Marie of Boulogne
Encyclopedia
Marie I
Marie I (1136 – 25 July 1182 in St Austrebert, Montreuil
, France
) was the suo jure
Countess of Boulogne
from 1159 to 1170. She also held the post of Abbess of Romsey for five years until her abduction by Matthew of Alsace, who forced her to marry him.
and his wife Matilda I, Countess of Boulogne. She was born in 1136, one year after her father had succeeded to the English throne. His reign was to be marked by the civil war known as "The Anarchy
" during which he fought a series of battles to retain the crown which was claimed by his cousin Empress Matilda
.
She had three brothers, Eustace, William
, Baldwin, and one sister, Matilda. She also had three illegitimate half-siblings by her father's relationship with a Norman lady known only as Dameta. She became a novice at the Priory of Lillechurch
in Kent
, but later transferred to Romsey Abbey
in Hampshire
. The abbey had been rebuilt by her uncle Henry of Blois
, Bishop of Winchester. It was at Romsey that she became a nun sometime between 1148 and 1155. She was elected Abbess of Romsey in 1155, the year following her father's death and the subsequent ascension to the English throne of Empress Matilda's son Henry II
. Her brother William had been passed over in the succession.
About four years later, on 11 October 1159, her brother William died in Toulouse
. As his marriage to Isabel de Warenne, Countess of Surrey had been childless, Marie, his only surviving sibling, succeeded as the suo jure Countess of Boulogne.
abducted Marie from the abbey in 1160, and forced her to marry him in defiance of her religious vows. He therefore became jure uxoris
Count of Boulogne and co-ruler. On 18 December 1161, Pope Alexander III
wrote a letter to the Archbishop of Rheims in which he discussed Marie's abduction by Matthew of Alsace and her subsequent constrained marriage. The couple had two daughters:
Marie's marriage to Matthew was annulled in 1170. This was the same year that she gave birth to their youngest daughter, Mathilde in Louvain
. Following the annulment, Marie re-entered the religious life as a Benedictine
nun at St. Austrebert, Montreuil, where she died on 25 July 1182 at the age of about 46. Her former husband Matthew continued to reign as Count of Boulogne until his death in 1173, when their eldest daughter Ida succeeded as countess. Following the death of Ida's daughter, Matilda II, the county of Boulogne eventually passed to Adelaide of Brabant, daughter of Marie's second daughter, Mathilde.
Marie I (1136 – 25 July 1182 in St Austrebert, Montreuil
Montreuil, Eure-et-Loir
Montreuil is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France.-World War II:After the liberation of the area by Allied Forces in 1944, engineers of the Ninth Air Force IX Engineering Command began construction of a combat Advanced Landing Ground outside of the town...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) was the suo jure
Suo jure
Suo jure is a Latin phrase meaning "in her [or his] own right".It is commonly encountered in the context of titles of nobility, especially in cases where a wife may hold a title in her own right rather than through her marriage....
Countess of Boulogne
Count of Boulogne
The county of Boulogne was a historical region in the Low Countries. It consisted of a part of the present-day French département of the Pas-de-Calais , in parts of which there is still a Dutch-speaking minority....
from 1159 to 1170. She also held the post of Abbess of Romsey for five years until her abduction by Matthew of Alsace, who forced her to marry him.
Early years
Marie was the youngest daughter of King Stephen of EnglandStephen 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...
and his wife Matilda I, Countess of Boulogne. She was born in 1136, one year after her father had succeeded to the English throne. His reign was to be marked by the civil war known as "The Anarchy
The Anarchy
The Anarchy or The Nineteen-Year Winter was a period of English history during the reign of King Stephen, which was characterised by civil war and unsettled government...
" during which he fought a series of battles to retain the crown which was claimed by his cousin 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...
.
She had three brothers, Eustace, William
William of Blois
William I of Blois was Count of Boulogne and Earl of Surrey jure uxoris . He was the third son of King Stephen of England and Matilda of Boulogne....
, Baldwin, and one sister, Matilda. She also had three illegitimate half-siblings by her father's relationship with a Norman lady known only as Dameta. She became a novice at the Priory of Lillechurch
Higham, Kent
Higham is a small village bordering the Hoo Peninsula, in Kent, between Gravesend and Rochester. The civil parish of Higham is in Gravesham district and as at the 2001 UK Census, had a population of 3,938.-History:...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, but later transferred to Romsey Abbey
Romsey Abbey
Romsey Abbey is a parish church of the Church of England in Romsey, a market town in Hampshire, England. Until the dissolution it was the church of a Benedictine nunnery.-Background:...
in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. The abbey had been rebuilt by her uncle Henry of Blois
Henry of Blois
Henry of Blois , often known as Henry of Winchester, was Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey from 1126, and Bishop of Winchester from 1129 to his death.-Early life and education:...
, Bishop of Winchester. It was at Romsey that she became a nun sometime between 1148 and 1155. She was elected Abbess of Romsey in 1155, the year following her father's death and the subsequent ascension to the English throne of Empress Matilda's son Henry II
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...
. Her brother William had been passed over in the succession.
About four years later, on 11 October 1159, her brother William died in Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
. As his marriage to Isabel de Warenne, Countess of Surrey had been childless, Marie, his only surviving sibling, succeeded as the suo jure Countess of Boulogne.
Abduction and forced marriage
Matthew of AlsaceMatthew of Alsace
Matthew of Alsace was the second son of Thierry, Count of Flanders and Sibylla of Anjou. By marriage to Marie de Boulogne, he became Count of Boulogne, in 1160. They were divorced in 1170, but he continued as Count until his death....
abducted Marie from the abbey in 1160, and forced her to marry him in defiance of her religious vows. He therefore became jure uxoris
Jure uxoris
Jure uxoris is a Latin term that means "by right of his wife" or "in right of a wife". It is commonly used to refer to a title held by a man whose wife holds it in her own right. In other words, he acquired the title simply by being her husband....
Count of Boulogne and co-ruler. On 18 December 1161, Pope Alexander III
Pope Alexander III
Pope Alexander III , born Rolando of Siena, was Pope from 1159 to 1181. He is noted in history for laying the foundation stone for the Notre Dame de Paris.-Church career:...
wrote a letter to the Archbishop of Rheims in which he discussed Marie's abduction by Matthew of Alsace and her subsequent constrained marriage. The couple had two daughters:
- Ida, Countess of BoulogneIda, Countess of BoulogneIda of Boulogne was Countess of Boulogne. She was the eldest daughter of Matthew of Alsace by Marie I, Countess of Boulogne. Her maternal grandparents were King Stephen of England and Matilda I of Boulogne....
(1160/1161 – 21 April 1216), married firstly Gerard of Guelders; secondly Berthold IV of Zahringen; and thirdly Count Renaud de DammartinRenaud de DammartinRenaud de Dammartin was Count of Boulogne from 1190, Count of Dammartin from 1200 to 1214 and Count of Aumale from 1204 to 1214. He was son of Alberic II of Dammartin, and Mathilde of Clermont....
, by whom she had one daughter, Matilda II of BoulogneMatilda II of BoulogneMahaut or Matilda II of Boulogne was Countess of Boulogne in her own right and Queen of Portugal by marriage to King Afonso III from 1248 until their divorce in 1253....
, who succeeded her as countess. - Mathilde of FlandersMathilde of FlandersMatilde of Flanders was the youngest daughter of Marie I, Countess of Boulogne and her husband Matthew, Count of Boulogne. Matilde was Duchess of Brabant, by her marriage to Henry I, Duke of Brabant.- Family :...
(1170 – 16 October 1210), married in 1179 Henry I, Duke of BrabantHenry I, Duke of BrabantHenry I of Brabant , named "The Courageous" Duke of Brabant and Duke of Lower Lotharingia until his death.-Biography:...
, by whom she had seven children. Six of these children lived to adulthood.
Marie's marriage to Matthew was annulled in 1170. This was the same year that she gave birth to their youngest daughter, Mathilde in Louvain
Louvain
Louvain may refer to:* Leuven or Louvain, the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium* Louvain-la-Neuve, a planned city in the municipality of Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium...
. Following the annulment, Marie re-entered the religious life as a Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
nun at St. Austrebert, Montreuil, where she died on 25 July 1182 at the age of about 46. Her former husband Matthew continued to reign as Count of Boulogne until his death in 1173, when their eldest daughter Ida succeeded as countess. Following the death of Ida's daughter, Matilda II, the county of Boulogne eventually passed to Adelaide of Brabant, daughter of Marie's second daughter, Mathilde.