Beatrice, Countess of Montfort

Beatrice de Montfort, Countess of Montfort-l'Amaury (December 1249 – 9 March 1312) was a ruling sovereign countess of Montfort from 1249 until 1312. She was also countess of Dreux by marriage to Robert IV of Dreux, Count of Dreux. She was the ancestor of the Dukes of Brittany from the House of Montfort-Dreux which derived its name from her title.

Beatrice de Montfort
suo jure Countess of Montfort-l'Amaury Countess of Dreux Countess of Braine
Born	December 1249 France
Died	9 March 1312
Noble family	House of Montfort
Spouse(s)	Robert IV of Dreux, Count of Dreux, Braine and Montfort-l'Amaury
Issue Marie of Dreux Yolande de Dreux, Queen of Scotland John II of Dreux, Count of Dreux and Braine Jeanne of Dreux, Countess of Braine Beatrice of Dreux, Abbess of Pont-Royal Robert of Dreux, Seigneur of Chateau-du-Loire
Father	Jean I de Montfort
Mother	Jeanne, Dame de Chateaudun

Coat-of-Arms of the Counts of Montfort-l'Amaury

Life

Beatrice was born sometime between December 1248 and 1249, the only child of Jean I de Montfort, Count of Dreux and Jeanne, Dame de Chateaudun.

Reign

In 1249, Beatrice's father died in Cyprus, while participating in the Seventh Crusade. Thus, Beatrice succeeded her father as ruling count of Montfort at the age of about one years old.

In 1251, Jeanne married her second husband, Jean de Brienne, Grand Butler of France. Jeanne and Jean had a daughter Blanche de Brienne, Baroness Tingry (1252–1302); Blanche married William II de Fiennes, Baron of Tingry.[1] Jeanne died sometime after 1252, leaving her Beatrice and her half-sister Blanche as her co-heiresses.

Beatrice was married to Robert IV of Dreux, Count of Dreux, Braine and Montfort-l'Amaury in 1260, when she was about eleven years old.[2] He was the son of John I of Dreux, Count of Dreux and Braine,[3] and Marie de Bourbon.[4] As was the custom for female rulers at this point in time, he became the co-ruler of Beatrice and Count of Montfort by right of his wife after their wedding.

Death

Beatrice died on 9 March 1312 at the age of sixty-three. She was buried in the Abbaye de Haute- Bruyère.

Issue

Beatrice and Robert had:

• Marie of Dreux (1261/62–1276), in 1275 married Mathieu de Montmorency.[5]
• Yolande de Dreux (1263–1323), Countess of Montfort, married firstly on 15 October 1285 King Alexander III of Scotland, and secondly in 1292 Arthur II, Duke of Brittany[6]
• John II of Dreux (1265–1309)
• Joan of Dreux, Countess of Braine, married firstly Jean IV de Roucy,[5] and secondly John of Bar.
• Beatrice of Dreux, Abbess of Pont-Royal (1270–1328)
• Robert of Dreux, seigneur of Chateau-du-Loire.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Beatrice, Countess of Montfort

Simon de Montfort Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester Amicia de Beaumont Amaury de Montfort Bouchard III de Montmorency Alix de Montmorency Laurence of Hainault Jean I de Montfort Hugh III, Duke of Burgundy André Guigues VI, Dauphin of Viennois Béatrice of Albon, Countess of Albon and Dauphine of Viennois Beatrice of Burgundy Rainon I de Sabran Beatrix de Sabran Garsende de Forcalquier Beatrice de Montfort Hughes V, Viscount of Chateaudun Geoffrey VI, Viscount of Chateaudun Jeanne de Preuilly Geoffrey VI, Viscount de Chateaudun Ursion II, Seigneur de Fréteval Alix de Fréteval Gracia, Dame de Faye Jeanne, Dame de Chateaudun Baudoin des Roches William des Roches, Seneschal of Anjou Alix de Châtellerault Clémence des Roches Robert de Sablé Marguerite de Sablé Clémence de Mayenne

References

1. Richardson 2004, p. 155.
2. Pollock 2015, p. 188.
3. Bubenicek 2002, p. 54-55.
4. Newman 1935, p. 411.
5. de Boos 2004, p. 155.
6. Bubenicek 2002, p. 54.

Sources

• de Boos, Emmanuel (2004). L'armorial le Breton (in French). Somogy editions d'art.
• Bubenicek, Michelle (2002). Quand les femmes gouvernent: droit et politique au XIVe siècle:Yolande de Flandre, Droit et politique au XIV siecle (in French). Ecole des Chartes.
• Newman, William Mendel (1935). Les seigneurs de Nesle en Picardie (XIIe-XIIIe siècle): leurs chartes et leur histoire (in French). Vol.91, Part 2. American Philosophical Society.
• Pollock, M. A. (2015). Scotland, England and France After the Loss of Normandy, 1204-1296: "Auld Amitie". The Boydell Press.
• Richardson, Douglas (2004). Everingham, Kimball G.; Faris, David (eds.). Plantagenet Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, Royal Ancestry series. Genealogical Publishing Co.