Arthur II, Duke of Brittany

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Coat of Arms of Peter I, Duke of Brittany and his successors.

Arthur II (July 2, 1262 – August 27, 1312), of the House of Dreux, was Duke of Brittany from 1305 to his death. He was the first son of John II and Beatrice, daughter of Henry III of England and Eleanor of Provence.

After he inherited the ducal throne, he gave his brother John their father's English earldom of Richmond.

As duke, Arthur was independent of the French crown. He divided his duchy into eight "battles": Leon, Kernev, Landreger, Penteur, Gwened, Naoned, Roazhon, and Sant Malou. In 1309, he convoked the first estates general (the ancestor of the Breton parliament) in Brittany. It was the first time in French history that the third estate was represented.

Arthur died at Château de L'Isle and was interred in a marble tomb of the cordeliers of Vannes. The tomb was vandalised during the French Revolution, but repaired and is on display today.

[edit] Marriages and children

In 1275, Arthur married Mary, Viscountess of Limoges, daughter of Gui VI, Viscount of Limoges and Margaret, Lady of Molinot. Her maternal grandparents were Hugh IV, Duke of Burgundy and his first wife Yolande of Dreux. They were parents of three children:

John III, Duke of Brittany (March 8, 1286 - April 30, 1341).
Guy de Dreux, Count of Penthievre (1287 - 1331). Father of Joanna of Dreux.
Pierre de Dreux (1289 - 1312).

Mary died in 1291. In May, 1292, Arthur was re-married to Yolande de Dreux, Countess of Montfort, daughter of Robert IV, Count of Dreux and Beatrice de Montfort. They were parents of seven children: