Beatrice of Bourbon, Queen of Bohemia

Beatrice of Bourbon
Queen consort of Bohemia
Tenure 1334–1346
Coronation 18 May 1337
Spouse John of Bohemia
Eudes II, Lord of Grancey
Issue
Wenceslaus I of Luxembourg
House House of Bourbon
Father Louis I, Duke of Bourbon
Mother Mary of Avesnes
Born 1320
Died 23 September 1383
Burial église des Jacobins, Paris

Beatrice of Bourbon (1320 – 23 December 1383) was a French noblewoman member of the House of Bourbon and by marriage Queen of Bohemia and Countess of Luxembourg.

She was the youngest daughter of Louis I, Duke of Bourbon and Mary of Avesnes.[1]

Contents

Life

Marriage

On 28 September 1330, King John of Bohemia's wife, Elisabeth died:

"The news was that the King, distraught for the loss of his wife manifested his feelings using mourning clothes, after all, they were married for twenty years, and yet remained completely himself with a brief time, this was in Bohemia, the other side used to be mostly in their county or elsewhere, where he discussed the matter."

Despite the fact that John and Elisabeth became estranged during the last years of their marriage, the King remained as a truly widower for the next four years. French King Philip VI wanted to tie John with France, and he suggested to the Bohemian King a second marriage. The chosen bride was Beatrice, youngest daughter of the Duke of Bourbon and member of a cadet branch of the House of Capet; however, in Paris on 29 May 1321 Beatrice was already betrothed with Philip, second son of Philip I, Prince of Taranto. The engagement was broken soon after the marriage negotiations with Bohemia started.[2]

The marriage of King John of Bohemia and Beatrice of Bourbon was solemnized in the Château de Vincennes in December 1334; but because the two were related in a prohibited degree, Pope Benedict XII had to give dispensation for the marriage, which was granted in Avignon on 9 January 1335 at the request of King Philip VI of France.[2]

The marriage contract stipulated that if a son was born from the marriage, the County of Luxembourg (King John's paternal heritage), as well as lands belonging to it, would go to him.[3] King John's sons from his first marriage, Charles and John Henry weren't notified about the contents of the marriage contract, but both princes were compelled to accept it along with the knights and citizens of Luxembourg in August 1335.

Life in Bohemia

Beatrice arrived in Bohemia on 2 January 1336:

"...our father came to Bohemia and brought him a wife, named Beatrix, daughter of the Duke of Bourbon and relative of the King of the Frenchs..."[4]

In the Bohemian court, Beatrice took care of the wife of her oldest stepson, Blanche of Valois. Both women could easily communicate in French. The Queen soon felt ill-at-ease in Prague, where she was always compared with the Margravine of Moravia (Blanche's title as wife of the Bohemian heir), as the comparison did not coming out in her favor. Also, the people were offended by her coldness, insolence and her aversion to learning the Czech language.

The new Queen of Bohemia and Countess of Luxembourg brought with her an annual income of 4,000 livres (extracted from her father's County of Clermont). On 25 February 1337, the Queen gave birth in Prague her only child, a son, named Wenceslaus after the holy patron of the Premyslid dynasty; perhaps with this gesture either the Queen or her husband tried to gain the favor of the Bohemians. However, the relationship between Beatrice and her new subjects remained estranged: her coronation as Queen of Bohemia in St. Vitus Cathedral three months later, on 18 May,[3] was an event of spectacular indifference from the citizens.

Shortly after her coronation, in June 1337, Beatrice left Bohemia leaving her son behind, and went to live in Luxembourg. After this, she rarely visit the Bohemian Kingdom.

Later Years

On 26 August 1346 King John was killed in the Battle of Crécy and Beatrice ceased to be Queen consort. The now King Charles of Bohemia confirmed the provisions of his stepmother's marriage contract. Beatrice, now Dowager Queen of Bohemia, received in perpetuity lands in Hennegau, the rent of 4,000 livres and the towns of Arlon, Marville and Damvillers (where she settled her residence) as her widow's estate. These revenues were used not only for their own needs, but also in the education of her son. King Charles left her all the movable property and income from the mines in Kutná Hora. In addition, when her father Duke Louis I of Bourbon died in 1342 she received the amount of 1,000 livres, which were secured from the town of Creil.[2]

Around 1347, Beatrice married secondly with Eudes II, Lord of Grancey (then a widower) in her state of Damvillers. Despite her new marriage, she retained the title of Queen of Bohemia. They had no children.[2][1] Soon after, she arranged the betrothal of her son Wenceslaus with the already-widowed Jeanne who was fifteen years his elder, daughter and heiress of John III, Duke of Brabant. The marriage took place in Damvillers four years later, on 17 May 1351.

Despite all the grants given to Beatrice, the Bohemian King delayed the investiture of his young half-brother Wenceslaus as Count of Luxembourg; in fact, he held the title until 1353, when Wenceslaus finally obtained the sovereignty over the County. One year later (13 March 1354) the County was elevated to the rank of Duchy.

Beatrice died on 27 December 1383,[3] having outlived her son (for only sixteen days) and all her stepchildren. She was buried in église des Jacobins in Paris.[2] Her second husband survived her by six years.[5]

Ancestors

References

  1. ^ a b Complete Genealogy of the House of Capet
  2. ^ a b c d e BOURBON
  3. ^ a b c Luxemburg in the Middle Ages, Brill Archive
  4. ^ Charles IV: Autobiography, Prague: Odeon, 1979, p. 73 
  5. ^ Genealogy Database by Daniel de Rauglaudre
Beatrice of Bourbon, Queen of Bohemia
Cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty
Born: 1320 Died: 23 December 1383
Preceded by
Elisabeth of Bohemia		 Queen consort of Bohemia
1334–1346		 Succeeded by
Blanche of Valois