Constance of Béarn facts for kids

Constance (died 1310) was a powerful noblewoman in medieval France. She was the Viscountess of Marsan in her own right, meaning she inherited the title directly. She also had a claim to be the Countess of Bigorre. Constance was the daughter of Gaston VII, Viscount of Béarn and his first wife, Martha of Marsan.

Constance received all her titles from her mother. She also tried to inherit her father's title, the Viscounty of Béarn. During her life, Constance was married three times. Her marriages connected her to important royal families in Aragon, Castile, and England.

Life of Constance

Constance was born sometime between 1245 and 1255. Her father was Gaston VII, Viscount of Béarn, and her mother was Martha of Marsan. Constance had three younger sisters: Margaret, Martha, and Guilemette. We don't know their exact birth dates. However, Constance was likely the oldest because she inherited her mother's lands when Martha passed away.

Constance's Marriages

When Constance was a young teenager, she traveled to Aragon. There, on March 23, 1260, she married Infante Alfonso. He was the son and heir of James I of Aragon. Sadly, this marriage lasted only three days, as Alfonso died on March 26.

In 1266, Constance was planned to marry Infante Manuel of Castile. Manuel was the son of Ferdinand III of Castile. His first wife had died, so he was looking to remarry. A marriage agreement was signed in Seville. Constance's sister, Guilemette, was also set to marry Manuel's son, Alfonso. However, these plans never happened, and neither couple married.

A third marriage agreement was made in 1268. This time, Constance was to marry Henry of Almain, a grandson of King John of England. She traveled to England the next year. They were married at Windsor Castle on May 5, 1269. This marriage was also short. Henry ended the marriage the following year. He then died himself in 1271.

Constance married for a third and final time in 1279. Her new husband was Aymon II of Geneva. This marriage was arranged by Constance's stepmother, Beatrice of Savoy, Dame of Faucigny. Like her first two marriages, this one was also brief. Aymon died within a year. Constance never had any children from any of her marriages.

Inheriting Titles and Disputes

When Constance's mother died, Constance became the Viscountess of Marsan. Through her mother, Constance also had a claim to the County of Bigorre. Her mother had been trying to get this title from her niece, Laura. Laura was the sister of the previous Count, Eskivat de Chabanais.

The fighting over Bigorre had started in 1251. This was because of problems left by Constance's grandmother, Petronilla, Countess of Bigorre. Petronilla had made Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester the governor of Bigorre. When she died, he refused to give control to Constance's aunt, Alice, Countess of Bigorre. With help from Constance's parents, Alice eventually succeeded.

The peace ended when Eskivat died. Both Martha (Constance's mother) and Laura claimed Bigorre. When Martha died in the late 1270s, Constance inherited her claim. Her father, Gaston, then helped Constance by attacking Bigorre. It was again controlled by Simon de Montfort. The overlord, Edward I of England, did not want Béarn and Bigorre to be united. So, he sent John Grailly to take control, forcing Gaston to retreat.

Constance then asked Philip IV of France for help. The French king called the whole family to his court to discuss the problem. In the end, he took Bigorre for the French crown. Bigorre stayed under French control until 1425. At that time, John I, Count of Foix, a descendant of Constance's sister Margaret, claimed it.

Constance's father, Gaston, never had any sons. His second wife, Beatrice of Savoy, also had no children with him. This meant his four daughters were his heirs. Gaston decided to skip Constance's claim. This might have been because she already had her mother's Viscounty of Marsan. Instead, he chose to leave the Viscounty of Béarn to his second daughter, Margaret, and her husband, Roger-Bernard III, Count of Foix.

Gaston's will was then challenged by his third daughter, Martha, and her husband, Gerald VI, Count of Armagnac. Because of these disputes, Guilemette was named the heiress, bypassing Constance, Margaret, and Martha. When Gaston died in 1290, the disputes had led him to leave Béarn to Constance. However, she soon gave it to her sister Margaret. Margaret had children of her own by this time, while Constance remained without children.

Constance died on April 26, 1310. This was just five days after her stepmother, Beatrice. Marsan then passed to Margaret, joining it with the Béarn inheritance.

See also

In Spanish: Constanza de Montcada para niños