Constance ( Breton: ''Konstanza''; c. 1161c. 5 September 1201) was

Duchess of Brittany This is a list of rulers of Brittany. In different epochs the rulers of Brittany were kings, princes, and dukes. The Breton ruler was sometimes elected, sometimes attained the position by conquest or intrigue, or by hereditary right. Hereditary ...

from 1166 to her death in 1201Judith Everard, Michael Jones. (1999)
The Charters of Duchess Constance of Brittany and her Family (1171–1221).
' The Boydell Press. p. 38. ISBN 9780851157511. and Countess of Richmond from 1171 to 1201. Constance was the daughter of Duke Conan IV by his wife, Margaret of Huntingdon, a sister of the Scottish kings

Malcolm IV Malcolm IV (; ), nicknamed Virgo, "the Maiden" (between 23 April and 24 May 1141 – 9 December 1165) was King of Scotland from 1153 until his death. He was the eldest son of Henry of Scotland, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon, Henry, Earl of Huntingdon ...

and

William I William I may refer to: Kings * William the Conqueror (–1087), also known as William I, King of England * William I of Sicily (died 1166) * William I of Scotland (died 1214), known as William the Lion * William I of the Netherlands and Luxembour ...

. Her first husband was Geoffrey, fourth son of King

Henry II of England Henry II () was King of England The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with the ...

Life and reign

Constance's father Conan IV had reunited the

Duchy of Brittany The Duchy of Brittany (, ; ) was a medieval feudal state that existed between approximately 939 and 1547. Its territory covered the northwestern peninsula of France, bordered by the Bay of Biscay to the west, and the English Channel to the north. ...

in wars with

. After the wars with Henry II, Conan IV faced rebellions from some Breton nobles. He appealed to Henry II for assistance in putting down those rebellions. In 1166, Henry invaded Brittany in order to punish the local barons' revolt. In order to gain complete control over the duchy, he forced Conan IV into abdicating in Constance's favor and betrothing her to his fourth legitimate son Geoffrey. Five-year-old Constance succeeded him as Duchess of Brittany. She spent her youth at the English court. In February 1171, Conan IV died. Although his daughter Constance was the heiress of the Earldom of Richmond, she did not enter her inheritance until 1183/1184. In 1181, twenty-year-old Constance married Geoffrey. On 19 August 1186 Geoffrey was trampled to death in a riding accident during a

tournament A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concen ...

in Paris. Constance thereafter became the effective ruler of Brittany. However, on 3 February 1188, Henry II of England arranged for Constance to marry

Ranulf de Blondeville, 6th Earl of Chester Ranulf de Blondeville, 6th Earl of Chester and 1st Earl of Lincoln (1170 – 26 October 1232), known in some references as the 4th Earl of Chester (in the second lineage of the title after the original family line was broken after the 2nd Earl) ...

, one of the most powerful earls in England. Though Ranulf inconsistently called himself duke of Brittany, he never had the control of the duchy and is not known to have played an important role there. Constance and the Bretons never acknowledged him as duke and excluded him from the government of the duchy. After

King Richard I Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199), known as Richard the Lionheart or Richard Cœur de Lion () because of his reputation as a great military leader and warrior, was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ru ...

ascended the English throne, he strengthened his intervention in Brittany. Maintaining custody of Geoffrey's and Constance's daughter, Eleanor, might have been a condition for him to allow Constance to continue ruling. In 1190, Constance appeared at Richard's court at Tours. In 1191, Richard officially proclaimed his nephew, Constance's son,

Arthur Arthur is a masculine given name of uncertain etymology. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. A common spelling variant used in many Slavic, Romance, and Germanic languages is Artur. In Spanish and Ital ...

, as his heir in a treaty signed with

Philip II of France Philip II (21 August 1165 – 14 July 1223), also known as Philip Augustus (), was King of France from 1180 to 1223. His predecessors had been known as kings of the Franks (Latin: ''rex Francorum''), but from 1190 onward, Philip became the firs ...

. To promote her son Arthur's position and inheritance, Constance included him in the government of the duchy in 1196. In response to this act that thwarted his projects, Richard summoned her to

Bayeux Bayeux (, ; ) is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy in northwestern France. Bayeux is the home of the Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It is also known as the fir ...

and had her abducted by Ranulf in Pontorson and imprisoned in Saint-James de Beuvron. He spread the rumour that Constance had been imprisoned for matrimonial reasons. As a result, rebellions were sparked across Brittany on her behalf and Arthur was sent to Brest. Richard demanded that hostages were delivered to him in exchange for Constance's freedom. The Bretons agreed but Constance and the hostages remained imprisoned and rebellions went on. Richard eventually bowed to growing pressure and had the Duchess released in 1198. Back in Brittany, Constance had her marriage annulled. On 1 June 1199,

Pope Innocent III Pope Innocent III (; born Lotario dei Conti di Segni; 22 February 1161 – 16 July 1216) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 until his death on 16 July 1216. Pope Innocent was one of the most power ...

eventually decided that the Archbishopric of Dol should be subordinated to the Metropolitan of Tours and deprived the archbishop of his title and

pallium The pallium (derived from the Roman ''pallium'' or ''palla'', a woolen cloak; : pallia) is an ecclesiastical vestment in the Catholic Church, originally peculiar to the pope, but for many centuries bestowed by the Holy See upon metropolitan bish ...

. The archbishopric then became a bishopric again. Constance disagreed with this decision, which gave an advantage to

Philip Augustus Philip II (21 August 1165 – 14 July 1223), also known as Philip Augustus (), was King of France from 1180 to 1223. His predecessors had been known as kings of the Franks (Latin: ''rex Francorum''), but from 1190 onward, Philip became the firs ...

over Brittany, and was consequently excommunicated. Constance took

Guy of Thouars Guy of Thouars (died 13 April 1213) was Duke of Brittany from 1199 to 1201 as the third husband of Constance, Duchess of Brittany. They married in Angers, County of Anjou, between August and October 1199 after her son Arthur entered Angers to ...

as her next husband in September or October 1199. Between 1198 and the time of her death due to complications from delivering twin daughters, Constance ruled with her son Arthur as co-ruler. Throughout these years, Constance advised her son towards a French alliance, pursuing the policy of her late husband Geoffrey II. At her request Eleanor was released from royal custody and united with her and Arthur in France.

Family

As a girl, Constance could not inherit the duchy at her father's death if she had a brother. A charter by Margaret, Constance's mother, seems to show that she and Conan had more than one child. However, two charters made by Constance and her son Arthur towards 1200 mention a brother of Constance, William "''clericus''". As a boy, William should logically have inherited the duchy after Conan, as the

followed

male-preference primogeniture Primogeniture () is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn legitimate child to inherit all or most of their parent's estate in preference to shared inheritance among all or some children, any illegitimate child or any collateral relat ...

at the time. According to Everard, Henry II's forcing Constance's father into abdicating in 1166 was meant to prevent any son of the Duke from inheriting the duchy. Henry also probably used the precedent created by Conan III himself when he disinherited his son Hoël in favour of his daughter Bertha to impose Constance's succession. Constance and Geoffrey had three children: *

Eleanor, Fair Maid of Brittany Eleanor, Fair Maid of Brittany ( – 10 August 1241), also known as Damsel of Brittany, Pearl of Brittany, or Beauty of Brittany, was the eldest daughter of Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany, and Constance, Duchess of Brittany. Her father was the ...

(1182/1184–1241) * Matilda (c. 1185 – bef. 1189) * Arthur I, Duke of Brittany (1187–1203) - Geoffrey's posthumous son Constance and Guy had two daughters: * Alix of Thouars (1200–1221); she married Peter Mauclerc, the first Breton ruler of the House of Dreux; and * Catherine of Thouars (1201c. 1240), Dame of Vitre; she married Andrew III, Baron of Vitré, son of Andrew II, Baron of Vitré and Eustacie of Rays; her husband was noteworthy for rebuilding the Château de Vitré Several sources indicate that Constance might have had a third daughter by Guy: Arthur Le Moyne de La Borderie, ''Histoire de Bretagne'', Tome troisième, p. 288 * Margaret of ThouarsPierre-Hyacinthe Morice, ''Histoire ecclésiastique et civile de Bretagne'', Tome premier, p. 129 and 150Prudence Guillaume de Roujoux, ''Histoire des rois et des ducs de Bretagne'', Tome second, p. 231 (12011216/1220); she was the first wife of Geoffrey, Viscount of Rohan

Death and Burial

Constance died, age 40, on 5 September 1201 at

Nantes Nantes (, ; ; or ; ) is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. The city is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, sixth largest in France, with a pop ...

. She was buried at Villeneuve Abbey near

, which she had founded earlier that year. Constance's cause of death is debated. The ''Chronique de Tours'' indicated that she died of

leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a Chronic condition, long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the Peripheral nervous system, nerves, respir ...

but this statement is doubtful.Borgnis Desbordes, Eric, ''Constance de Bretagne (1161–1201), une duchesse face à Richard Cœur de Lion et Jean sans Terre'', Yoran embanner, 2018, p. 437, note 200 It is also believed that she died from complications of

childbirth Childbirth, also known as labour, parturition and delivery, is the completion of pregnancy, where one or more Fetus, fetuses exits the Womb, internal environment of the mother via vaginal delivery or caesarean section and becomes a newborn to ...

, shortly after delivering twin daughters.

Portrayals

In literature

Constance of Brittany appears in several literary works, including: * ''

The Troublesome Reign of King John ''The Troublesome Reign of John, King of England'', commonly called ''The Troublesome Reign of King John'' (c. 1589) is an English literature#Elizabethan era, Elizabethan history play, probably by George Peele, that is generally accepted by sch ...

'' (c.1589) anonymous tragedy * '' King John'' (1593–1596) tragedy by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

* ''Jean sans Terre ou la mort d’Arthur'' (1791) by

Jean-François Ducis Jean-François Ducis (; 22 August 173331 March 1816) was a French dramatist and adapter of Shakespeare. Biography Ducis was born in Versailles, one of ten children. His father, Pierre Ducis, originally from Savoy, was a linen draper at Versai ...

* ''King John'' (1800) by Richard Valpy * ''La Mort d’Arthur de Bretagne'' (1826) poem by Alexis Fossé * ''Prince of Darkness'' (2005), ''Devil's Brood'' (2008), ''Lionheart'' (2011) and ''A King's Ransom'' (2014) novels by Sharon Kay Penman Constance is also mentioned in the poem ''Le petit Arthur de Bretagne à la tour de Rouen'' (1822) by Marceline Desbordes-Valmore, the drama ''Arthur de Bretagne'' (1885) by

Louis Tiercelin Louis Tiercelin (Rennes, 1846 - Paramé, 1915), was a French writer, poet and playwright associated with the Breton cultural renaissance of the early 20th century. He debuted at the age of 18 with two plays performed at the theatre of Rennes. He ...

and the novels ''Le Loup blanc'' (1843) by Paul Féval, ''Le Poids d’une couronne (légende bretonne)'' (1867–1868) by Gabrielle d’Étampes, the second volume of the trilogy ''Le Château des Poulfenc'' (2009) by Brigitte Coppin and, along with her daughters Matilda, Alix and Catherine and her third husband Guy of Thouars in the novel ''Dans l’Ombre du Passé'' (2020) by Léa Chaillou.

In theatre and television

Constance is a character in the play '' King John'' by

, in which she has several very eloquent speeches on grief and death. On screen, she has been portrayed by

Julia Neilson Julia Emilie Neilson (12 June 1868 – 27 May 1957) was an English actress best known for her numerous performances as Lady Blakeney in ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'', for her roles in many tragedies and historical romances, and for her portrayal of ...

in the silent short ''King John'' (1899), which recreates John's death scene at the end of the play, Sonia Dresdel in the ''

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

Sunday Night Theatre'' version (1952), and

Claire Bloom Patricia Claire Bloom (born 15 February 1931) is an English actress. She is known for leading roles on stage and screen and has received two BAFTA Awards and a Drama Desk Award as well as nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award, a Grammy Award an ...

in the BBC Shakespeare version (1984). In the ITC series ''

The Adventures of Robin Hood ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' is a 1938 American Epic film, epic swashbuckler film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and Henry Blanke, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, and written by Norman Reilly Ra ...

'', she appeared in five episodes variously played by Dorothy Alison (series 1 and 2), Pamela Alan (series 3) and Patricia Marmont (series 4). She was also played by Paula Williams (as a girl) and Nina Francis (as an adult) in the BBC TV drama series '' The Devil's Crown'' (1978).

Notes

References

, - {{Authority control 1160s births 1201 deaths 12th-century dukes of Brittany 13th-century dukes of Brittany 12th-century Breton people 12th-century Breton women 13th-century Breton people 13th-century Breton women 12th-century countesses regnant 13th-century countesses regnant 12th-century duchesses regnant 13th-century duchesses regnant 12th-century English nobility 12th-century English women 13th-century English nobility 13th-century English women Duchesses of Brittany Earls of Richmond (1136 creation) Richmond, Constance, Countess of Deaths in childbirth Dukes of Brittany French people of Scottish descent