The Black Cross - A Crusader Timeline

The Black Cross - A Crusader Timeline

This is a random timeline and timeline idea that I am making, I hope it gets more support and more love than my other timelines that I worked on

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Matilda of Brittany, Queen of Sicily, Duchess of Swabia
Matilda was born in Brittany, her father Geoffrey of Brittany died on August 19, 1186. In 1190 in exchange for the return of his sister, Joan, King Tancred of Sicily arranged the 5 year old Matilda’s marriage with Tancred's eldest son, Roger in exchange his daughter would be betrothed to Arthur of Brittany. Roger was declared co-king, but died on 24 December 1193, shortly before his father's death on 20 February 1194.

Sicily was claimed by Tancred's aunt Constance and her husband, Emperor Henry VI. After he had conquered the Sicilian kingdom, so Arthur’s marriage to Tancred’s daughter did not happen, Matilda was captured on 30 December 1194 and was married on 10 May 1197 to Henry's younger brother, Duke Philip of Swabia.

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The marriages of Constance of Brittany

In 1188 or 1189, Ranulf de Blondeville was married to the Duchess Constance of Brittany, the widow of Henry II’s son Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany, and mother of Arthur of Brittany, with whom King John contested the succession to the crown of England. Richard Coeur de Lion, John's brother, had no known legitimate issue. The King had named Arthur of Brittany as his adopted son and heir to the crown of England. Henry did not envy the Duchess and wanted her married to a magnate whom he could trust. The marriage gave Ranulf control of the earldom of Richmond but it wasn't a success, and they separated.

Constance gave birth to a daughter named Alix on 1190, she is the daughter of Ranulf de Blondeville and Constance of Brittany[1].

To promote her son Arthur's position and inheritance, Constance included him in the government of the Duchy in 1196. In response to this act that thwarted his projects, Richard summoned her to Bayeux and had her abducted by Ranulf in Pontorson and imprisoned in Saint-James de Beuvron. He spread the rumor that Constance had been imprisoned for matrimonial reasons. As a result, rebellions were sparked across Brittany on her behalf and Arthur was sent in Brest. Richard demanded that hostages were delivered to him in exchange for Constance's freedom. The Bretons agreed but Constance and the hostages remained imprisoned and rebellions went on. Richard eventually bowed to growing pressure and had the Duchess released in 1198. Back in Brittany, Constance had her marriage annulled.

Constance took Guy of Thouars as her next husband between August and October 1199.

Between 1198 and the time of her death delivering twin daughters, Constance ruled with her son Arthur as co-ruler. Throughout these years, Constance advised her son towards a French alliance, pursuing the policy of her late husband Geoffrey II.

1. In OTL, Constance and Ranulf did not have a child..
 
The Treaty of Rennes

The King of France is able to support the Duke of Brittany due to the fact that he is stronger and have no problems in the security of his rule since Ingeborg of Denmark has already have a son with Philip II August and the previous year, the two were reconciled with each other, the name of the son is Charles.

The Treaty of Rennes was signed by the kings Arthur of Brittany, the rightful heir to England, his mother, the heavily pregnant Constance of Brittany and Philip II of France in June 1200 and aimed to ultimately settle the claims the Angevin kings of England had on French lands. The treaty was a victory for Philip as it asserted his legal claims to overlordship over Arthur’s French lands that John Lackland is ruling defacto.

The terms of the treaty signed at Rouen included clarifications of the feudal relationships binding the monarchs. Arthur recognized Philip as the suzerain of the continental lands in the Angevin Empire and the partition of the Angevin Empire and Brittany would be recognized as independent and not suzerain of France.

Arthur also bound himself to support the french king against any rebellions on the part of the counts of Boulogne and Flanders and not side with them.

Philip had previously recognized Arthur and earlier Richard as suzerain of Anjou and the Duchy of Brittany, but with the treaty of Rennes he extorted 20,000 marks sterling in payment for recognition of Arthur and Constance’s sovereignty of Brittany.

The Duchy of Aquitaine was not included in the treaty. It was still held by John as heir to his still-living mother, Eleanor. The treaty was sealed with a marriage alliance between the Angevin and Capetian dynasties. Arthur’s Elder sister Eleanor married Philip's eldest son, Louis VIII of France (to be eventually known as Louis the Lion) and that Alix of Brittany would marry Robert Dreux, the Younger, the dowry of the marriage would be the passing of Berry and Gisors to the Royal demesne and the transfer of Lusignan, Auvergne, Limoges and Eu as direct fiefs of France as well as the Duchy of Normandy being given to the royal domain of France.

Eleanor, Fair maid of Brittany and Louis the Lion were married in Paris on July 1200, the heavily pregnant Constance and Arthur of Brittany attended the wedding, the bride is 16 year old and the groom is 13 year old.

In response to the marriage of Eleanor and Louis, Otto III the Duke of Burgundy is married to Joan of England, the eldest child of the usurping King John and Margaret of Jerusalem is married to Sancho of Navarre as suggested by Princess Blanche of Navarre, the dowager Queen of Champagne.
Meanwhile, John of England kidnapped and married Isabella of Angouleme, a marriage that would cause his own demise.
 
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All very interesting, I'm not that great at European history, but I find the Crusades very interesting as a time period, I'll enjoy seeing your variation of the Third Crusade.
 
All very interesting, I'm not that great at European history, but I find the Crusades very interesting as a time period, I'll enjoy seeing your variation of the Third Crusade.

There would be alot of changes in history due to different marriages and having one person survive and marry...I will still have a latin kingdom but it will have a different ruler but for who, it will be a surprise..

Constance of Brittany m. 1181 Geoffrey of Anjou(a) m. 1189 Ranulf de Blondville(b) m. 1199 Guy de Thoars(c)

1a. Eleanor of Brittany, Queen of France b. 1184 m. 1200 Louis VIII of France
2a. Matilda of Brittany, Queen of Sicily, Holy Roman Empress m.1190 Roger of Sicily m. 1197 Philip I, Holy Roman Emperor
3a. Arthur of Brittany b. 1187
4b. Alix of Brittany b. 1190 m. 1200 Robert III of Dreux
5c. Catherine of Thoars b. 1200
 
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Constance and Arthur will never give away the entire Normandy....
That would be a pure folly....
And who is this Margaret of Jerusalem and who is Joan of England's mother?
 
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