Theobald the Great (1090–1152) 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: ...

and of

Chartres Chartres () is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Eure-et-Loir Departments of France, department in the Centre-Val de Loire Regions of France, region in France. It is located about southwest of Paris. At the 2019 census, there were 1 ...

as Theobald IV from 1102 and was

Count of Champagne The count of Champagne was the ruler of the County of Champagne from 950 to 1316. Champagne evolved from the County of Troyes in the late eleventh century and Hugh I was the first to officially use the title count of Champagne. Count Theobal ...

and of Brie as Theobald II from 1125. Theobald held

Auxerre Auxerre ( , , Burgundian language (Oïl), Burgundian: ''Auchoirre'') is the capital (Prefectures in France, prefecture) of the Yonne Departments of France, department and the fourth-largest city in the Burgundy historical region southeast of Par ...

, Maligny, Ervy,

Troyes Troyes () is a Communes of France, commune and the capital of the Departments of France, 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 ...

and Châteauvillain as

fief A fief (; ) 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 of feudal alle ...

s from Odo II, Duke of Burgundy.

Career

Theobald was the son of Count Stephen II of Blois and his wife Adela of Normandy (daughter of

William the Conqueror William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was D ...

), and the elder brother of King

Stephen of England Stephen (1092 or 1096 – 25 October 1154), often referred to as Stephen of Blois, was King of England from 22 December 1135 to his death in 1154. He was Count of Boulogne '' jure uxoris'' from 1125 until 1147 and Duke of Normandy from 113 ...

. Although he was the second son, Theobald was appointed above his older brother

William William is a masculine given name of Germanic languages, Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman Conquest, Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle ...

. Theobald accompanied his mother throughout their domain on hundreds of occasions and, after her retirement to Marcigney in 1125, he administered the family properties with great skill. Adela died in her beloved convent on 8 March 1137, the year after her son Stephen was crowned king of England. King

Louis VII of France Louis VII (1120 – 18 September 1180), called the Younger or the Young () to differentiate him from his father Louis VI, was King of France from 1137 to 1180. His first marriage was to Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine, one of the wealthiest and ...

became involved in a war with Theobald by permitting Count Raoul I of Vermandois,

seneschal The word ''seneschal'' () can have several different meanings, all of which reflect certain types of supervising or administering in a historic context. Most commonly, a seneschal was a senior position filled by a court appointment within a royal, ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, to repudiate his wife Eleanor, sister of Theobald and of King Stephan, in order to marry Petronilla of Aquitaine, sister of Louis VII's own wife,

Eleanor Eleanor () is a feminine given name, originally from an Old French adaptation of the Old Provençal name ''Aliénor''. It was the name of a number of women of royalty and nobility in western Europe during the High Middle Ages">Provençal dialect ...

. The war, which lasted two years (1142–1144), was marked by the occupation of

Champagne Champagne (; ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, which demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...

by the royal army and the capture of Vitry-le-François, where 1500 people perished in the deliberate burning of the church by Louis. The scholastic Pierre Abélard, famous for his love affair with and subsequent marriage to his student Héloïse d'Argenteuil, sought asylum in Champagne during Theobald II's reign. Abelard died at Cluny Abbey in Burgundy, a monastery supported by the Thebaudians for many centuries.

Marriage and issue

In 1123 he married Matilda, daughter of Duke Engelbert of Carinthia. Their children were: * Henry I of Champagne, count of Champagne * Theobald V of Blois, count of Blois and seneschal of France * Adela, queen of France as the wife of King

* Isabella, married 1. Duke Roger III of Apulia d. 1148, 2. William Gouet IV d. 1170 * Marie, married Duke Odo II of Burgundy, became abbess of Fontevrault later in life. * Stephen I of Sancerre 1133–1191, count of Sancerre and crusader, died at the Siege of Acre * William White Hands, 1135–1202,

archbishop of Reims The Archdiocese of Reims or Rheims (; French language, French: ''Archidiocèse de Reims'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastic territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. Erected as a diocese around 250 by Sixtus of Reims, the diocese w ...

1176–1202,

Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal most commonly refers to * Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of three species in the family Cardinalidae ***Northern cardinal, ''Cardinalis cardinalis'', the common cardinal of ...

1179 * Agnes (d. 1207), dame de Ligny, married Renaut II of Bar (d. 1170). * Margaret, nun at Fontevrault * Matilda, married Rotrou IV of Perche Theobald had an illegitimate son, Hugh, (d. 1171), abbot of Lagny near Paris.

References

Sources

* * * * * * * {{Authority control House of Blois Counts of Champagne Counts of Blois Counts of Chartres Medieval child monarchs 1090 births 1152 deaths

Career

Marriage and issue

See also

References

Sources