The Pious Duke William I of Brittany

[kasumigenx]

On 1199, King John I of England would dangle the hand of Matilda of Saxony to William the Cleric who is living in a monastery, apparently, he was confined to a monastery due to Henry II of England deposing Conan IV of Brittany, John I of England is annulled from his marriage with Isabella of Gloucester.

William would leave the monastery in Brittany and into the court of John of England who would petition the dissolution of William of Brittany’s vows, this would keep Arthur and Constance of Brittany wondering about the whereabouts of their relative.

After William left to England, John I would decide to marry his niece, Eleanor of Brittany to Louis of France as William of Brittany would be a valuable ally and pawn against his nephew, Arthur, he would abandon the plans of a marriage of his niece Urraca of Castile to Louis VIII as she is no longer valuable as a bride to Louis of France and would decide to ratify the Treaty of Le Goulet with Eleanor of Brittany marrying Louis of France which included the cession of Issoudun and Graçay to the French crown.

On 1200, after the treaty of Le Goulet Innocent III would grant the dissolution of the vows of William of Brittany which is another victory of John after the Treaty of Le Goulet as William would be free to claim Brittany as his own land and John would promptly grant William of Brittany the Earldom of Richmond secretly.

Note:
IOTL William of Brittany dies in 1199/1200, here he survives and lives longer.

There is no trace of the marriage and plans of marriage with Urraca or Blanche to Prince Louis in this timeline, it will be said that there was a delay in the marriage between Eleanor of Brittany and Louis.

Eleanor of Aquitaine does not leave Aquitaine to fetch Urraca or Blanche in 1200.

 

[kasumigenx]

John I would decide to marry his niece, Eleanor of Brittany to marry Louis of France as William of Brittany would be a valuable ally and pawn against his nephew, Arthur, he would abandon the plans of a marriage of his niece Urraca of Castile to Prince Louis as she is no longer valuable as a bride to Louis of France and would decide to ratify the Treaty of Le Goulet with Eleanor of Brittany marrying Louis of France which included the cession of Issoudun and Graçay to the French crown and affirms the French suzerainty Flanders and Boulogne and the Angevin Continental Possessions as French vassals and the recognition of Brittany as an English Vassal which would be paid by 20,000 marks.

Eleanor of Brittany would be handed to the French and married to Louis of France and married in Normandy as the domains of Philip II are in interdict and they would go to Paris as soon as the marriage was finished.

Children of Eleanor of Brittany and Louis VIII

Constance b. 1203-

Agnes b. 1207-

Philip b. 1209 – 1218

Geoffroy b. d.1213

Louis IX b. 1214-

Robert, Count of Artois b. 1216-

Philip b. 1218 – 1220

Richard b. 1219 – 1232

Geoffroy, Count of Toulouse b. 1220 –

Arthur, Count of Anjou, Maine, and Tourraine b. 1222 –

Isabelle b 1224 -

 

[kasumigenx]

However, after it was revealed that Isabella of Angouleme was married to John, it would reach that William is apparently married to Matilda of Saxony and released from his vows and granted the Earldom of Richmond, for this reason, Arthur I, Duke of Brittany and Constance would further ally with Philip II of France against John I of England who has decided to confiscate the lands of John I of England as Philip II is father in law of Eleanor of Brittany, however Constance of Brittany would die in 1201 after the birth of twin daughters which would leave Arthur I of Brittany without the guidance of his mother.

The battle of Mirabeau in 1202 was battle between the Lusignan-Breton alliance and the Kingdom of England, John I of England smashed the Lusignan army by surprise, Arthur of Brittany and Hugh X of Lusignan would end up being prisoners of John I of England.

After the battle of Mirabeau, John I of England would install William I of Brittany as the Duke of Brittany which began the war of Breton succession, the rule of William of Brittany would be contested by Guy of Thouars and Eleanor of Brittany after the battle of Mirabeau, both Guy of Thouars and Eleanor of Brittany would want Arthur of Brittany released but Arthur of Brittany would disappear in April 1203, which would cause Philip II to annex Anjou, Maine, and Tourraine to the royal demesne, Constance of Brittany and Arthur of Brittany would be regarded as usurpers by Bretons because of the disinheritance and the life of William I of Brittany in monastery due to Henry II of England.

William of Brittany would land with his daughter, Matilda of Brittany(1201) and his wife Matilda of Saxony in a ship from England to Brittany just after the battle of Mirabeau and Guy of Thouars would flee with his daughters Alix(1200), Catherine(1201), and Margaret(1201) to the French court in 1203 after William of Brittany defeated Guy of Thouars.

 

[kasumigenx]

1199 - William of Brittany leaves the Monastery and embarks to England.

1200 – Treaty of Le Goulet, Eleanor of Brittany marries Prince Louis of France.

1200 – King John I of England marries Isabella of Angouleme.

1200 – the dissolution of vows of William of Brittany is granted and he marries Matilda of Saxony.

1202 – Battle of Mirabeau, Arthur, duke of Brittany is captured by King John.

1202 – William I of Brittany is installed by King John of England

1203 – Arthur, Duke of Brittany disappears in imprisonment by King John I of England.

1203 – Guy of Thouars flees from Brittany with his daughters, Alix, Margaret, and Catherine to the French court.

1204 – Eleanor of Aquitaine dies.

 

[kasumigenx]

I decided to remove the Wikipedia like Entry parts of this timeline in the AH.com version of this timeline, you can enjoy that in its other versions on other platforms or websites but I think it does not fit the flow of the timeline in this website as far as formatting is concerned, they are not important as I will cover them in my later installments in a different format and more detailed.

 

[eliamartin65]

Is William an OC?

 

[kasumigenx]

Is William an OC?

He is Constance of Brittany's brother who was deprived of the Duchy due to her father being forced to abdicate.

 

[Brita]

Is William an OC?

Nope, he's a somewhat mysterious figure only mentioned by Constance and Arthur in two charters in 1199/1201:
Constance, Duchess of Brittany: Family
It isn't known exactly when he was born or died (although the fact he was named William, not Malcolm, probably means he was born after William the Lion became King of Scots) but he was certainly sent to the church so he wouldn't challenge Constance's claim and through her Henry II's control over Brittany.

 

[kasumigenx]

Nope, he's a somewhat mysterious figure only mentioned by Constance and Arthur in two charters in 1199/1201:
Constance, Duchess of Brittany: Family
It isn't known exactly when he was born or died (although the fact he was named William, not Malcolm, probably means he was born after William the Lion became King of Scots) but he was certainly sent to the church so he wouldn't challenge Constance's claim and through her Henry II's control over Brittany.

Indeed, but I think he is an interesting figure that can be used in a timeline.

 

[eliamartin65]

Nope, he's a somewhat mysterious figure only mentioned by Constance and Arthur in two charters in 1199/1201:
Constance, Duchess of Brittany: Family
It isn't known exactly when he was born or died (although the fact he was named William, not Malcolm, probably means he was born after William the Lion became King of Scots) but he was certainly sent to the church so he wouldn't challenge Constance's claim and through her Henry II's control over Brittany.

Oh, I see!

Indeed, but I think he is an interesting figure that can be used in a timeline.

Not denying that, just didn't know who he was.

 

[Brita]

Indeed, but I think he is an interesting figure that can be used in a timeline.

He is indeed, I was just mentioning the reason why he was sidelined OTL.

 

[kasumigenx]

He is indeed, I was just mentioning the reason why he was sidelined OTL.

I think both Hoel of Brittany and William of Brittany are interesting actually.

 

[kasumigenx]

William I of Brittany would talk about the treatment of his sister to him when he was set aside and he has taken advantage of what King John had offered him in 1199, he would talk that in 1202 when he regained what was for him and denied to him as the Heir to Brittany and he would ally with John to maintain the independence of Brittany.

He was denied of his right to become the heir because his father was forced to abdicate in favour of his sister Constance prior to his birth and the offer of John is something that he could not ignore and his wife Matilda has a proven fertility as she has already given birth to a child of another man.

William I of Brittany would be happy that he is the Duke of Brittany at last and was made the ruler of Brittany and had claimed Brittany from his own sister and children who will plunge Brittany to a union with France.

Matilda of Saxony would help her new husband, William I of Brittany secure the borders of his duchy against Philip II of France who supports his niece, Eleanor.

 

[kasumigenx]

In the Anglo-French war in 1213-1214, the William I of Brittany would be able to secure his inheritance of Brittany against Eleanor of Brittany and Philip II of France and expel the French in Brittany even though the Holy Roman Empire under Otto III and England largely lost against the French.

On 1214, the English and the French would sign the Treaty of Chinon where John I of England would lose Poitou and Richard, the second son of John would secure his inheritance to Aquitaine in this treaty which he would inherit in 1216, after the death of his father but the English would secure the Duchy of Brittany and the peace between France and England was signed with the betrothal between Joan of England and Philip of France and Matilda of Brittany would be married to Peter of Brittany.

The betrothal between Joan of England and Philip would be broken in 1216 due to the war of Prince Louis against England in 1216 and restored in 1216 in the Treaty of Lambeth and would end in the death of Philip in 1218 and a new betrothal was made between Isabella of England and Louis of France was made in 1218 after the death of Philip of France between Isabella of England and Louis of France, Isabella of England would marry Louis of France on 1230 escorted by her brother Richard II of Aquitaine.

Eleanor of Brittany would enter in the Fontravraud Abbey in 1226 and brought her children Isabelle and Geoffrey who would enter the church, after the death of her husband to atone for what her mother has done to her brother and took the veil of a nun and she would die there in 1241.



Children of Eleanor of Brittany and Louis VIII

Constance b. 1203- m. Theobald I of Navarre

Agnes b. 1207- m. Henry II of Brabant

Philip b. 1209 – 1218

Geoffroy b. d.1213

Louis IX b. 1214- m. Isabella of England

Robert, Count of Artois b. 1216- m. Isabella of Jerusalem

Philip b. 1218 – 1220

Richard b. 1219 – 1232

Geoffroy b. 1220 – Priest

Arthur, Count of Anjou, Maine, and Tourraine b. 1222 – m. Margaret I of Provence

Isabelle b 1224 – Nun



Children of William I of Brittany and Matilda of Saxony

Matilda of Brittany b. 1201- m. Peter of Dreux

Isabella of Brittany b. 1207- m. Richard II of Aquitaine

 

[kasumigenx]

On 1204, Marie of Champagne, the Latin Empress would give birth to a healthy son baptized as Baldwin, but Marie won’t survive long after the pregnancy and thus he would inherit Flanders after the death of his father after his death on the hands of the Bulgars but it would take time for Baldwin take control of Flanders as it was assumed that his sisters inherited Flanders as they have not yet heard the birth of their brother.

On the background of the defeat of Prince Louis in England, Isabella of Angouleme would give birth to a another son in 1216, he would be a posthumous son named after her husband and named John who would be granted the county of Cornwall.

 

[kasumigenx]

Joan of England’s betrothal with Philip of France would end on his death on 1218, and during that time, her mother, Isabella of Angouleme has left for Aquitaine which is ruled by her brother, the death of Constance of Aragon due to malaria in 1220 would mean that Frederick II would no longer have a wife and he is free to marry.

On 1222, Joan of England would marry Frederick II of HRE, the two would have three children that would survive adulthood named Margaret(1228), Helena(1238), and Henry(1241) in contrast to Constance who has only daughter who is her namesake who was born in 1211.

This marriage would annul the tactical alliance between Frederick II of HRE and Philip II of France in 1222 which would benefit England in the long term and this would aid the marriage between Agnes of Bohemia and Henry III which would happen in 1224.

 

[kasumigenx]

William I of Brittany would die on 1230, contented that he already had won against his sister and his descendants, now he can rest that he is now that he has defended the independence of his duchy of Brittany, his wife, Matilda had died in 1210 and he did not need to remarry as his daughters existence had already secured the succession of his own duchy of Brittany.

His eldest daughter Matilda would swear that she would keep Brittany independent from France which she would uphold in her reign.