Marie of France, Countess of Champagne

Marie of France

Marie's Seal
Countess consort of Champagne
Tenure	1164-1181

Spouse	Henry I, Count of Champagne
Issue
Henry II of Champagne Marie of Champagne Theobald III of Champagne Scholastique of Champagne
House	House of Capet
Father	Louis VII of France
Mother	Eleanor of Aquitaine
Born	1145
Died	March 11, 1198

French Monarchy
Direct Capetians
Hugh Capet
Robert II
Robert II
Henry I
Robert I, Duke of Burgundy
Henry I
Philip I
Hugh, Count of Vermandois
Philip I
Louis VI
Louis VI
Louis VII
Robert I of Dreux
Louis VII
Marie, Countess of Champagne
Alix, Countess of Blois
Marguerite, Queen of Hungary
Alys, Countess of the Vexin
Philip II
Agnes, Empress of Constantinople
Philip II
Louis VIII
Louis VIII
Louis IX
Robert I, Count of Artois
Alphonse, Count of Poitou and Toulouse
Saint Isabel of France
Charles I of Anjou and Sicily
Louis IX
Philip III
Robert, Count of Clermont
Agnes, Duchess of Burgundy
Philip III
Philip IV
Charles III, Count of Valois
Louis d'Evreux
Margaret, Queen of England
Philip IV
Louis X
Philip V
Isabella, Queen of England
Charles IV
Grandchildren
Joan II of Navarre
John I
Joan III, Countess and Duchess of Burgundy
Margaret I, Countess of Burgundy
Isabella, Dauphine of Viennois
Edward III of England
Mary of France
Blanche, Duchess of Orléans
Louis X
Joan II of Navarre
John I
John I
Philip V
Charles IV

Marie of France (or Marie Capet), Countess of Champagne (1145 – March 11, 1198) was the elder daughter of Louis VII of France and his first wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine.

1 Family
2 Biography
3 Ancestry
4 Sources

Family

Marie's younger sister was Alix of France.

She was an older paternal half-sister to Marguerite of France, Alys, Countess of the Vexin, Philip II of France and Agnes of France. She was also an older maternal half-sister to William IX, Count of Poitiers, Henry the Young King, Matilda, Duchess of Saxony, Richard I of England, Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany, Leonora of England, Joan of England and John of England.

Biography

Marie's parents' marriage was annulled in 1152, and custody of Marie and her sister, Alix, was awarded to their father, King Louis. Their mother, Eleanor, married Henry, Count of Anjou and Duke of Normandy, later King Henry II of England, and so left France. In 1160, when her father, King Louis, married Adele of Champagne, he betrothed Marie and Alix to Adele's brothers. After her betrothal, Marie was sent to the abbey of Avenay in Champagne for her education.

In 1164, Marie married Henry I, Count of Champagne. They had four children:

Henry II of Champagne (1166–1197)
Marie of Champagne (died 1204), married Baldwin I of Constantinople
Theobald III of Champagne (1179–1201)
Scholastique of Champagne (died 1219), married William IV of Macon

Marie was left as Regent for Champagne when Henry I went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. While her husband was away, Marie's father died and her half-brother, Philip, became king. He confiscated his mother's dower lands and married Isabelle of Hainaut, who was previously betrothed to Marie's eldest son. This prompted Marie to join a party of disgruntled nobles—including Queen Adele and the archbishop of Reims -- in plotting against Philip. Eventually, relations between Marie and her royal brother improved. Her husband died soon after his return from the Holy Land. Now a widow with four young children, Marie considered marrying Philip of Flanders, but the engagement was broken off suddenly for unknown reasons.

After Henry I's death in 1181, Marie acted as regent until 1187 when her son, Henry, came of age. However, Henry II also went on Crusade and so Marie was regent from 1190 to Henry's death in 1197. She retired to the nunnery of Fontaines-les-Nones near Meaux, and died there in 1198.

Marie is remembered today mainly for her role in the heresy that was the target of the Albigensian Crusade. She was also a patron of literature, including Andreas Capellanus, who served in her court, and Chrétien de Troyes. She was literate in French and Latin and maintained her own library. A deep affection existed between Marie and her half-brother Richard I of England, and his celebrated poem J'a nuns hons pris, lamenting his captivity in Austria, was dedicated to her.