Marguerite of Brittany
Encyclopedia
Margaret of Brittany (c. 1443 – 25 September 1469) was the elder of the two daughters of Francis I, Duke of Brittany
(died 1450), by his second wife, Isabella of Scotland
, and hence granddaughter of James I of Scotland
.
Since the Breton War of Succession
, Brittany had been understood to operate according to semi-Salic Law
–women could only inherit if the male line had died out. As expected from the provision of the Treaty of Guérande
, which ended the war, neither Margaret nor her younger sister, Marie, were recognized as heirs of the duchy. After her father's death, her uncle Peter II
succeeded as Duke of Brittany. He was also childless and to avoid any subsequent dispute, he arranged the marriage of Margaret to Francis of Etampes, the second in the order of succession and the last male left of the Breton House of Montfort, and the younger Marie to John II, Viscount of Rohan, the most powerful noble in Brittany.
In 13 or 16 November 1455, she was married to her cousin Francis of Etampes at the Château de l'Hermine, Vannes
. She became Duchess of Brittany upon his ascession as Francis II, Duke of Brittany in 1458. Their only son Francis, Count of Montfort, died in 1463. Anne of Brittany
(1476/7–1514), queen successively of Charles VIII of France
and Louis XII of France
, was her widower's daughter by a subsequent marriage.
Margaret died, September 25, 1469, in Nantes. She was buried in the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul
, Nantes
, in the tomb
constructed for her and her husband and later his second wife, Margaret of Foix
.
Francis I, Duke of Brittany
Francis I , was duke of Brittany, count of Montfort and titular earl of Richmond, from 1442 to his death. He was son of Duke John VI and Joan of France.He first married, at Nantes in 1431, Yolande of Anjou Francis I (in Breton Fransez I, in French François I) (Vannes/Gwened, May 14, 1414 –...
(died 1450), by his second wife, Isabella of Scotland
Isabella of Scotland
Not to be confused with Isabella of Scotland, Countess of NorfolkIsabella Stewart was a Scottish princess and by marriage the Duchess of Brittany...
, and hence granddaughter of James I of Scotland
James I of Scotland
James I, King of Scots , was the son of Robert III and Annabella Drummond. He was probably born in late July 1394 in Dunfermline as youngest of three sons...
.
Since the Breton War of Succession
Breton War of Succession
The Breton War of Succession was a conflict between the Houses of Blois and Montfort for control of the Duchy of Brittany. It was fought between 1341 and 1364. It formed an integral part of the early Hundred Years War due to the involvement of the French and English governments in the conflict; the...
, Brittany had been understood to operate according to semi-Salic Law
Salic law
Salic law was a body of traditional law codified for governing the Salian Franks in the early Middle Ages during the reign of King Clovis I in the 6th century...
–women could only inherit if the male line had died out. As expected from the provision of the Treaty of Guérande
Treaty of Guérande (1365)
The first treaty of Guérande, signed April 12, 1365 ended the Breton War of Succession and defined the law of succession of the duchy....
, which ended the war, neither Margaret nor her younger sister, Marie, were recognized as heirs of the duchy. After her father's death, her uncle Peter II
Peter II, Duke of Brittany
Peter II , was duke of Brittany, count of Montfort and titular earl of Richmond, from 1450 to his death. He was son of Duke John VI and Joan of France, and thus was younger brother of Francis I.In 1442, he married Françoise d'Amboise Peter II (in Breton Pêr II, in French Pierre II) (1418 –...
succeeded as Duke of Brittany. He was also childless and to avoid any subsequent dispute, he arranged the marriage of Margaret to Francis of Etampes, the second in the order of succession and the last male left of the Breton House of Montfort, and the younger Marie to John II, Viscount of Rohan, the most powerful noble in Brittany.
In 13 or 16 November 1455, she was married to her cousin Francis of Etampes at the Château de l'Hermine, Vannes
Vannes
Vannes is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France. It was founded over 2000 years ago.-Geography:Vannes is located on the Gulf of Morbihan at the mouth of two rivers, the Marle and the Vincin. It is around 100 km northwest of Nantes and 450 km south west...
. She became Duchess of Brittany upon his ascession as Francis II, Duke of Brittany in 1458. Their only son Francis, Count of Montfort, died in 1463. Anne of Brittany
Anne of Brittany
Anne, Duchess of Brittany , also known as Anna of Brittany , was a Breton ruler, who was to become queen to two successive French kings. She was born in Nantes, Brittany, and was the daughter of Francis II, Duke of Brittany and Margaret of Foix. Her maternal grandparents were Queen Eleanor of...
(1476/7–1514), queen successively of Charles VIII of France
Charles VIII of France
Charles VIII, called the Affable, , was King of France from 1483 to his death in 1498. Charles was a member of the House of Valois...
and Louis XII of France
Louis XII of France
Louis proved to be a popular king. At the end of his reign the crown deficit was no greater than it had been when he succeeded Charles VIII in 1498, despite several expensive military campaigns in Italy. His fiscal reforms of 1504 and 1508 tightened and improved procedures for the collection of taxes...
, was her widower's daughter by a subsequent marriage.
Margaret died, September 25, 1469, in Nantes. She was buried in the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul
Nantes Cathedral
Nantes Cathedral or the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul, Nantes , is a Gothic Roman Catholic cathedral in the city of Nantes, Pays de la Loire, France...
, 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....
, in the tomb
Tomb of Francis II, Duke of Brittany
The tomb of Francis II, Duke of Brittany is a monument located in Nantes, in the Cathedral of St. Peter. The project was commissioned by Anne of Brittany, Queen of France, who was the daughter of Francis and his second wife Margaret of Foix, who is also depicted beside Francis. The tomb was...
constructed for her and her husband and later his second wife, Margaret of Foix
Margaret of Foix
Margaret of Foix, , was, by marriage, Duchess of Brittany from 1474 to 1486.She was the daughter of Queen Eleanor of Navarre and of Gaston IV, Count of Foix ....
.