Margaret II, Countess of Flanders facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Margaret II
Margaret's seal
Countess of Flanders
Reign	1244–1278
Predecessor	Joan
Successor	Guy
Countess of Hainaut
Reign	1244–1280
Predecessor	Joan
Successor	John II
Born	1202
Died	10 February 1280(1280-02-10) (aged 77) Ghent
Spouse	Bouchard of Avesnes (m. 1212 – annul. 1215, sep. 1221) William II of Dampierre (m. 1223 – wid. 1231)
Issue	John of Avesnes Baldwin of Avesnes William III of Dampierre Guy of Dampierre John of Dampierre Joan of Dampierre Marie of Dampierre
House	House of Flanders
Father	Baldwin I, Latin Emperor
Mother	Marie of Champagne
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Margaret, also known as Margaret of Constantinople (born 1202 – died February 10, 1280), was an important ruler in the Middle Ages. She was the Countess of Flanders from 1244 to 1278 and the Countess of Hainaut from 1244 to 1253 and again from 1257 to 1280. Margaret was the younger daughter of Baldwin IX, who was the Count of Flanders and Hainaut, and Marie of Champagne.

Her life was marked by many disagreements, especially about who would inherit her lands. The children from her two marriages fought over the counties in a conflict known as the War of the Succession of Flanders and Hainault.

Margaret's Life Story

Her Early Years

Margaret's father left for the Fourth Crusade before she was born. Her mother left two years later. This meant Margaret and her older sister, Joan, were raised by their uncle, Philip of Namur.

After her mother died in 1204 and her father the next year, Margaret and Joan became orphans. Their uncle then placed them under the care of King Philip II of France. While in Paris, Margaret and Joan learned about the Cistercian religious order. This was likely influenced by Blanche of Castile, who would later become the Queen of France.

In 1211, a nobleman named Enguerrand III of Coucy wanted to marry Joan. His brother, Thomas, was to marry Margaret. However, the local nobles in Flanders did not like this idea, so the plan was stopped.

Her First Marriage

After her sister Joan married Infante Ferdinand of Portugal, Margaret was placed under the care of Bouchard of Avesnes. He was a powerful nobleman from Hainaut. Joan and Ferdinand wanted Margaret to marry William II Longespée, an English noble, to strengthen ties with England. But Bouchard of Avesnes, with the French King's approval, prevented this marriage.

Despite their age difference, Margaret grew fond of Bouchard. Before July 23, 1212, they were married.

After Ferdinand of Portugal was captured at the Battle of Bouvines in 1214, Bouchard of Avesnes asked Joan for Margaret's share of their inheritance. Joan then tried to end Margaret's marriage. The French King also became suspicious of Bouchard because he had fought in the Flemish army.

King Philip II told Pope Innocent III that Bouchard had already taken holy orders as a sub-deacon before his wedding. This meant his marriage was not allowed by church law. In 1215, the Pope officially ended the marriage. However, Margaret and Bouchard did not accept this decision. They went to live in the Castle of Houffalize in the Ardennes, protected by Waleran, Count of Luxembourg. Over the next four years, they had three sons:

• Baldwin of Avesnes (1217 – 1219), who died as a baby.
• John of Avesnes (May 1, 1218 – December 24, 1257).
• Baldwin of Avesnes (September 1219 – April 10, 1295).

Her Second Marriage

In 1219, Bouchard of Avesnes was captured in a battle against Joan. He was held prisoner for two years. In 1221, he was released on the condition that he separate from Margaret and travel to Rome for forgiveness from the Pope. While he was away, Joan convinced Margaret to marry again. Margaret finally agreed to her sister's wishes. Between August 18 and November 15, 1223, she married William II of Dampierre, a nobleman from Champagne. They had five children:

• William II, Count of Flanders (1224 – June 6, 1251).
• Joan of Dampierre (around 1225 – 1245/1246).
• Guy of Dampierre (around 1226 – March 7, 1305).
• John of Dampierre (around 1228 – 1258).
• Marie of Dampierre (around 1230 – December 21, 1302), who became an Abbess.

This situation caused a lot of debate. Many questioned if her second marriage was valid, since her first marriage was still considered legal by some. These arguments about her two marriages and the rights of her children continued for decades. They became part of bigger political struggles in the Holy Roman Empire and led to the long War of the Succession of Flanders and Hainault.

Becoming Countess of Flanders and Hainaut

When her sister Joan died in 1244, Margaret became the Countess of Flanders and Hainaut. Soon after, her sons from both marriages began to fight over who would inherit the counties. The main question was whether her first marriage to Bouchard of Avesnes was valid. If it wasn't, then only the children from her second marriage would be the rightful heirs. Margaret seemed to favor her second set of children. In 1245, she tried to get King Louis IX of France to recognize William of Dampierre, her eldest son from her second marriage, as the sole heir.

In 1246, King Louis IX tried to settle the matter. He decided that the Dampierre children should inherit Flanders, and the Avesnes children should inherit Hainaut. This was meant to be a fair solution and prevent war. However, neither side fully accepted his decision. In 1248, John of Avesnes took advantage of King Louis IX and William of Dampierre being away on the Crusades. He started a war against his mother, taking control of Hainaut and some Flemish lands.

Margaret thought the inheritance disputes were over after her son William of Dampierre became co-ruler of Flanders. But in 1251, she made a mistake by getting the Pope to declare both John and Baldwin of Avesnes legitimate. This gave them birth rights over the counties, which complicated things again.

William of Dampierre died unexpectedly in 1251. His mother suspected he was killed by allies of the Avesnes family. This death caused the fighting to start again. John of Avesnes convinced William II of Holland, the German King, to take Hainaut and parts of Flanders that were within the Holy Roman Empire. A civil war followed. It ended when the Avesnes forces defeated and captured Guy of Dampierre, Margaret's son from her second marriage, in July 1253.

Margaret then offered the County of Hainaut to Charles of Anjou, King Louis IX's brother. She wanted his military help against William II. Charles attacked Valenciennes. A truce was made in July 1254, agreeing to let Louis IX decide the dispute again. Guy of Dampierre was released in 1256. Louis IX confirmed his earlier decision: Flanders for the Dampierre children and Hainaut for the Avesnes children. Charles of Anjou gave up his claims to Hainaut. The death of John of Avesnes in 1257 brought a temporary end to the costly family quarrel.

The historian Matthew Paris described Margaret as someone who caused the deaths of many knights. He wrote that after Guy and John of Dampierre were captured, John of Avesnes tried to use them as hostages to force his mother to make peace. Margaret's strong reply was:

Sacrifice them, you cruel eater of meat, and eat one of them cooked with pepper sauce and the other roasted with garlic.

Because the Avesnes heir, her grandson John II, was still young, Margaret was able to regain control of Hainaut. In Flanders, she remained co-ruler with her son Guy of Dampierre until December 29, 1278. At that time, she gave up her power to him. She ruled Hainaut alone until May 1279, when she made John II her co-ruler there. She died nine months later, in February 1280. John II of Avesnes then became the sole Count of Hainaut.

Margaret's death ended the time when Flanders and Hainaut were ruled by the same person. This had lasted for almost a century. The two counties were reunited much later, in 1432.

Margaret's Role as a Ruler

Economic Policies

Like her sister, Margaret worked to help international trade grow. She removed rules that made it harder for foreign traders to do business, even though local traders wanted to keep their monopolies. She also introduced new money. However, the huge debts she got from the War of Succession forced Margaret to give more power to the main cities in Flanders, which became more independent.

Her policies also helped make Bruges an important international port. She gave special rights to merchants from Poitou, Gascony, and Castile. She also improved the water gates. From 1270 to 1275, she was involved in a trade war with England. This was one of the first times that trade was openly used as a weapon between countries. Margaret demanded payments from England for her support during a revolt. King Henry III refused to pay.

In response, Margaret seized the goods of English merchants in Flanders. King Henry III, and later his son Edward I, then seized the goods of Flemish merchants in England. They also stopped sending wool to Flanders. People in the towns who relied on the textile trade pressured Margaret and her son Guy to make peace with England. After this, the Flemish no longer controlled the shipping of goods between Europe and England.

Support for Religion and Arts

Margaret, like her sister, supported and helped create religious houses. In 1245, she founded the Béguinage in Bruges, which was a community for religious women. She also had an interest in architecture and supported writers and poets. In 1260, she founded the Abbey of Saint Elizabeth du Quesnoy, which is now destroyed.

Margaret was closely connected to the Dominican Order. During her time in Valenciennes after her separation, she founded convents for this order in Ypres and Douai.

See also

In Spanish: Margarita de Constantinopla para niños