Beatrice of Provence
Encyclopedia
Beatrice of Provence was a countess regnant of Provence. She was also a Queen consort of Sicily by marriage to King Charles I of Sicily
.
The youngest daughter of Raymond Berenguer IV of Provence and Beatrice of Savoy
, Beatrice was married on 31 January 1246 to Charles of France
, Count of Anjou and Maine, the youngest brother of King Louis IX of France
.
In 1248, Beatrice accompanied her husband on the Seventh crusade
, and gave birth to her first child in Nicosia
. In 1266, Charles was crowned king, making her the Queen of Sicily.
and was Queen consort of France; his second daughter, Eleanor
, had married King Henry III of England
, and his third, Sanchia
, had married the wealthy Richard, Earl of Cornwall, brother of King Henry. King Louis IX's marriage to Marguerite had been arranged by his mother, Blanche of Castile
, with the hopes that he would inherit Provence and the associated county of Forcalquier
when Berenguer died. Berenguer, however, left everything to Beatrice, making her Countess of Provence in her own right. James I of Aragon, in the hopes of uniting Provence and Toulouse, had planned to marry Beatrice, but when her father died the French court intervened, by getting Pope Innocent IV
to refuse the marriage.
Beatrice of Savoy, who had been granted the usufruct of the county for her lifetime according to her husband's will, agreed to the marriage between Charles of Anjou and her youngest daughter, Beatrice. Charles, along with Philip of Savoy and five hundred knights, rode from Lyon to Provence. On their way, they ran into Raymond VII Count of Toulouse, who also had an army on the way to Provence. However, Raymond of Toulouse had been deceived by knights in favour of Charles and for that reason he had brought fewer men, and Charles and his army were quicker. When Charles got to Aix-en-Provence, James I of Aragon, who had been there all along but was not allowed to see Beatrice, had his soldiers surrounding the castle in which the young Beatrice and her mother were. There was a brief struggle, but the King of Aragon retreated with dignity. To the young Beatrice, Charles, who was described as "an admirable young man", was a satisfactory resolution to her problems. The marriage took place in Aix-en-Provence. They had soldiers on guard and the bride was escorted down the aisle by her uncle, Thomas, count of Savoy
.
As soon as Charles became Count of Provence, he brought in his own team of French lawyers and accountants. He excluded his mother-in-law Beatrice of Savoy from the running of the county and began taking castles, power and fees away from the nobles who had previously enjoyed a certain degree of independence in the running of their cities. Charles made himself very unpopular. Beatrice of Savoy moved herself to Forcalquier
in protest, and in Marseille, Charles's officials were thrown out of the city. In the family conflict the younger Beatrice sided with her husband.
, where Charles was knighted by his brother Louis. Beatrice accompanied Charles on the seventh crusade
in 1248. Led by Louis IX, the crusaders made an extended procession through France. Before they left, Charles and Beatrice met with her mother in Beaucaire to try to come to some terms of agreement concerning Provence. Whilst the more important matters were left until Charles and Beatrice returned, it was decided that Beatrice of Savoy would give up the rights to 'the castle at Aix in exchange for a percentage of the county's revenue.'
In Nicosia Beatrice gave birth to her first child, 'a very elegant and wellformed son', as her brother-in-law Robert of Artois wrote home to his mother the Queen
. Beatrice stayed with her sister Margaret in Damietta, when they lost contact with the King and his army, both women gave birth whilst in Damietta. Later in 1250, they were reunited with the rest of the crusade at Acre, where the King's ransom was paid. Charles and Beatrice, along with several other nobles, left soon after and journeyed to the court of Emperor Frederick II
, to ask him to send the King of France more men for his crusade. However, Frederick, who had been excommunicated, needed his army to fight the Pope, and refused. Charles and Beatrice were then forced to go Lyon to meet with the Pope.
By the time they returned to Provence in 1251, open rebellion had broken out, spurred on by Beatrice's mother, who felt Charles had failed to respect her claims in Provence. However, by July 1252 Charles had managed to defeat the revolt and was in the process of exercising his power as Count of Provence, when in November of the same year, Blanche of Castile died, and Charles and Beatrice had to go to Paris, where Charles co-ruled France with his brother, Alphonse. The Pope offered Charles the Kingdom of Sicily in 1252, but Charles had to turn the offer down, as he was preoccupied with other affairs and he also did not have sufficient funds.
The crusade returned in 1254. Charles and Beatrice spent Christmas in Paris that year, where all of Beatrice's sisters and their mother were present; it was noted that the other four women treated the younger Beatrice coldly, due to Raymond Berenguer's will.
When the new Pope granted Charles the Kingdom of Sicily, he had to do defeat the Hohenstaufen
claimant, Manfred of Sicily. Another contender to win the throne of Sicily was Beatrice's nephew, Edmund Crouchback, but it soon became clear that Charles was the more promising candidate. In order to achieve his goal, Charles needed an army and Beatrice helped her husband raise one. She called on all her knights as well as the young men of France, and according to the later historian Angelo di Costanzo
she pledged all her jewels, to make sure they joined her husband's army:
Charles went first to Rome, and Beatrice followed with the remaining army through the treacherous Alpine passes, during autumn. It took them nearly six weeks to reach Rome, but once both Charles and Beatrice were in Rome, they were crowned by the Pope King and Queen consort of Sicily, on 6 January 1266. As soon as the coronation festivities had ended, Beatrice stayed in Rome with a small force to hold the city, whilst Charles rode out to the battle of Benevento. After her husband's victory, she chose the castle of Melfi
as their residence.
Beatrice, like her sisters, mother and grandmother was known for her beauty. A description of Beatrice said she "set men's hearts thumping and the fingers of troubadours to fevered twanging of lyres. Two of the balladists at the Provencal court were temporarily deprived of reason for love of the entrancing Beatrice", and like her sister Sanchia, she would eventually become a Queen before her death: Sanchia became 'Queen of the Romans' after the Earl of Cornwall was elected as King; Beatrice became Queen consort of Sicily, after that realm was bestowed upon Charles by the Pope.
Charles I of Sicily
Charles I , known also as Charles of Anjou, was the King of Sicily by conquest from 1266, though he had received it as a papal grant in 1262 and was expelled from the island in the aftermath of the Sicilian Vespers of 1282...
.
The youngest daughter of Raymond Berenguer IV of Provence and Beatrice of Savoy
Beatrice of Savoy
Beatrice of Savoy was the daughter of Thomas I of Savoy and Margaret of Geneva. She was Countess consort of Provence by her marriage to Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence.-Family:...
, Beatrice was married on 31 January 1246 to Charles of France
Charles I of Sicily
Charles I , known also as Charles of Anjou, was the King of Sicily by conquest from 1266, though he had received it as a papal grant in 1262 and was expelled from the island in the aftermath of the Sicilian Vespers of 1282...
, Count of Anjou and Maine, the youngest brother of King Louis IX of France
Louis IX of France
Louis IX , commonly Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death. He was also styled Louis II, Count of Artois from 1226 to 1237. Born at Poissy, near Paris, he was an eighth-generation descendant of Hugh Capet, and thus a member of the House of Capet, and the son of Louis VIII and...
.
In 1248, Beatrice accompanied her husband on the Seventh crusade
Seventh Crusade
The Seventh Crusade was a crusade led by Louis IX of France from 1248 to 1254. Approximately 800,000 bezants were paid in ransom for King Louis who, along with thousands of his troops, was captured and defeated by the Egyptian army led by the Ayyubid Sultan Turanshah supported by the Bahariyya...
, and gave birth to her first child in Nicosia
Nicosia
Nicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...
. In 1266, Charles was crowned king, making her the Queen of Sicily.
Family
Raymond Berenguer, the Count of Provence and Forcalquier, had four daughters, but no sons. His eldest daughter, Margaret, had married King Louis IX of FranceLouis IX of France
Louis IX , commonly Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death. He was also styled Louis II, Count of Artois from 1226 to 1237. Born at Poissy, near Paris, he was an eighth-generation descendant of Hugh Capet, and thus a member of the House of Capet, and the son of Louis VIII and...
and was Queen consort of France; his second daughter, Eleanor
Eleanor of Provence
Eleanor of Provence was Queen consort of England as the spouse of King Henry III of England from 1236 until his death in 1272....
, had married King Henry III of England
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
, and his third, Sanchia
Sanchia of Provence
Sanchia of Provence was the third daughter of Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence and Beatrice of Savoy. Sanchia was described as "of incomparable beauty".-Life:...
, had married the wealthy Richard, Earl of Cornwall, brother of King Henry. King Louis IX's marriage to Marguerite had been arranged by his mother, Blanche of Castile
Blanche of Castile
Blanche of Castile , was a Queen consort of France as the wife of Louis VIII. She acted as regent twice during the reign of her son, Louis IX....
, with the hopes that he would inherit Provence and the associated county of Forcalquier
County of Forcalquier
The County of Forcalquier was a large medieval county in the region of Provence in the Kingdom of Burgundy, then part of the Holy Roman Empire. It was named after the fortress around which it grew, Forcalquier....
when Berenguer died. Berenguer, however, left everything to Beatrice, making her Countess of Provence in her own right. James I of Aragon, in the hopes of uniting Provence and Toulouse, had planned to marry Beatrice, but when her father died the French court intervened, by getting Pope Innocent IV
Pope Innocent IV
Pope Innocent IV , born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was pope from June 25, 1243 until his death in 1254.-Early life:...
to refuse the marriage.
Marriage
When Berenguer had died on 19 August 1245, Beatrice became one of the most attractive heiresses in medieval Europe. Various suitors had tried to seize her, so her mother, Beatrice of Savoy, placed the younger Beatrice in a safe fortress, secured the trust of its people then went to the Pope for his protection. In Cluny during December 1245, a secret discussion took place between Pope Innocent IV, Louis IX of France, his mother Blanche of Castile and his brother Charles of Anjou. It was decided that in return for Louis IX's supporting the Pope militarily, the Pope would allow Charles of Anjou, youngest brother to the French King, to marry Beatrice of Provence. Provence, however, was to never go to France outright through Charles. It was agreed that if Charles and Beatrice had children, the county would go to them; if there was no issue, then the county would go to Beatrice's sister Sanchia. If Sanchia died without an heir, Provence would go to the King of Aragon.Beatrice of Savoy, who had been granted the usufruct of the county for her lifetime according to her husband's will, agreed to the marriage between Charles of Anjou and her youngest daughter, Beatrice. Charles, along with Philip of Savoy and five hundred knights, rode from Lyon to Provence. On their way, they ran into Raymond VII Count of Toulouse, who also had an army on the way to Provence. However, Raymond of Toulouse had been deceived by knights in favour of Charles and for that reason he had brought fewer men, and Charles and his army were quicker. When Charles got to Aix-en-Provence, James I of Aragon, who had been there all along but was not allowed to see Beatrice, had his soldiers surrounding the castle in which the young Beatrice and her mother were. There was a brief struggle, but the King of Aragon retreated with dignity. To the young Beatrice, Charles, who was described as "an admirable young man", was a satisfactory resolution to her problems. The marriage took place in Aix-en-Provence. They had soldiers on guard and the bride was escorted down the aisle by her uncle, Thomas, count of Savoy
Thomas I of Savoy
Thomas I or Tommaso I was Count of Savoy from 1189-1233. He was the son of Humbert III of Savoy and Beatrice of Viennois. His birth was seen as miraculous; his monkish father had despaired of having a male heir after three wives. Count Humbert sought counsel from St...
.
As soon as Charles became Count of Provence, he brought in his own team of French lawyers and accountants. He excluded his mother-in-law Beatrice of Savoy from the running of the county and began taking castles, power and fees away from the nobles who had previously enjoyed a certain degree of independence in the running of their cities. Charles made himself very unpopular. Beatrice of Savoy moved herself to Forcalquier
Forcalquier
Forcalquier is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.Forcalquier is located between the Lure and Luberon mountain ranges, about south of Sisteron and west of the Durance river...
in protest, and in Marseille, Charles's officials were thrown out of the city. In the family conflict the younger Beatrice sided with her husband.
Seventh crusade
In May 1247, Charles and Beatrice were recorded as being in MelunMelun
Melun is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Located in the south-eastern suburbs of Paris, Melun is the capital of the department, as the seat of an arrondissement...
, where Charles was knighted by his brother Louis. Beatrice accompanied Charles on the seventh crusade
Seventh Crusade
The Seventh Crusade was a crusade led by Louis IX of France from 1248 to 1254. Approximately 800,000 bezants were paid in ransom for King Louis who, along with thousands of his troops, was captured and defeated by the Egyptian army led by the Ayyubid Sultan Turanshah supported by the Bahariyya...
in 1248. Led by Louis IX, the crusaders made an extended procession through France. Before they left, Charles and Beatrice met with her mother in Beaucaire to try to come to some terms of agreement concerning Provence. Whilst the more important matters were left until Charles and Beatrice returned, it was decided that Beatrice of Savoy would give up the rights to 'the castle at Aix in exchange for a percentage of the county's revenue.'
In Nicosia Beatrice gave birth to her first child, 'a very elegant and wellformed son', as her brother-in-law Robert of Artois wrote home to his mother the Queen
Blanche of Castile
Blanche of Castile , was a Queen consort of France as the wife of Louis VIII. She acted as regent twice during the reign of her son, Louis IX....
. Beatrice stayed with her sister Margaret in Damietta, when they lost contact with the King and his army, both women gave birth whilst in Damietta. Later in 1250, they were reunited with the rest of the crusade at Acre, where the King's ransom was paid. Charles and Beatrice, along with several other nobles, left soon after and journeyed to the court of Emperor Frederick II
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
, to ask him to send the King of France more men for his crusade. However, Frederick, who had been excommunicated, needed his army to fight the Pope, and refused. Charles and Beatrice were then forced to go Lyon to meet with the Pope.
By the time they returned to Provence in 1251, open rebellion had broken out, spurred on by Beatrice's mother, who felt Charles had failed to respect her claims in Provence. However, by July 1252 Charles had managed to defeat the revolt and was in the process of exercising his power as Count of Provence, when in November of the same year, Blanche of Castile died, and Charles and Beatrice had to go to Paris, where Charles co-ruled France with his brother, Alphonse. The Pope offered Charles the Kingdom of Sicily in 1252, but Charles had to turn the offer down, as he was preoccupied with other affairs and he also did not have sufficient funds.
The crusade returned in 1254. Charles and Beatrice spent Christmas in Paris that year, where all of Beatrice's sisters and their mother were present; it was noted that the other four women treated the younger Beatrice coldly, due to Raymond Berenguer's will.
Queen of Sicily
Beatrice's sister Margaret, the new Queen of France, publicly offended her in 1259, by not seating her at the family table; she claimed because Beatrice was not a queen like her sisters, she could not sit with them. Margaret had hoped to provoke her sister in treacherous behaviour so she would have a valid reason to invade Provence. Beatrice "with great grief", went to Charles and he reportedly told her " Be at peace, for I will shortly make thee a greater Queen than them".When the new Pope granted Charles the Kingdom of Sicily, he had to do defeat the Hohenstaufen
Hohenstaufen
The House of Hohenstaufen was a dynasty of German kings in the High Middle Ages, lasting from 1138 to 1254. Three of these kings were also crowned Holy Roman Emperor. In 1194 the Hohenstaufens also became Kings of Sicily...
claimant, Manfred of Sicily. Another contender to win the throne of Sicily was Beatrice's nephew, Edmund Crouchback, but it soon became clear that Charles was the more promising candidate. In order to achieve his goal, Charles needed an army and Beatrice helped her husband raise one. She called on all her knights as well as the young men of France, and according to the later historian Angelo di Costanzo
Angelo di Costanzo
Angelo di Costanzo , Italian historian and poet, was born at Naples about 1507.He lived in a literary circle, and fell in love with the beautiful Vittoria Colonna...
she pledged all her jewels, to make sure they joined her husband's army:
"Beatrice, to aid him (Charles) in the gratification of her ambition, sold all her jewels and personal ornaments, and expended her private treasure in collecting round her standard, not only her own vassals, but the chivalric youth of France, who were attracted to her service not less by her personal solicitations than by her rich gifts."
Charles went first to Rome, and Beatrice followed with the remaining army through the treacherous Alpine passes, during autumn. It took them nearly six weeks to reach Rome, but once both Charles and Beatrice were in Rome, they were crowned by the Pope King and Queen consort of Sicily, on 6 January 1266. As soon as the coronation festivities had ended, Beatrice stayed in Rome with a small force to hold the city, whilst Charles rode out to the battle of Benevento. After her husband's victory, she chose the castle of Melfi
Castle of Melfi
The castle of Melfi in Basilicata is a monument owned by the Italian State and one of the most important medieval castles in Southern Italy. Its construction, at least the components still visible, dates back to Norman times and has undergone significant changes over time, especially in Angevin and...
as their residence.
Issue
Charles and Beatrice had the following children:- Louis (1248–1248 Nicosia).
- Blanche (1250 – July 1269), married in 1265 Robert III of FlandersRobert III of FlandersRobert III of Flanders , also called Robert of Bethune and nicknamed The Lion of Flanders , was Count of Nevers 1273–1322 and Count of Flanders 1305–1322.-History:...
(1249–1322), by whom she had a son, Charles, who died young. - BeatriceBeatrice of SicilyBeatrice of Sicily was the Empress consort of Philip of Courtenay, titular Latin Emperor of Constantinople.-Family:...
(1252–1275), married in 1273 Philip of CourtenayPhilip of CourtenayPhilip I of Courtenay was titular Emperor of Constantinople 1273–1283. He was the son of Baldwin II of Constantinople and Marie of Brienne....
(1243–1283), titular emperor of Constantinople, by whom she had one daughter, Catherine I of CourtenayCatherine I of CourtenayCatherine I of Courtenay was Titular Empress of Constantinople from 1283 to her death in 1307. In 1301, she became the second wife of Charles of Valois, by whom she had one son and three daughters; the eldest of these, Catherine II of Valois, Princess of Achaea succeeded her as titular...
, titular Empress of Constantinople. - Charles II of NaplesCharles II of NaplesCharles II, known as "the Lame" was King of Naples, King of Albania, Prince of Salerno, Prince of Achaea and Count of Anjou.-Biography:...
(1254–1309), Count of Anjou and Provence, King of Naples, married Maria Arpad of HungaryMaria Arpad of HungaryMary of Hungary , of the Árpád dynasty, was Queen consort of the Kingdom of Naples. She was a daughter of Stephen V of Hungary and his wife Elizabeth the Cuman.-Family:Mary's mother followed the Shamanist religion, like other Cumans...
, by whom he had issue. English Queen consort Philippa of Hainaut descended from their daughter, Marguerite of Anjou and MaineMarguerite of Anjou and MaineMargaret of Naples was Countess of Anjou and Maine in her own right. Margaret's father was the King Charles II of Naples, her husband was Charles of Valois, and her older brother was Saint Louis of Toulouse, and her nephew was the King Charles I of Hungary.-Biography:Margaret was a daughter of...
. - Philippe (1256 – 1 January 1277), titular King of Thessalonica from 1274 and Prince of Achaïea, married in 1271 Isabella of VillehardouinIsabella of VillehardouinIsabella of Villehardouin was the elder daughter of William II of Villehardouin, Prince of Achaea, and of his second wife Anna, the third daughter of Michael II Komnenos Doukas, the despot of Epiros....
(1263–1312), Princess of Achaïea and Morea - Robert (1258–1265).
- Isabella (Elisabeth) (1261–1300), married to Ladislaus IV of Hungary (1262–1290). Their marriage was childless.
Death
Beatrice died in 1267, a little over a year after becoming Queen. The cause of her death was not recorded. She was initially buried at Nocera, but Charles later moved her body to Aix-en-Provence were she was laid to rest with her father.Beatrice, like her sisters, mother and grandmother was known for her beauty. A description of Beatrice said she "set men's hearts thumping and the fingers of troubadours to fevered twanging of lyres. Two of the balladists at the Provencal court were temporarily deprived of reason for love of the entrancing Beatrice", and like her sister Sanchia, she would eventually become a Queen before her death: Sanchia became 'Queen of the Romans' after the Earl of Cornwall was elected as King; Beatrice became Queen consort of Sicily, after that realm was bestowed upon Charles by the Pope.
Ancestry
Sources
- Her profile in "Medieval Lands" by Charles Cawley
- http://epistolae.ccnmtl.columbia.edu/woman/69.html
- http://www.amazon.com/review/product/B000VQD7L2?filterBy=addFiveStar
- Four Queens, Nancy Golstone, 2007
- http://libro.uca.edu/chaytor/hac6.htm
- The Plantagenets, The Magnificent Century, Thomas B Costain 1951