Waleran III of Luxembourg, Count of Ligny
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Waleran III of Luxembourg (1355 – October 25, 1415, Agincourt), Count of Ligny and Saint Pol, was a French nobleman and soldier.
He was the son of Guy of Luxembourg, Count of Ligny and Mahaut of Châtillon, Countess of Saint Pol. He succeeded his father in 1371, after his death at the Battle of Baesweiler. Waleran was captured at the same battle, but released through the intercession of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor. In 1374, he was captured by the English before Ardres and sent to Windsor as a prisoner. The English attempted to exchange him for Jean III de Grailly, captal de Buch, but without success. In 1380, while a captive, he married Maud Holland (d. 1392), daughter of Thomas Holland, 1st Earl of Kent and Joan of Kent and stepdaughter to Edward the Black Prince. This allowed him to negotiate down his ransom, and he was released soon afterwards. Maud bore him a daughter, Jeanne (d. 1407), who married Antoine, Duke of Brabant in 1401.
After Maud's death, he married Bona of Bar (d. 1400), daughter of Duke Robert of Bar and Marie Valois (daughter of John II of France), but had no issue by her. He was one of the peace commissioners sent to London in 1396, and made a futile attack on the English near Calais in 1405. He was of the party of Philip II, Duke of Burgundy, marrying his daughter to Philip's son Antoine. Under the Burgundians he obtained preferment, becoming Grand Maitre de Eaux et Forests, the governor of Paris in 1410, and Constable of France in 1411. However, he lost the Constableship and was driven from Paris with the rest of the Burgundians in 1413. He rode out for the last time in 1415, and was killed at the Battle of Agincourt. His son-in-law Antoine was killed there as well, so Waleran was succeeded by Antoine's younger son, Philip of Saint-Pol.
| Preceded by Guy of Luxembourg |
Count of Ligny 1371–1415 |
Succeeded by Philip of Saint-Pol |
| Preceded by Mahaut of Châtillon |
Count of Saint Pol 1378–1415 |
