Beatrice de Montfort, Countess of Montfort-l'Amaury (December 1249 – 9 March 1312) was a ruling sovereign countess of Montfort from 1249 until 1312. She was also countess of Dreux by marriage to

Robert IV of Dreux Robert IV of Dreux (1241–1282), Count of Dreux, Braine and Montfort-l'Amaury, was the son of John I of Dreux and Marie of Bourbon. Robert fought with Philip III of France in 1272 in his expedition to the Languedoc and was present at the cap ...

, Count of Dreux. She was the ancestor of the

Dukes of Brittany This is a list of rulers of the Duchy of Brittany. In different epochs the sovereigns of Brittany were kings, princes, and dukes. The Breton ruler was sometimes elected, sometimes attained the position by conquest or intrigue, or by hereditary r ...

from the House of Montfort-Dreux which derived its name from her title.

Life

Beatrice was born sometime between December 1248 and 1249, the only child of Jean I de Montfort, Count of Dreux and

Jeanne, Dame de Chateaudun Jeanne, Dame de Chateaudun ( 1227 – after 1252) was a French heiress and the wife of two French noblemen: Jean I de Montfort and Jean de Brienne, Grand Butler of France. Family Jeanne was born in France in about the year 1227, the eldest da ...

Reign

In 1249, Beatrice's father died in

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ...

, while participating in the Seventh Crusade. Thus, Beatrice succeeded her father as ruling count of Montfort at the age of about one years old. In 1251, Jeanne married her second husband, Jean de Brienne, Grand

Butler A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantries, pantry ...

of France. Jeanne and Jean had a daughter

Blanche de Brienne, Baroness Tingry Blanche de Brienne, Baroness Tingry (c. 1252 – c. 1302) was the wife of William II de Fiennes, Baron of Tingry (c. 1250 – 11 July 1302). She was also known as Dame de La Loupelande, and Blanche of Acre. Family Blanche was born in a ...

(1252–1302); Blanche married William II de Fiennes, Baron of Tingry. Jeanne died sometime after 1252, leaving her Beatrice and her half-sister Blanche as her co-heiresses. Beatrice was married to Robert IV of Dreux, Count of Dreux, Braine and Montfort-l'Amaury in 1260, when she was about eleven years old. He was the son of

John I of Dreux John I of Dreux (1215–1249), Count of Dreux and Braine, was the son of Robert III of Dreux and Annora (Aenor) of Saint-Valéry. Life Knighted by King Louis IX of France, he accompanied the king on several campaigns, firstly in Poitou in 124 ...

, Count of Dreux and Braine, and Marie de Bourbon. As was the custom for female rulers at this point in time, he became the co-ruler of Beatrice and Count of Montfort by right of his wife after their wedding.

Death

Beatrice died on 9 March 1312 at the age of sixty-three. She was buried in the Abbaye de Haute- Bruyère.

Issue

Beatrice and Robert had: * Marie of Dreux (1261/62–1276), in 1275 married Mathieu de Montmorency. * Yolande de Dreux (1263–1323), Countess of Montfort, married firstly on 15 October 1285 King Alexander III of Scotland, and secondly in 1292 Arthur II, Duke of Brittany *

John II of Dreux John II of Dreux (1265–1309), called John the Good, Count of Dreux and Braine, was the son of Robert IV of Dreux and Beatrice, Countess of Montfort. Robert fought with Philip IV of France in his wars in Flanders, including the sieges of Veur ...

(1265–1309) * Joan of Dreux, Countess of Braine, married firstly Jean IV de Roucy, and secondly John of Bar. * Beatrice of Dreux, Abbess of Port-Royal-des-Champs (1270–1328) * Robert of Dreux, seigneur of Chateau-du-Loire.

Ancestry

References

Sources

* * * * * 1240s births 1312 deaths 13th-century French people 14th-century French people 13th-century women rulers 14th-century women rulers Montfort-l'Amaury, Countess of, Beatrice House of Montfort Countesses of Dreux 13th-century French women 14th-century French women {{France-noble-stub