Geoffrey VI, Count of Anjou
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey VI was Count of Nantes from 1156 to 1158. He was also known as Geoffrey of Anjou and Geoffrey FitzEmpress. Born in Rouen
, he was the second of the three sons of Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou
and Empress Matilda
. His elder brother was King Henry II of England
and his younger brother was William FitzEmpress, Count of Poitou.
It was said that in his will, Geoffrey V had stipulated that his second son Geoffrey would become Count of Anjou and of Maine if his elder son Henry
managed to become King of England. In the meantime, he granted Geoffrey the castles at Chinon
, Loudun
, Mirebeau
and one other castle. The body of the count would remain unburied until Henry agreed to the terms of the will. The story was reported in contemporary sources only in a minor chronicle in Tours
; W. L. Warren
makes the case that the story was invented by Geoffrey.
In March 1152 he attempted to abduct Eleanor of Aquitaine
as she traveled from Beaugency
to Poitiers
after her divorce from Louis VII of France
; she avoided his trap when she was forewarned. He lay in wait at Port des Piles, near the River Creuse, and would have married her had the abduction been successful. In June he allied himself with King Louis, the king's brother Count Robert I of Dreux
, and the brothers the Count of Champagne and the Count of Bloise
when Louis attacked Normandy as a response to the marriage of Henry FitzEmpress, Duke of Normandy
to Eleanor of Aquitaine, which took place without Louis' knowledge. If successful the five of them intended to divide the lands of Henry and Eleanor amongst themselves.
In late 1153 or in 1154 Theobald V, Count of Blois
invaded Touraine
, which Henry regarded as his. Geoffrey and others were taken captive, and Theobald required Henry to destroy the castle of Chaumount-sur-Loire to obtain their freedom.
Geoffrey accompanied Henry and Eleanor to England when King Stephen
died in December 1154.
In the summer of 1156 Geoffrey was again making trouble for Henry and Henry laid siege to the castles of Chinon, Mirebeau and Loudun. Geoffrey was forced to yield them, and according to some sources he was able to keep Loudun. Henry gave Geoffrey an annuity of £1500 for the other two castles. Shortly after that siege ended the people of Nantes
deposed their count and asked King Henry whom they should invite to fill the vacancy. He suggested Geoffrey; the offer was made and accepted.
Geoffrey died at Nantes in 1158.
in the 1978 BBC
TV series The Devil's Crown
, which dramatised the reigns of his brother and nephews in England.
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
, he was the second of the three sons of Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou
Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou
Geoffrey V , called the Handsome and Plantagenet, was the Count of Anjou, Touraine, and Maine by inheritance from 1129 and then Duke of Normandy by conquest from 1144...
and Empress Matilda
Empress Matilda
Empress Matilda , also known as Matilda of England or Maude, was the daughter and heir of King Henry I of England. Matilda and her younger brother, William Adelin, were the only legitimate children of King Henry to survive to adulthood...
. His elder brother was King Henry II of England
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
and his younger brother was William FitzEmpress, Count of Poitou.
It was said that in his will, Geoffrey V had stipulated that his second son Geoffrey would become Count of Anjou and of Maine if his elder son Henry
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
managed to become King of England. In the meantime, he granted Geoffrey the castles at Chinon
Chinon
Chinon is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France well known for Château de Chinon.In the Middle Ages, Chinon developed especially during the reign of Henry II . The castle was rebuilt and extended, becoming one of his favorite residences...
, Loudun
Loudun
Loudun is a commune in the Vienne department in the Poitou-Charentes region in western France.It is located south of the town of Chinon and 25 km to the east of the town Thouars...
, Mirebeau
Mirebeau
Mirebeau is a commune in the Vienne department in the Poitou-Charentes region in western France.-Demographics:-Twin towns:*Bassemyam, Burkina Faso*Membrilla, Spain*Regen, Germany*Saint-raymond, Quebec...
and one other castle. The body of the count would remain unburied until Henry agreed to the terms of the will. The story was reported in contemporary sources only in a minor chronicle in Tours
Tours
Tours is a city in central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department.It is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the...
; W. L. Warren
W. L. Warren
Wilfred Lewis Warren was an historian of medieval England. Educated at Exeter College, Oxford, he worked as a professor of modern history and dean of theology at the Queen's University, Belfast...
makes the case that the story was invented by Geoffrey.
In March 1152 he attempted to abduct Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages. As well as being Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, she was queen consort of France and of England...
as she traveled from Beaugency
Beaugency
Beaugency is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France. It is located on the Loire river, upriver from Blois and downriver from Orléans.-History:...
to Poitiers
Poitiers
Poitiers is a city on the Clain river in west central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and of the Poitou-Charentes region. The centre is picturesque and its streets are interesting for predominant remains of historical architecture, especially from the Romanesque...
after her divorce from Louis VII of France
Louis VII of France
Louis VII was King of France, the son and successor of Louis VI . He ruled from 1137 until his death. He was a member of the House of Capet. His reign was dominated by feudal struggles , and saw the beginning of the long rivalry between France and England...
; she avoided his trap when she was forewarned. He lay in wait at Port des Piles, near the River Creuse, and would have married her had the abduction been successful. In June he allied himself with King Louis, the king's brother Count Robert I of Dreux
Robert I of Dreux
Robert I of Dreux, nicknamed the Great , was the fifth son of Louis VI of France and Adélaide de Maurienne. Through his mother he was related to the Carolingians and to the Marquess William V of Montferrat.In 1137 he received the County of Dreux as an appanage from his father...
, and the brothers the Count of Champagne and the Count of Bloise
Theobald V, Count of Blois
Theobald V of Blois , also known as Theobald the Good , was Count of Blois from 1151 to 1191. He was son of Theobald II of Champagne and Matilda of Carinthia...
when Louis attacked Normandy as a response to the marriage of Henry FitzEmpress, Duke of Normandy
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
to Eleanor of Aquitaine, which took place without Louis' knowledge. If successful the five of them intended to divide the lands of Henry and Eleanor amongst themselves.
In late 1153 or in 1154 Theobald V, Count of Blois
Theobald V, Count of Blois
Theobald V of Blois , also known as Theobald the Good , was Count of Blois from 1151 to 1191. He was son of Theobald II of Champagne and Matilda of Carinthia...
invaded Touraine
Touraine
The Touraine is one of the traditional provinces of France. Its capital was Tours. During the political reorganization of French territory in 1790, the Touraine was divided between the departments of Indre-et-Loire, :Loir-et-Cher and Indre.-Geography:...
, which Henry regarded as his. Geoffrey and others were taken captive, and Theobald required Henry to destroy the castle of Chaumount-sur-Loire to obtain their freedom.
Geoffrey accompanied Henry and Eleanor to England when King Stephen
Stephen of England
Stephen , often referred to as Stephen of Blois , was a grandson of William the Conqueror. He was King of England from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne by right of his wife. Stephen's reign was marked by the Anarchy, a civil war with his cousin and rival, the Empress Matilda...
died in December 1154.
In the summer of 1156 Geoffrey was again making trouble for Henry and Henry laid siege to the castles of Chinon, Mirebeau and Loudun. Geoffrey was forced to yield them, and according to some sources he was able to keep Loudun. Henry gave Geoffrey an annuity of £1500 for the other two castles. Shortly after that siege ended the people of Nantes
Nantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
deposed their count and asked King Henry whom they should invite to fill the vacancy. He suggested Geoffrey; the offer was made and accepted.
Geoffrey died at Nantes in 1158.
Fictional portrayals
Geoffrey was portrayed by actor Paul GreenwoodPaul Greenwood
Paul Greenwood is a British film, television and theatre actor. He is best known for his role as PC Michael "Rosie" Penrose in the successful sitcom Rosie direct spin-off from the short-lived sitcom The Growing Pains of PC Penrose...
in the 1978 BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
TV series The Devil's Crown
The Devil's Crown
The Devil's Crown was a BBC television series which dramatised the reigns of three medieval Kings of England: Henry II and his sons Richard I and John....
, which dramatised the reigns of his brother and nephews in England.