Theobald I of Navarre
| Theobald I | |
|---|---|
Sancho VII | |
| Successor | Theobald II |
| Count of Champagne | |
| Reign | 30 May 1201 – 8 July 1253 |
| Predecessor | Theobald III |
| Successor | Theobald II of Navarre |
| Born | 30 May 1201 Troyes, County of Champagne |
| Died | 8 July 1253 (aged 52) Pamplona, Kingdom of Navarre |
| Burial | |
| Spouses | |
| Issue more... |
|
| House | House of Blois |
| Father | Theobald III, Count of Champagne |
| Mother | Blanche of Navarre |
Theobald I (
Rule of Champagne
Regency of Champagne
Born in
The first half of Theobald's life was plagued by a number of difficulties. His uncle, Count
The conflict with Erard and Philippa broke into open warfare in 1215 as the
Conflict with the crown
Once he came of age Theobald personal rule was initially marked by a series of difficulties.
Theobald IV came into conflict with
During the
Strong rumors began to spread that Theobald IV was having an affair with Louis VIII's widow, the regent Blanche of Castile, for whom he composed a poetic homage. Queen Blanche and Theobald IV's father Theobald III were both grandchildren of Eleanor of Aquitaine. The first chronicler to report the rumors about a love affair between Theobald and Blanche was Roger of Wendover. Wendover claims that Theobald, "tormented by passion" for the queen, tried to poison King Louis VIII at the siege of Avignon. Matthew Paris adds a story that the French nobles goaded the young King Louis IX to challenge Theobald to a duel to avenge his father's death, but that Blanche put a stop to the duel. Theobald IV was becoming increasingly influential at court, and the other great counts of France were becoming resentful. It is possible that the rumors of an affair with the queen were indeed unfounded, and merely fabricated by other barons jealous of his position at court. In general, the other barons were jealous of the strengthened County of Champagne which had emerged from the Succession War, and now presented a major rival to surrounding areas.
Whatever the case, the resentful other barons invaded Champagne from 1229 to 1230. Ironically, the alliances in the invasion were reversed from the arrangement they had been in during the Succession War: Count Henry II of Bar attacked Champagne from the east, prompting Theobald IV to ally with Lorraine to attack the County of Bar. Simon of Joinville, who had fought for the rebel faction during the Succession War, now allied with Theobald IV against the external threat, and aided him in ravaging Bar, which was on the northern border of Joinville's own lands. The conflict with the County of Bar prompted the more powerful Duchy of Burgundy to invade Champagne from the south, led by Duke Hugh IV (his father Odo III, Blanche of Navarre's staunch ally, had died in 1218). This provoked Queen Blanche to intervene, in order to stop the spread of the conflict.
Theobald IV was able to repulse the attackers, but at great cost. Champagne's economy was so depleted by these two major wars, as well as the crusading debts of Theobald IV's father and uncle, that Theobald IV had to sell off his overlordship of the counties west of Paris that his ancestors held before expanding east to Champagne: Blois, Sancerre, and Chateaudun. Another major blow to morale came near the start of the invasion of 1229, when Blanche of Navarre died (of natural causes) while in retirement at Argensolles convent. Moreover, Theobald IV's second wife Agnes of Beaujeu suddenly died in 1231, leaving Theobald IV with only their five-year-old daughter,
Theobald succeeded his uncle
Domestic and foreign policy
As king, Theobald sealed pacts with the
In order to gain the support of Castile, he had his daughter
Barons' Crusade
It was in 1239 that Theobald directed a crusading host to the
Theobald negotiated with the
It is debatable how much of the ultimate success of the crusade (the most successful since the
Conflict with Church and final years
Theobald spent most of the remainder of his reign travelling back and forth between Navarre and Champagne. He was at odds with the
Marriages and issue
Theobald married three times. He married Gertrude of Dagsburg in 1220,[1] and divorced her two years later when he came of age. They had no children.
Secondly, in 1222, he married Agnes of Beaujeu.[1] The marriage produced at least one child:
Agnes died in 1231. Theobald married thirdly to
- Eleanor (born 1233, died young)
- Peter (died young)
- Margaret, in 1255 married to Frederick III, Duke of Lorraine[8]
- Theobald II of Navarre,[1] married Isabella, daughter of Louis IX of France[9]
- Beatrix, married Hugh IV, Duke of Burgundy[9]
- Henry I of Navarre, married Blanche of Artois[9]
Theobald had at least two daughters out of wedlock.
With an unknown mistress, he had Agnes, who married Álvar Pérez de Azagra, 4th Lord of Albarracín.[a]
With Marquesa López de Rada, daughter of Lope Díaz de Rada and Brunisende of Narbonne, he had Marquesa Gil de Rada, who married Pedro Fernández, baron of
Notes
- ^ In March 1238, Pedro Fernández de Azagra and king Theobald agreed on the marriage of Álvar and Inés. The agreement was reached in Tudela and is recorded in the Royal Charters, Tome II of the Archivo General de Navarra.
References
- ^ a b c d e Evergates 2007, p. 248.
- ^ O'Callaghan 1975, p. 680.
- ^ William of Puylaurens 2003, p. 81.
- ^ a b Burgtorf 2011, p. 331-332.
- ^ Tyerman 2006, p. 767.
- ^ Richard 1999, p. 325.
- ^ Tyers 2018, p. 60.
- ^ Fray 2007, p. 270.
- ^ a b c George 1875, p. table XXV.
Sources
- Burgtorf, Jochen (2011). "Battle of Gaza (1239)". In Mikaberidze, Alexander (ed.). Conflict and Conquest in the Islamic World: A Historical Encyclopedia. Vol. I. ABC-CLIO.
- Evergates, Theodore (2007). The Aristocracy in the County of Champagne, 1100-1300. University of Pennsylvania Press.
- Fray, Jean-Luc (2007). Villes et bourgs de Lorraine: réseaux urbains et centralité au Moyen Âge (in French). Presses Universitaires Blaise-Pascal.
- George, Hereford Brooke (1875). Genealogical tables illustrative of modern history. Oxford at the Clarendon Press.
- O'Callaghan, Joseph F. (1975). A History of Medieval Spain. Cornell University Press.
- Richard, Jean (1999). The Crusades, C.1071-c.1291. Translated by Birrell, Jean. Cambridge University Press.
- Tyerman, Christopher (2006). God's War:A New History of the Crusades. Penguin Books.
- Tyers, Theresa (2018). "A Delite for the Senses: Three Healing Plants in Medieval Gardens, the Lily, the Rose, adn the Woodland Strawberry". In Skinner, Patricia; Tyers, Theresa (eds.). The Medieval and Early Modern Garden in Britain: Enclosure and Transformation, C. 1200-1750. Taylor & Francis.
- William of Puylaurens (2003). The Chronicle of William of Puylaurens: The Albigensian Crusade and its Aftermath. Translated by Sibly, W.A.; Sibly, M.D. Boydell Press.
External links
- Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 26 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 845–846.