Constance of Normandy
Constance of Normandy (between 1057 and 1061 – 13 August 1090) was a Duchess of Brittany.
| Constance of Normandy | |
|---|---|
 Depiction of Constance (English kings' family tree) | |
| Duchess consort of Brittany | |
| Tenure | 1086–1090 |
| Born | c. 1057/1061 Normandy |
| Died | 13 August 1090 |
| Burial | Église Saint-Melaine, Redon |
| Spouse | |
| House | Normandy |
| Father | William the Conqueror |
| Mother | Matilda of Flanders |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
She was of the nine children of William the Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders.[1] She was born in Normandy, where her father was duke. William of Jumièges, the monk who chronicled the 1066 Norman conquest of England, names Constance second among the daughters of King William and Queen Matilda. No source indicates the order of birth of the couple's daughters, however.[2]
In 1086, Constance's father invaded the Duchy of Brittany. Its duke, Alan Fergant, was forced into submission, and a marriage was arranged between him and Constance, who was already nearly 30. Like her mother, Constance was an able administrator. William of Malmesbury, an early 12th century historian, wrote that her "severe and conservative manner" made Constance an unpopular duchess. According to his contemporary, Orderic Vitalis, however, Constance was caring, considerate, and well-liked by her subjects. William of Malmesbury alleges that her husband had their servants poison her. She died on 13 August 1090.[3]
References
- Douglas, David C. (1964), William the Conqueror: The Norman Impact Upon England, University of California Press, p. 4, ISBN 0300185545
- Bates, David (2004), "William I (known as William the Conqueror)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, retrieved 20 June 2018
- Panton, James (2011), Historical Dictionary of the British Monarchy, Scarecrow Press, p. 110, ISBN 0810874970
| Preceded by Bertha of Blois |
Duchess consort of Brittany 1086–1090 |
Succeeded by Ermengarde of Anjou |