Arthur III, Duke of Brittany

Arthur III
Duke of Brittany; Count of Montfort
Duke of Brittany
Reign	22 September 1457 – 26 December 1458 (&100000000000000010000001 year, &1000000000000009500000095 days)
Predecessor	Peter II
Successor	Francis II
Consort	Margaret of Burgundy Joan of Albret Catherine of Luxembourg
House	House of Montfort
Father	John V
Mother	Joan of Navarre
Born	24 August 1393 Château de Sucinio
Died	26 December 1458(1458-12-26) (aged 65) Nantes
Burial	Nantes Cathedral
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Arthur III (in Breton Arzhur III) (24 August 1393 – 26 December 1458), known as the Justicier and as Arthur de Richemont, was Lord of Parthenay and titular Count (Earl) of Richmond in England and for eleven months at the very end of his life, Duke of Brittany and Count of Montfort after inheriting those titles upon the death of his nephew.

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Marriages 2 Ancestry 3 See also 4 External links

Biography

Belonging to the family of Montfort, he was a younger son of Duke John V and his third wife Joanna of Navarre. Arthur was born in Château de Suscinio.

Just a year before his own death, Arthur succeeded his nephew Peter II as Duke. Arthur was also titular Earl of Richmond; the earldom had often been granted to the Dukes of Brittany, but after the death of Arthur's father, the English refused to recognize his heirs as earls. Nevertheless, they continued to style themselves "Count of Richmond", while the English title was given to John, Duke of Bedford, Plantagenet (1389–1435) in 1414.

Arthur was an important figure at the French court even before becoming Duke of Brittany.

He was one of the supporters of the charismatic Joan of Arc. Arthur was known for his tenacity and bad temper, characteristics that led to his expulsion from the court in 1427. By 1435, however, he had regained influence, enabling him to orchestrate the Treaty of Arras between Charles VII of France and Philip III, Duke of Burgundy.

Arthur sided with the Armagnac faction against the Burgundians during the civil conflict in France between 1410 and 1414. He fought at the Battle of Agincourt on October 25, 1415, where he was wounded and captured. He was released by the English in 1420 and helped persuade his brother, Duke John, to sign the Treaty of Troyes. In 1422, the English created him Duke of Touraine. However, he subsequently returned to the allegiance of the Dauphin in 1424, was made Constable of France with support from Yolande of Aragon in 1425 and fought alongside Joan of Arc during her victory at the Battle of Patay on June 18, 1429. He then helped arrange the Treaty of Arras, which cemented the peace between France and Burgundy leading to the eventual defeat of the English. He was commander of the French army at the Battle of Formigny on April 15, 1450, the next-to-the-last battle of the Hundred Years' War that sealed the reconquest of Normandy.

Marriages

Arthur was married three times, but had no legitimate children although he had a natural daughter named Jacqueline who was legitimatized in 1443. He was succeeded as Duke of Brittany by his nephew Francis II, count of Étampes.

His wives were as follows:

1. married in Dijon on 10 October 1423 Margaret of Burgundy (d. 1441), daughter of John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy and widow of Dauphin Louis, Duke of Guyenne.
2. married in Nérac ca. 29 August 1442 Joan of Albret (d. 1444), daughter of Charles II, Count of Dreux
3. married on July 2, 1445 Catherine of Luxembourg-Saint-Pol (d. 1492), daughter of Peter of Luxembourg, Count of Saint-Pol

Ancestry

Ancestors of Arthur III, Duke of Brittany

16. John II, Duke of Brittany               8. Arthur II, Duke of Brittany                       17. Beatrice of England               4. John IV, Duke of Brittany                             18. Robert IV, Count of Dreux               9. Yolande de Dreux                       19. Beatrice, Countess of Montfort               2. John V, Duke of Brittany                                   20. Robert III, Count of Flanders               10. Louis I, Count of Nevers                       21. Yolande of Burgundy               5. Joanna of Flanders                             22. Hugh IV, Count of Rethel               11. Jeanne, Countess of Rethel                       23. Isabelle de Grandpré               1. Arthur III, Duke of Brittany                                         24. Louis d'Évreux               12. Philip III of Navarre                       25. Margaret of Artois               6. Charles II of Navarre                             26. Louis X of France               13. Joan II of Navarre                       27. Margaret of Burgundy               3. Joan of Navarre                                   28. Philip VI of France               14. John II of France                       29. Joan the Lame               7. Joan of France                             30. John of Luxembourg, King of Bohemia               15. Bonne of Bohemia                       31. Elisabeth of Bohemia

See also

• Dukes of Brittany family tree

External links

• Arthur de Richemont
• "Arthur III, Duke of Brittany". Find a Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8241878. Retrieved August 10, 2010. 

Arthur III, Duke of Brittany House of Montfort Cadet branch of the House of Dreux Born: 24 August 1393 Died: 26 December 1458
Regnal titles
Preceded by Peter II	Duke of Brittany 1457–1458	Succeeded by Francis II
	Count of Montfort 1457–1458

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 Iii, Duke Of Brittany
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	24 August 1393
Place of birth	Château de Sucinio
Date of death	26 December 1458
Place of death	Nantes