Bertrade de Montfort

Bertrade de Montfort
Bertrade with Philip
Queen consort of the Franks
Tenure	1092–1108

Born	c. 1070
Died	14 February 1117 (aged 46–47)
Spouse	Fulk IV, Count of Anjou Philip I of France
Issue	Fulk of Jerusalem Philip, Count of Mantes Fleury, Seigneur of Nangis Cecile, Princess of Galilee
House	House of Montfort
Father	Simon I de Montfort
Mother	Agnes, Countess of Evreux
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Bertrade de Montfort (c. 1070 – 14 February 1117) was the daughter of Simon I de Montfort^[1] and Agnes, Countess of Evreux. Her brother was Amaury de Montfort.

According to the chronicler John of Marmoutier:

The lecherous Fulk then fell passionately in love with the sister of Amaury de Montfort, whom no good man ever praised save for her beauty.

Bertrade and Fulk were married,^[1] and they became the parents of a son, Fulk, but in 1092 Bertrade left her husband and took up with King Philip I of France. Philip married her on 15 May 1092, despite the fact that they both had spouses living. He was so enamoured of Bertrade that he refused to leave her even when threatened with excommunication. Pope Urban II did excommunicate him in 1095, and Philip was prevented from taking part in the First Crusade. Astonishingly, Bertrade persuaded Philip and Fulk to be friends.

Children

With Fulk IV, Count of Anjou:

Fulk of Jerusalem, Count of Anjou and King of Jerusalem (1089/92–1143)

With Philip I of France:

Philip of France, Count of Mantes (living in 1123)
Fleury of France, Seigneur of Nangis (living in 1118)
Cecile of France (died 1145), married (1) Tancred, Prince of Galilee; married (2) Pons of Tripoli

Later life

According to Orderic Vitalis, Bertrade was anxious that one of her sons succeed Philip, and sent a letter to King Henry I of England asking him to arrest her stepson Louis. Orderic also claims she sought to kill Louis first through the arts of sorcery, and then through poison. Whatever the truth of these allegations, Louis succeeded Philip in 1108. Bertrade lived on until 1117; William of Malmesbury says: "Bertrade, still young and beautiful, took the veil at Fontevraud Abbey, always charming to men, pleasing to God, and like an angel." Her son from her first marriage was Fulk V of Anjou who later became King of Jerusalem iure uxoris. The dynasties founded by Fulk's sons ruled for centuries, one of them in England (Plantagenet), the other in Jerusalem.

References

1 2 Women, Power, and Violence in Orderic Vitalis's "Historia Ecclesiastica", Jean Blacker, Violence Against Women in Medieval Texts, ed. Anna Roberts, (University Press of Florida, 1998), 46.

French royalty
Preceded by Bertha of Holland	Queen consort of the Franks 1092–1108	Succeeded by Adelaide of Maurienne

Queens and Empresses of France

Adelaide of Aquitaine Rozala of Italy Bertha of Burgundy Constance of Arles Matilda of Frisia Anne of Kiev Bertha of Holland Bertrade de Montfort Adelaide of Maurienne Eleanor of Aquitaine Constance of Castile Adèle of Champagne Isabella of Hainault Ingeborg of Denmark Agnes of Merania Blanche of Castile Margaret of Provence Isabella of Aragon Maria of Brabant Joan I of Navarre Margaret of Burgundy Clementia of Hungary Joan II of Burgundy Blanche of Burgundy Marie of Luxembourg Jeanne d'Évreux Joan the Lame Blanche of Navarre Joan I of Auvergne Joanna of Bourbon Isabeau of Bavaria Marie of Anjou Charlotte of Savoy Anne of Brittany Joan of France Mary Tudor Claude of France Eleanor of Austria Catherine de' Medici Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots Elisabeth of Austria Louise of Lorraine Margaret of Valois Marie de' Medici Anne of Austria Maria Theresa of Spain Marie Leszczyńska Marie Antoinette of Austria Marie Joséphine of Savoy* Joséphine de Beauharnais Marie Louise of Austria Marie Thérèse of France* Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily Eugénie de Montijo

*disputed

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