Death of Princess Marie de France – Countess of Champagne

Death of Princess Marie de France – Countess of Champagne

Born in 1145, Marie was the first and oldest daughter of King Louis VII of France and his first wife, the legendary Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Their marriage was already shaky when Eleanor gave birth to a second daughter, Alix, in 1151.

Marie was just two years old when her parents led the Second Crusade to the Holy Land.

Not long after their return in 1152, when Marie was seven, her parents’ marriage was annulled.

Custody of Marie and her younger sister, Alix, was awarded to their father, since they were at that time, the only heirs to the throne.

Both of Marie’s parents remarried quickly.

Eleanor married King Henry II of England and became Queen.

Little is known about Marie’s relationship with her mother Eleanor of Aquitaine, after her parents’ separation.

It’s possible they exchanged gifts and letters on rare occasions, but Eleanor must have been preoccupied with her English children.

Marie’s father King Louis VII, married Constance of Castile.
Just five weeks after Constance died while giving birth to their second child, Louis married Adele of Champagne.

King Louis then betrothed his daughters Marie and Alix, to Adele of Champagne’s brothers.

15 year old Marie’s chosen groom was Count Henri of Champagne.
After her betrothal, Marie was sent to the abbey of Avenay in Champagne, for her Latin-based education.

Marie and Henri married in 1159.
They would go on to have four children:

Scholastique of Champagne.
Henry II.
Marie of Champagne.
Theobald.

Marie was a capable, clever, and educated woman. While her husband Henri I went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land, she became regent for Champagne from 1179 until 1181.

Marie’s husband died soon after his return from the Holy Land in 1181, leaving her again as regent for their young son, Count Henri of Champagne.

Now a widow with four young children, Marie considered marrying Philip of Flanders, but the engagement was broken off suddenly, for unknown reasons.

When Henri II left to go on Crusade, Marie once again served as regent in her sons absence.
Marie did not see Henri come back from the Holy Land – he passed away there in 1197.
Marie’s younger son Theobold, succeeded him.

Marie then retired to the nunnery of Château de Fontaines-les-Nonnes near Meaux.

Marie passed away of unknown causes on 11th March 1198, at the age of 52-53.
Marie was buried in Meaux Cathedral in the town of Meaux, France.

On 25th June 1562, rioting Huguenots devastated the Cathedral of Meaux.
The tomb of Marie of Champagne, located in the choir, was destroyed.

Over the course of Marie’s regencies, Champagne was transformed from a patchwork of territories into a significant principality.
Marie displayed her talent in governance, which makes her similar to her mother.

As her mother’s daughter, Marie was an active patroness of the arts.
Her court in Champagne was thronged with writers and artists.

? Princess Marie de France, Countess de Champagne, from Bibliothèque nationale de France