I (c. 1068 – 1 December 1135), also known as Henry Beauclerc, was King of England from 1100 to his death in 1135. He was the fourth son of William the Conqueror and was educated in Latin and the liberal arts. On William's death in ...

. She was the last member of the Breton House of

Cornouaille Cornouaille (; br, Kernev, Kerne) is a historical region on the west coast of Brittany in West France. The name is cognate with Cornwall in neighbouring Great Britain. This can be explained by the settlement of Cornouaille by migrant princ ...

to reign over Brittany.

Life

Bertha was the daughter of Duke Conan III of Brittany. She married the son of Stephen of Treguier, Alan the Black and she lived in England with Alan until his death in 1146. Alan would eventually become Earl of Richmond. After Alan's death she returned to Brittany as Dowager Countess of Richmond and eventually married

Odo II, Viscount of Porhoët Odo II, Count of Porhoet (died after 1180) was the son of Geoffroy, Viscount de Porhoët, and his wife Hawise (possibly Fergant). He became Duke of Brittany in 1148, jure uxoris, upon his marriage to Bertha, Duchess of Brittany. On Bertha's death ...

. When her father Duke Conan III died, on his deathbed Conan III renounced Bertha's brother Hoèl as heir, and designated Bertha as his heiress. On Conan III's death she became hereditary Duchess of Brittany.

Family

In her first marriage, by 1138, Bertha was married to Alan le Noir Bertha and Alan had three children: * Conan IV, Duke of Brittany, b. 1138, their son and heir, as

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

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 ca ...

* Constance, who married Alan III, Viscount of Rohan * Enoguen, abbess of St. Sulpice Bertha married her second husband, Odo, Viscount of Porhoet in about 1148. Bertha and Odo had three children: * Geoffroy. * Adelaide (died in 1220), Abbess of Fontevrault, mistress of Henry II, King of England. * Alix

Succession

Bertha died between 1158 and 1164, and with her death the ducal throne passed to her son Conan.

Notes

References

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bertha, Duchess Of Brittany 12th-century deaths 12th-century dukes of Brittany 12th-century women rulers 12th-century Breton women Duchesses of Brittany Date of birth unknown Date of death unknown Place of birth unknown Place of death unknown Dukes of Brittany Porhoët family