Marie of Brabant, Queen of France

Marie of Brabant (French Marie de Brabant, born May 13, 1254 Leuven, Brabant, † January 10, 1321 in Murel at Meulan ) was as the second wife of Philip III. Queen of France from 1275 to 1285. You was the daughter of Henry III. , Duke of Brabant, and his wife Adelaide of Burgundy ( to 1233-1273 ).

Ancestry, early life and marriage

Mary's father, Henry III. of Brabant was a friend of Thibaut de Champagne, promoted poet himself stood forth as Trouvère and left some poems. He already died on 28 February 1261 when Mary was still a little girl. Her mother wide in October 1273rd Mary received in a manner befitting, beautiful spiritually oriented education, also developed a taste for poetry and loved reading fabliaux and romances of chivalry. Her compatriot, the famous Ménestrel Adenet le Roi, they later accompanied to France and you should stay always connected.

After Mary's brother John I of Brabant the request of a French embassy, the marriage of his sister with King Philip III. to allow the Bold (1245-1285), had agreed that educated young Mary, whose beauty was famous, was married on August 21, 1274 in Vincennes with the nine- year-older, widowed three years ago the French monarch. On Midsummer Day ( 24 June) 1275 was celebrated by the Archbishop of Reims her coronation in the presence of many French nobles and prelates as well as some German princes was held at the Sainte -Chapelle in Paris. The Grandes Chroniques de Saint- Denis report in detail on the occasion of this event in Paris organized festivals and amusements.

Progeny

Philip III. of France had by his first wife Isabella of Aragon been three surviving sons. From his marriage with Maria of Brabant following children were born:

  • Ludwig or Louis ( May 3, 1276 † May 19, 1319 ), Count of Évreux
  • Margaret or Marguerite (* around 1282 in Paris, † February 14, 1318 in Marlborough Castle, Wiltshire) ⚭ 1299 King Edward I of England
  • Blanka or Blanche, (* around 1282 in Paris, † March 1, 1305 in Vienna) ⚭ May 29, 1300 in Vienna, Rudolf III. of Habsburg, Duke of Austria and Styria, later King of Bohemia, eldest son of the Roman-German King Albrecht I

Queen of France

Mary of Brabant remained for some time by the consultants of the Duchy of Brabant surrounded, especially Philipp under the strong influence of his mother, Margaret of Provence and his favorite, surgeon and chamberlain ( cham bellan ) Pierre de la Brosse (also La Broce or La Broue ) was Maria and for this reason the French court initially had a tough time.

After the recovery, just before the May 1276 suspicious death of the young dauphin Louis La Brosse Maria accused in August 1276 she had poisoned her stepson in order to help their own sons to the right of succession. This step was looking the favorite to eliminate the impact of recalcitrant queen to him and their Brabant party. Even Mary's cousin, Mrs. Perwez, and Maria's confessor were involved in the indictment. The king did not want to believe these accusations initially. According to some reports, but he should then let you have locked up his wife in the tower of the castle of Vincennes. Then was the Duke of Brabant, Mary's brother, John, disguised as a monk secretly enters the prison of his sister, she had calmed down and then challenged La Brosse before the king to a duel. Philip III. Duke John had appeased by 've released his wife again, and ordered an investigation of the case.

Since then administered poison was medically barely detectable, the king according to various representations of two supposedly equipped with the gift of prophecy Belgian Beguines, Alix la Lépreuse and Isabelle de Spalbeek, who belonged to the Beguine community of Nivelles ask about the charges against Mary of Brabant. La Brosse reached that his cousin Pierre de Benais, Bishop of Bayeux, for consultation with the Beguines was sent. Benais went, accompanied by the Bishop of Liege at the Beguines, but could not get out of this for the queen adverse statements. When Philip III. then turned directly to the bishop of Liege, and this Isabelle de Spalbeek interviewed without Benais was present, the Beguine ended her statement by noting that the king should not those people who speak badly about his wife believe.

Anyway, the suspicions against Mary was so scattered. After intercepting incriminating, allegedly originating from La Brosse letters, but they were possibly fake, the former royal favorite, was arrested in January 1278 in Vincennes and imprisoned in Janville. La Brosse may have been convicted wrongly finally hanged on June 30, 1278 in Paris on the gallows of Montfaucon. Whether personalities from the district were involved by the Queen on the alleged poisoning of the heir to the throne and forced the condemnation of La Brosse, is not clear.

Meanwhile, Pierre de Benais was to Rome to Pope Nicholas III. fled. At the urging of high nobles of former opponents of La Brosse as the Dukes of Brabant and Burgundy, the Queen wrote a letter to the Holy Father, in which they called for the punishment of the volatile prelates with sharp words. In his only occurred after almost five months answer Nicholas III appreciated. Although Mary's innocence and virtue, but did not respond to the charges against the Bishop of Bayeux allegations. Also a letter of Philip III. itself as well as the posting Arnould III. de Wezemaal, who demanded the dismissal or punishment of the bishop on behalf of the French king, the Catholic Pontifex Maximus could not move to decisive action against Pierre de Benais. About the latter said Philip III. However, at least a banishment from.

After the elimination of the former royal favorite, La Brosse it was possible Maria, her husband, who had been also his mother Margaret of Provence paid very much hearing to bring more and more on their side. Their influence on the king strengthened further. In particular, it supported Margaret's old adversary, Philip's uncle Charles of Anjou. The queen mother retired to the monastery.

The royal household of Mary was guided by the values ​​of courtly and knightly culture; European nobles met together to magnificent tournaments and particularly appreciated the victorious and bold Charles of Anjou. The Queen, who has been assigned by her husband as the jointure Kastellaneien Pacy, Mantes, Anet, Nogent -le- Roi and Bréval, has continued to promote writers. At her court Adenet le Roi wrote his poem Cléomadès, which he dedicated to the Queen and her sister Blanche of France. She was also active as a church patron, such as by the chapel Foundation Notre -Dame de Mantes and grants for Carthusians. In memory of Isabelle de Spalbeek she founded in 1283 in Nivelles an institute for the Beguines and equipped it with substantial income.

After the kingdoms of Aragon and Castile Charles of Anjou had made his claim to Sicily in dispute (see Sicilian Vespers ), Maria encouraged her husband to the fruitless expedition against Aragón, in the course of which the king on the retreat on October 5, 1285 in Perpignan succumbed to malaria. Came to the throne as Philip IV, his eldest surviving son from his first marriage to Isabella of Aragon.

Life as a widow and death

At the age of 31 years a widow who on the death of her husband deeply grieved Maria of Brabant lost a lot of political influence. Philip IV but allowed her to continue to reside with their offspring in the royal court. They devoted himself to the education of their children and knew how her daughters to save the marriage into major European dynasties: Margaret married into the house of Plantagenet, Blanka in the House of Habsburg.

Together with the French Queen Joan I of Navarre and Blanche d' Artois negotiated their mother Maria of Brabant 1294 Crouchback Edmund, the younger brother of King Edward I and husband of Blanche d' Artois, the peace between France and England.

Maria survived Philip III. to 36 years and experienced the throne ascents of Louis X ( 1314) and Philip V ( 1316 ). After 1316 she retired to the monastery Murel near Meulan back. In Noyon they had again set up the hospital and equip it with funds. She died in January 1321 or January 1322 at the age of 66 or 67 years in Murel monastery. The honor of a burial in the grave laying of the French royal family in the Basilica of Saint- Denis was not her given. She was buried in Paris at the Couvent des Cordeliers, the monastery of the Friars of St. Francis of Assisi in the monastery church. Her grave was destroyed by the burning of the church in 1580.

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