Adelaide of Maurienne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Adelaide of Maurienne |
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Adelaide of Maurienne, by Hugo Abel.
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| Queen consort of the Franks | |
| Tenure | 1115 – 1 August 1137 |
| Born | 18 November 1092 Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, France |
| Died | 18 November 1154 (aged 61–62) |
| Burial | Saint-Pierre de Montmartre |
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| House | Savoy |
| Father | Humbert II of Savoy |
| Mother | Gisela of Burgundy |
Adelaide of Maurienne, also known as Alix or Adele (born 1092 – died 18 November 1154), was a powerful Queen of France. She was the second wife of King Louis VI. She reigned as queen from 1115 until 1137.
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Meet Queen Adelaide
Adelaide was born in 1092. Her parents were Count Humbert II of Savoy and Gisela of Burgundy. Her older brother, Amadeus III, became the Count of Savoy in 1103.
Adelaide was related to some very important people. Her uncle was Pope Callixtus II. He even visited her at the French court. She was also related to Emperor Henry V.
Becoming Queen of France
Adelaide married King Louis VI of France on August 3, 1115, in Paris. She became his second wife. Together, they had nine children. Their second son, Louis VII of France, later became the next King of France.
Adelaide was one of the most active queens in French history. Her name appeared on 45 official royal documents. These documents are called charters. During her time as queen, royal charters were dated with both her reign year and the king's.
She and Louis also helped found a special place. It was the monastery of St Peter's (Ste Pierre) at Montmartre. This monastery was located in the northern part of Paris.
Life After the King
After King Louis VI died, Adelaide did not immediately retire. Most widowed queens at that time would go to live in a convent. But Adelaide chose a different path.
She married Matthieu I of Montmorency. They had one child together. Adelaide continued to be involved in the French court. She also stayed active in religious activities.
Her Final Years
In 1153, Adelaide decided to retire. She went to live at the Montmartre Abbey. This was the same monastery she had helped found with King Louis VII.
She passed away there on November 18, 1154. Adelaide was buried in the cemetery of the Church of St. Pierre at Montmartre. The original abbey was destroyed much later. This happened during the French Revolution. However, Adelaide's tomb can still be seen in the Church of St Pierre today.
A Famous Story
There is a famous story about Queen Adelaide. It was first told in the 1600s. The story says that Queen Adelaide fell in love with a young knight. His name was William d'Albini.
But William was already engaged to Adeliza of Louvain. He refused to be with the queen. The story claims that a jealous Adelaide tried to harm him. She supposedly put him in a room with a hungry lion. But William was very brave. He ripped out the lion's tongue with his bare hands. This killed the beast. This story is very likely not true. It is probably just a legend.
Her Children
Adelaide and King Louis VI had seven sons and two daughters:
- Philip of France (1116–1131)
- Louis VII (1120 – 18 November 1180), who became King of France
- Henry (1121–1175), who became the Archbishop of Reims
- Hugues (born around 1122)
- Robert (around 1123 – 11 October 1188), who became the Count of Dreux
- Constance (around 1124–16 August 1176). She married Eustace IV, the Count of Boulogne. Later, she married Raymond V of Toulouse.
- Philip (1125–1161), who became the Bishop of Paris.
- Peter (around 1126 – 1183). He married Elizabeth, Lady of Courtenay.
- A daughter whose name is not known. She died as a baby. She was buried at the Abbey of Saint-Victor, Paris.
Adelaide and Matthieu I of Montmorency had one daughter:
- Adèle (also called Aelis or Alix) of Montmorency
