Henry V of Luxembourg

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Window from the Mary chapel of Clairefontaine
Window from the Mary chapel of Clairefontaine

Henry V the Blond (121624 December 1281), called the Great, was the count of Luxembourg, Laroche and Arlon from 1247 to his death and the count of Namur between 1256 and 1264 as Henry III. He was the son and successor of Waleran III of Limburg and Ermesinda of Luxembourg.

He married in 1240 Margaret, daughter of Henry II, Count of Bar, who brought him Ligny-en-Barrois as her dowry, though, by a clause in the marriage contract, it remained under the feudal suzerainty of the county of Bar. In contempt of this, Henry paid homage in 1256 to Theobald II of Navarre, in his capacity as Count of Champagne. Henry's brother-in-law, Theobald II of Bar, took advantage of the conflict then raging between Frederick III of Lorraine and the bishops of Metz. Henry V was a partisan of the duke and so Theobald took the side of the bishop. Henry was captured in battle at Prény on 14 September 1266. On 8 September 1268, King Louis IX arbitrated between the two counts and Henry was freed and repossessed of Ligny, but under the suzerainty of the Barrois.

In 1256, Henry seized Namur while the reigning margrave, Baldwin II, was also reigning emperor in Constantinople. Baldwin relinquished his rights to Namur to Guy of Dampierre, Count of Flanders, who retook the margraviate from Henry. The two parties made peace and Guy married Henry's daughter.

From Margaret he had the following issue:

He also had at least three bastard sons, including:

  • Henry, bastard of Luxembourg (d. 1288), married Isabelle of Houffalize, heiress of Houffalize
Preceded by
Ermesinda
Count of Luxembourg
12471281
Succeeded by
Henry VI
Count of Laroche
12471281
Succeeded by
Waleran I
Preceded by
Waleran III
Count of Arlon
12561264
Succeeded by
Henry VI
Preceded by
Baldwin II
Count of Namur
12561264
Succeeded by
Guy