Matilda of Saxony (1172-1209/10)

Matilda or Richenza of Saxony (1172-13 January 1209/10) was the Countess of Perche and then the lady of Coucy from German Welf dynasty, niece of Richard the Lionheart.

Life

Born as the eldest descendant of the Duke of Saxony Henry the Lion and Matilda, daughter of King Henry II. The name received after her grandmother by her father. After her father was Emperor expelled from the territory of the empire, the family took refuge in England at the court of King Henry. In the yard of her grandfather Richenza adopted the name of her mother Matilda, and remained there even after the return of parents back to their homeland. Several times he considered about her possible marriage. Plantagenet has had no free daughters or sisters to marry, the game was Scottish and Hungarian king and later in 1189 after her grandfather's death had occurred on the basis of a decision uncle Richard the Lionheart bride Geoffroyi of Perche, heir strategic manor in Normandy, future participant of the Third Crusade. Geoffroy gone on a journey together with his father and, unlike him from the Holy Land in health returned and took charge of the estate, which was extended to marriage farms in Suffolk, Essex and Kent. During his absence, Matilda took care of running the county and probably had her first son Geoffroyi. The second son, Thomas, was born probably in 1193, after her husband's return.

During the imprisonment of Richard the Lionheart, Geoffroy sided with John of England. After Richard was in February 1194 for a huge ransom released geoffroyi rid of all English goods and left him temporarily imprisoned. Freedom came in the autumn of 1195 and was returned to his wife's dowry.

Geoffroy along with his younger brother Stephen again answered the call to attend the crusade, and from 1201 he was actively involved in its preparation. Departure for the expedition was forthcoming, because suddenly fell ill and died during Lent that year. His wife left for his salvation act of worship in the cathedral of Chartres and its commemoration of the collegiate church founded in Mortagne.

He took over the management of the property in the name of the minor son of Thomas and showed considerable political acumen when she managed to keep the English territory against uncle John Lacklands. Two years later he remarried, even before she could establish a Cistercian monastery Clairets. Bridegroom became the initiative of King Philip divorced Enguerrand III. of Coucy, a man with a family prone to brutality and violence. The marriage was childless and Matilda died in January 1209 or in 1210. English estates confiscated John Lackland and her son Thomas died eight years later at the Battle of Lincoln.

Ancestors