Arthur II, Duke of Brittany

Arthur II

Duke of Brittany
Reign	18 November 1305 - 27 August 1312
Predecessor	John II
Successor	John III

Spouse	Marie, Viscountess of Limoges Yolande of Dreux
Among Others Issue
John III John IV
House	House of Dreux
Father	John II
Mother	Beatrice of England
Born	2 July 1262
Died	27 August 1312(1312-08-27) (aged 50) Château de L'Isle
Burial	Cordeliers Convent
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Arthur II (2 July 1262 – 27 August 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.

Marriages and children

In 1275, Arthur married Marie, Viscountess of Limoges, daughter of Guy 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 (8 March 1286 – 30 April 1341).
Guy of Brittany, Count of Penthièvre (1287–1331). Father of Joanna of Penthièvre.
Peter of Brittany, Seigneur of Dol-Combourg and Sant-Maloù(1289–1312).

Mary died in 1291. In May, 1292, Arthur was re-married to another Yolande of Dreux, who was Countess of Montfort, daughter of Robert IV, Count of Dreux and Beatrice de Montfort. She had been briefly Queen of Scotland by her first marriage. They were parents of seven children:

Joan of Brittany (1294–1363). Married Robert, Lord de Cassell.
John IV, Duke of Brittany (1295 – 16 September 1345).
Beatrice of Brittany (1295–1384). Married Guy X, Lord of Laval.
Joan of Brittany (1296–1364). Married Robert, Count of Marle.
Alice of Brittany (1297–1377). Married Bouchard VI, Count of Vendôme.
Blanche of Brittany (born c. 1300). Considered to have died young.
Marie of Brittany (1302–1371). A nun.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Arthur II, Duke of Brittany

16. Robert II of Dreux

8. Peter I, Duke of Brittany

17. Yolande de Coucy

4. John I, Duke of Brittany

18. Guy of Thouars, Duke of Brittany

9. Alix of Thouars

19. Constance, Duchess of Brittany

2. John II, Duke of Brittany

20. Theobald III, Count of Champagne

10. Theobald I of Navarre

21. Blanche of Navarre

5. Blanche of Navarre

22. Guichard IV, Sire of Beaujeu

11. Agnes of Beaujeu

23. Sybille of Flanders

1. Arthur II, Duke of Brittany

24. Henry II of England

12. John of England

25. Eleanor of Aquitaine

6. Henry III of England

26. Aymer, Count of Angoulême

13. Isabella of Angoulême

27. Alice of Courtenay

3. Beatrice of England

28. Alfonso II, Count of Provence

14. Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence

29. Garsenda, Countess of Forcalquier

7. Eleanor of Provence

30. Thomas I, Count of Savoy

15. Beatrice of Savoy

31. Marguerite of Geneva

Regnal titles
Arthur II, Duke of Brittany House of Dreux Cadet branch of the Capetian Dynasty Born: 2 July 1262 Died: 27 August 1312
Preceded by Marie	Viscount of Limoges 1275–1301 with Marie (1275–1291)	Succeeded by John III
Preceded by John II	Duke of Brittany 1305–1312	Succeeded by John III
Preceded by John II	Count of Penthièvre 1305–1312	Succeeded by Guy
Preceded by Beatrice	Count of Montfort 1311–1312 with Yolande	Succeeded by John II

Rulers of Brittany

Early monarchs

c.818–913	Waroch · Judicael ap Hoel · Morman · Wihomarc · Nominoe · Erispoe · Salomon · Pasquitan · Gurvand · Judicael · Alan I · Gourmaelon

House of Nantes

938–958	Alan II (938–952) · Drogo (952–958) · Hoel I (960–981) · Guerech (981-988) · Alan (III) (988-990)

House of Rennes

958–1072	Conan I (958–992) · Geoffrey I (992–1008) · Alan III (1008–1040) · Odo I (1008–1034) · Conan II (1040–1066) · Hawise (1066–1072) · with Hoel II (1066–1072)

House of Cornouaille


1072–1156	Alan IV (1072–1112) · Conan III (1112–1148) · Bertha (1148–1156) · with Odo II (1148–1156)

House of Penthièvre


1156–1194	Conan IV (1156–1171) · Constance (1171–1194) · with Geoffrey II (1181–1186), · later Ranulph (1188–1194)

House of Plantagenet


1194–1203	Arthur I (1194–1203)

House of Thouars


1203–1221	Alix (1203-1221) · with Peter I (1213-1221)

House of Dreux


1221–1364	John I (1221-1286) · John II (1286–1305) · Arthur II (1305–1312) · John III (1312–1341) · Joan (1341–1364) · with Charles I (1341–1364)

House of Montfort


1341/65–1514	John IV (1341-1345) · John V (1345/65-1399) · John VI (1399–1442) · Francis I (1442–1450) · Peter II (1450–1457) · Arthur III (1457–1458) · Francis II (1458–1488) · Anne (1488–1514) · with Charles II (1491–1498), · later Louis I (1499–1514)

House of Valois


1514–1547	Claude (1514–1524) · with Francis (1514–1524) · Francis III (1524–1536) · Henry (1536–1547)

Courtesy title


1547-present	Louis de France (1704-1705) · Louis de France (1707–1712) · Francis de Bourbon (1973–1984)

Persondata
Name	Arthur 02 Duke Of Brittany
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	2 July 1262
Place of birth
Date of death	27 August 1312
Place of death	Château de L'Isle

Arthur II, Duke of Brittany

Marriages and children

Ancestry

See also