Margaret of Bourbon, Queen of Navarre facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Margaret of Bourbon
Queen consort of Navarre
Tenure	1234–53
Born	c. 1217
Died	12 April 1256 (aged 38–39)
Spouse	Theobald I of Navarre
Issue	Theobald II of Navarre Beatrice of Navarre Henry I of Navarre
House	House of Bourbon-Dampierre
Father	Archambaud VIII of Bourbon
Mother	Alice of Forez

Margaret of Bourbon (born around 1217, died 1256) was a powerful queen. She was the Queen of Navarre and Countess of Champagne from 1234 to 1253. She was the third wife of King Theobald I of Navarre. After her husband passed away, Margaret became a regent. This meant she ruled the kingdom and county for three years. She ruled for her young son, Theobald II of Navarre, until he was old enough.

Early Life and Family

Margaret was born into the important House of Dampierre family. She was the oldest daughter of Archambaud VIII of Bourbon, who was the Lord of Bourbon. Her mother was Alice of Forez. Margaret's father, Archambaud, worked for Count Theobald IV of Champagne. He was the count's constable, a high-ranking official.

Becoming Queen

Margaret was only 15 years old when she married Count Theobald. He was 32 and had recently lost his second wife. They married on September 12, 1232. Theobald's first wife had passed away, and his second wife had only left a daughter, Blanche.

Margaret brought a large amount of money and property, called a dowry, into the marriage. Their marriage contract had a special rule about this dowry. If Margaret died without children within nine years, only part of the dowry would go back to her father. If she died after nine years, none of it would be returned.

In 1234, Margaret became the Queen of Navarre. This happened when her husband, Theobald, inherited the kingdom from his uncle.

Ruling as Regent

Margaret and Theobald were married for 20 years. During this time, they had seven children together. Not much is known about Margaret's life as a queen. She seemed to live a quiet life.

However, everything changed when her husband died in 1253. Their son, Theobald II of Navarre, was only 14 years old. The laws of Navarre said that a king had to be 21 to rule on his own. So, Margaret became the regent. She had to deal with a big problem right away. The nobles in Navarre did not want her young son to be their king.

Margaret acted quickly to stop a rebellion. She traveled with Theobald to the capital city, Pamplona. She also made an alliance with the nearby Kingdom of Aragon. This helped her keep control.

Margaret also took over her husband's long-standing disagreement with the Knights Templar. These knights had bought a lot of land in Champagne, which her husband had not liked. Margaret firmly stopped them from buying any more land in the county.

In 1254, Margaret's son, Theobald, asked her to arrange a marriage for him. She helped him marry Isabella, who was the daughter of King Louis IX of France.

Later Life

In 1256, King Theobald II turned 21. He was now old enough to rule on his own. Margaret was no longer the regent. She moved to her large dower lands. These lands gave her a lot of income, about a third of the county's money. She spent the rest of her life there.

Margaret passed away in Provins on April 12, 1256. She was buried at the Saint Joseph de Clairval Abbey in Flavigny-sur-Ozerain.

Children

Margaret and Theobald had several children:

• Eleanor, who died when she was young.
• Theobald II of Navarre, who became king.
• Peter (died in 1265).
• Margaret, who married Frederick III, Duke of Lorraine in 1255. They had a son named Theobald II of Lorraine.
• Beatrice of Navarre, Duchess of Burgundy, who married Hugh IV Duke of Burgundy.
• Henry I of Navarre, who married Blanche of Artois.

Images for kids

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  Margaret of Bourbon, Queen of Navarre.

See also

In Spanish: Margarita de Borbón (1211-1256) para niños