Peter I, Duke of Brittany facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Peter I |
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Peter represented on a window in Chartres Cathedral
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| Duke of Brittany | |
| Reign | 1213–1221 (as duke) 1221–1237 (as regent) |
| Predecessor | Alix |
| Successor | John I |
| Co-ruler | Alix |
| Born | c. 1187 |
| Died | 26 May 1250 (aged 63) |
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| House | Dreux |
| Father | Robert II, Count of Dreux |
| Mother | Yolande de Coucy |
Peter I (French: Pierre; born around 1187 – died May 26, 1250), also known as Peter Mauclerc, was an important ruler in France during the 1200s. He became the Duke of Brittany in 1213 because he married Duchess Alix. This is called jure uxoris, meaning "by right of his wife." He ruled as duke until 1221.
After his wife Alix passed away, Peter became the regent for their young son, John I. A regent is someone who rules a country when the rightful ruler is too young. Peter was regent from 1221 to 1237. He was also the first Earl of Richmond in England from 1218 to 1235.
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Peter's Family Background
Peter was the second son of Robert II, who was the Count of Dreux, and his mother was Yolande de Coucy. His father, Robert II, was the son of Robert I, who was a younger brother of King Louis VII of France. This means Peter was related to the French royal family, a second cousin to King Louis VIII of France.
Even though he was related to the king, Peter was a younger son from a less important branch of the royal family. This meant he wasn't expected to be a powerful noble. He only had a few small landholdings in areas like Île-de-France and Champagne.
Peter was first meant to become a priest. However, he later decided not to, which earned him the nickname Mauclerc. This French name means "bad cleric" or "bad clergyman." He even broke a rule about how coats of arms were designed for church officials.
Becoming Duke of Brittany
In 1212, King Philip II of France wanted to find a loyal and not-too-powerful ruler for Brittany. Brittany was a very important region. It was located along the sea routes between England and England's lands in Gascony. It also bordered Anjou and Normandy, which England had recently lost and wanted to get back.
At the time, Brittany was being ruled by Guy of Thouars, who was regent for his young daughter, Alix. King Philip was also worried because Alix's older half-sister, Eleanor, was held prisoner in England.
So, King Philip ended the engagement between Alix and a Breton lord named Henry of Penthièvre. Instead, he chose his French cousin, Peter, who was in his early twenties. Peter married Alix, and on January 27, 1213, he promised loyalty to the king for Brittany.
There was some confusion about whether Peter should be called a duke or a count. Legally, his wife Alix was the Duchess. The King of France and the Pope often called him a count. However, Peter himself always used the title of duke in his own official documents.
Dealing with England
In 1214, King John of England gathered a strong group of allies against the French. He landed in Poitou, while the German Emperor Otto planned to attack from the north. King John drove off some French forces in Poitou. Then he moved towards the southern edge of Brittany, near Nantes.
Peter fought him off after a short battle. But Peter did not stop John from moving up the Loire valley. John captured some Breton castles and then attacked La Roche-aux-Moines. However, King John's own nobles from Poitou refused to fight against a French army led by the King of France's son, Louis. Meanwhile, Emperor Otto's army was crushed at the Bouvines, and the whole invasion failed.
It's not entirely clear why King John tried to capture Nantes, especially by attacking its well-defended bridge. It's also unclear why Peter didn't attack John's forces from behind as they marched east. One idea is that Peter and John might have made a secret agreement. Perhaps John promised to leave Brittany alone for a while, and in return, Peter would not bother him elsewhere.
King John had something Peter wanted: the Earldom of Richmond. This important English title and its lands had traditionally belonged to the Dukes of Brittany. Peter always wanted to get back the income from Richmond.
Peter did not accept King John's offers to join him against the English nobles. He probably thought King John's chances of winning were too uncertain. Also, Louis, the French prince, was fighting the English again. But when Louis was defeated, Peter was chosen as one of the people to negotiate a peace treaty.
After the peace talks finished in 1218, William Marshal, who was ruling England for the young King Henry III of England, recognized Peter as the Earl of Richmond. This was instead of Eleanor of Brittany, who was kept in prison because she could be a threat to the English throne. Peter received the properties of the earldom that were outside of Yorkshire. These lands actually brought in most of the earldom's money. In 1219, Peter also helped capture Marmande and besiege Toulouse during the Albigensian Crusade.
Strengthening His Power
Peter then focused on his next goal. The Dukes of Brittany traditionally had less power compared to other great nobles in northern France. For example, the duke could not stop his counts from building castles. He also didn't have the right to become the guardian of young heirs of his vassals (nobles who owed him loyalty).
Peter wanted to make his relationship with his vassals stronger, similar to how the French king ruled his nobles. To do this, Peter simply announced new rules. This, of course, led to trouble with his barons (nobles). There were several small civil wars and political fights. In 1222, he put down a revolt by Breton barons in the Battle of Châteaubriant. By 1223, all the barons had either accepted his changes or lost their lands.
The six bishops of Brittany were another challenge to Peter's power. They owned a lot of land, including parts of the few cities in Brittany. They resisted Peter's attempts to raise money by increasing taxes or taking church lands. Because of this, Peter was temporarily removed from the Catholic Church (excommunicated) from 1219 to 1221. Peter eventually gave in, but his conflicts with the bishops continued.
Ruling as Regent
Peter's wife, Alix, died on October 21, 1221. She was only 21 and left behind four young children. Her death meant Peter was no longer the Duke of Brittany. However, he continued to rule with full authority as regent for his son John, who was only about four years old.
Alix's death changed Peter's goals in two ways. First, he wanted to get more land outside of Brittany. This would give him something extra for his retirement after his son grew up. Second, there was a strong tradition in France that a young heir should receive their property in the same condition it was in when they inherited it. This meant Peter had to be careful not to take too many risks that could harm his son's future.
Peter helped King Philip II's successor, King Louis VIII, in his fight against King Henry III of England. He helped in the sieges of Niort and La Rochelle in 1224. He also joined Louis VIII on the Albigensian Crusade, a religious war. He was present at the siege of Avignon in 1226.
After King Louis's death in November 1226, Peter joined other powerful nobles, like Count Theobald IV of Champagne and Count Hugh X of La Marche. They rebelled against the regent, Blanche of Castile, who was ruling for the young King Louis IX. These rebellions lasted from 1227 until 1234. Around this time, Peter stopped being loyal to the King of England and lost his English earldom.
Crusades and His Death
Peter's son John became old enough to rule in 1237. After this, Peter Mauclerc joined the Barons' Crusade to the Holy Land in 1239. While there, Peter's soldiers and some local knights were attacked by strong Mamluk cavalry who fired arrows. However, the crusader force managed to outsmart and defeat them, taking some prisoners back to Jaffa.
In early November, during a march from Acre to Ascalon, Peter and his helper Raoul de Soissons left the main army to go on a raid. They split their forces and waited in ambush for a Muslim trade caravan heading to Damascus. Peter's group fought with the Muslims outside a castle. After some fighting, he blew his horn to call Raoul for help. The Muslims were defeated and fled inside the castle. Peter's men followed them, killed many, took some prisoners, and seized the caravan's goods and animals. This small victory was soon followed by a big defeat at Gaza.
Back in France, Peter had some success fighting the English at sea in 1242 and 1243. In 1249, he joined the Seventh Crusade to Egypt led by King Louis IX. Peter died at sea before he could return home. He was buried in Braine, France.
Marriages and Children
Peter was married three times during his life:
His first wife was Alix of Thouars, Duchess of Brittany (1201–1221). Alix and Peter had three children:
- John I (born around 1217–died 1286), who became Duke of Brittany.
- Yolande of Brittany (born 1218 – died October 10, 1272), who married Hugh XI of Lusignan, a powerful count.
- Arthur of Brittany (born 1220–died 1224).
His second wife was Nicole (died February 1232). Nicole and Peter had one son:
- Oliver de Braine (born 1231–died 1279), who inherited the Lordship of Machecoul. He became Oliver I of Machecoul and started a new branch of the Dreux family.
His third wife was Marguerite de Montaigu. She was the Lady of Montaigu, Commequiers, La Garnache, and later Machecoul. She was also the widow of Hugh I de Thouars, who was a brother to Guy of Thouars, making her Alix's paternal aunt. They married by 1236 and did not have any children together.
See Also
In Spanish: Pedro I de Bretaña para niños
