Marie of Montpellier

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Marie of Montpellier (adapted from Occitan: Maria de Montpelhièr) (1182 – 18 April 1213) was the daughter of William VIII of Montpellier and Eudokia Komnene. A condition of the marriage was that the firstborn child, boy or girl, would succeed to the lordship of Montpellier on William's death.

Marie married Barral of Marseille in 1192 or shortly before, but was widowed in that year. Her second marriage, in 1197, was to Bernard IV of Comminges, and her father now insisted on her giving up her right to inherit Montpellier. Marie had two daughters by Bernard, Mathilde and Petronille. The marriage was, however, notoriously polygamous, Bernard having two other living wives. It was annulled (some say on Marie's insistence, some say on that of Peter II of Aragon) and the annulment meant that she was once more heir to Montpellier.

William had died in 1202. Marie's half-brother, William's son by Agnes of Castile, William, had taken control of the city, but Marie asserted her right to it. On 15 June 1204 she married Peter II and was recognised as Lady of Montpellier. Her son by Peter, James, the future James the Conqueror, was born on 1 February 1208. Peter immediately attempted to divorce her, hoping both to marry Maria of Montferrat, Queen of Jerusalem, and to claim Montpellier for himself. Marie's last years were spent in combating these political and matrimonial manoeuvres. Pope Innocent III finally decided in her favour, refusing to permit the divorce. Both Marie and Peter died in 1213; James inherited Aragon and Montpellier.

[edit] Sources

[edit] Bibliography

  • J. M. Lacarra, L. Gonzalez Anton, 'Les testaments de la reine Marie de Montpellier' in Annales du Midi vol. 90 (1978) pp. 105-120.
  • M. Switten, 'Marie de Montpellier: la femme et le pouvoir en Occitanie au douzième siècle' in Actes du Premier Congrès International de l'Association d'Etudes Occitanes ed. P. T. Ricketts (London: Westfield College, 1987) pp. 485-491.
  • K. Varzos, I genealogia ton Komninon (Thessalonica, 1984) vol. 2 pp. 346-359.
Titles of nobility
Preceded by
William IX		 Lady of Montpellier
1204–1213		 Succeeded by
James I