Individual Details
Constance Capet
(Abt 1078 - Jan 1124)
[[Category: House of Capet]]
----
==Constance of France==
: Constance of France (1078- January 1124/1126)
: p. Philip I of France and Bertha of Holland.
: House of Capet: princess of Antioch from her second marriage and Countess of Champagne from her first marriage.: Birth: : 1078 ReimsSource: [[#S1]] Page: Database online. Data: Text: Record for Philippe I Of France Capet: Death: JAN 1124 Canossa, Italy[[#S1]] Page: Database online. Data: Text: Record for Philippe I Of France Capet
===Early Life===
Constance was the eldest of five children and was the only daughter of her father from his first marriage.
: brother: Louis VI of France.
: maternal grandparents: Floris I, Count of Holland and Gertrude of Saxony.
: paternal grandparents: Henry I of France and second wife Anne of Kiev.
===First marriage===
Between 1093 and 1095: m. Hugh, Count of Champagne.: Philip's purpose: influence Hugh's family, House of Blois, to offset the opposition of Fulk IV of Anjou since Philip stole Fulk's wife, Bertrade. But this union was too late, Hugh's brother, Stephen II, Count of Blois, holder of most counties of the House of Blois married Adela of Normandy, dau William I of England, and produced children. This marriage was not beneficial to Constance's father now but Constance remained married to Hugh. Issue: son, died young.: Some believe they had Eléonore of Blois, but she's their niece.
After ten years, Constance demanded an annulment of their marriage, for unknown reasons. Constance obtained a divorce at Soissons on 25 December 1104. Philip never assisted Constance during this time. Philip soon died and Louis became King of France. Louis successfully restored the royal authority and tamed the unruly vassals. Constance could never expect help from her father but she could from her brother.
===Second marriage===
Constance went to the court of Adela, wife of Stephen. She was acting as regent since Stephen was killed in the Holy Land. Adela was well educated and all seemed to be well at the Court. It appeared that Adela used all her power to help Constance get a divorce from Hugh, who later left to fight in the Holy Land.
At the same time, Bohemond I of Antioch was just released by the Turks. He returned to Europe to obtain relief for the Crusaders in the Holy Land. The regency of the Principality of Antioch was assured by Bohemond's nephew Tancred, Prince of Galilee. Bohemond now needed a wife. He impressed audiences across France with gifts of relics from the Holy Land and tales of heroism while fighting the Saracens, gathering a large army in the process. Henry I of England famously prevented him from landing on English shores, so great was his influence expected to be on the English nobility. His new-found status won him the hand of Constance. Of this marriage wrote Abbot Suger:
Bohemond came to France to seek by any means he could the hand of the Lord Louis' sister Constance, a young lady of excellent breeding, elegant appearance and beautiful face. So great was the reputation for valour of the French kingdom and of the Lord Louis that even the Saracens were terrified by the prospect of that marriage. She was not engaged since she had broken off her agreement to wed Hugh, count of Troyes, and wished to avoid another unsuitable match. The prince of Antioch was experienced and rich both in gifts and promises; he fully deserved the marriage, which was celebrated with great pomp by the bishop of Chartres in the presence of the king, the Lord Louis, and many archbishops, bishops and noblemen of the realm.The marriage was celebrated in the cathedral of Chartres, and the festivities were held at the court of Adela, who also took part in negotiations. The groom took the opportunity to encourage the nobility to fight in the Holy Land, and also negotiated for a marriage between Bohemond's nephew Tancred, Prince of Galilee and Constance's half-sister Cecile of France.
Pleased by his success, Bohemond resolved to use his army of 34,000 men, not to defend Antioch against the Greeks, but to attack Alexios I Komnenos. He did so; but Alexius, aided by the Venetians, proved too strong, and Bohemond had to submit to a humiliating peace, (the Treaty of Devol in 1108).
After her marriage, Constance accompanied her husband to Apuleius, where she gave birth to their only child, Bohemond II of Antioch (1107- 1130), future Prince of Antioch. Bohemond became the vassal of Alexius, consented to receive his pay, with the title of sebastos, and promised to cede disputed territories and to admit a Greek patriarch into Antioch. Henceforth Bohemond was a broken man. He died without returning to the East, and was buried at Canosa in Apulia, in 1111.
===Widowhood===
Constance acted as regent of the duchies of Calabria and Apuleius on behalf of her son and took the title of Queen as a daughter of the King of France, but she was imprisoned by Grimoald Alferanites, who proclaimed himself Lord of Bari. Constance was released in 1120 on the intervention of King Roger II of Sicily and the Pope, but in exchange for her release, Constance had to give up the regency over her son.
===Death===
She died on 14 September 1126, and Bohemond II then went to takeover his principality of Antioch.
Constance's granddaughter, also called Constance, became Princess of Antioch. Her children included: Maria, Byzantine Empress, Bohemund III of Antioch and Agnes, Queen of Hungary.
===Source:===
* The book, 'The Oxford History of Medieval Europe'
----: [[Stephenson-407 | Michael Stephenson]].[[Amnelin-1 | Johanna Amnelin]]. [[Bryant-1003 | Willette Bryant]].
----
==Constance of France==
: Constance of France (1078- January 1124/1126)
: p. Philip I of France and Bertha of Holland.
: House of Capet: princess of Antioch from her second marriage and Countess of Champagne from her first marriage.: Birth: : 1078 ReimsSource: [[#S1]] Page: Database online. Data: Text: Record for Philippe I Of France Capet: Death: JAN 1124 Canossa, Italy[[#S1]] Page: Database online. Data: Text: Record for Philippe I Of France Capet
===Early Life===
Constance was the eldest of five children and was the only daughter of her father from his first marriage.
: brother: Louis VI of France.
: maternal grandparents: Floris I, Count of Holland and Gertrude of Saxony.
: paternal grandparents: Henry I of France and second wife Anne of Kiev.
===First marriage===
Between 1093 and 1095: m. Hugh, Count of Champagne.: Philip's purpose: influence Hugh's family, House of Blois, to offset the opposition of Fulk IV of Anjou since Philip stole Fulk's wife, Bertrade. But this union was too late, Hugh's brother, Stephen II, Count of Blois, holder of most counties of the House of Blois married Adela of Normandy, dau William I of England, and produced children. This marriage was not beneficial to Constance's father now but Constance remained married to Hugh. Issue: son, died young.: Some believe they had Eléonore of Blois, but she's their niece.
After ten years, Constance demanded an annulment of their marriage, for unknown reasons. Constance obtained a divorce at Soissons on 25 December 1104. Philip never assisted Constance during this time. Philip soon died and Louis became King of France. Louis successfully restored the royal authority and tamed the unruly vassals. Constance could never expect help from her father but she could from her brother.
===Second marriage===
Constance went to the court of Adela, wife of Stephen. She was acting as regent since Stephen was killed in the Holy Land. Adela was well educated and all seemed to be well at the Court. It appeared that Adela used all her power to help Constance get a divorce from Hugh, who later left to fight in the Holy Land.
At the same time, Bohemond I of Antioch was just released by the Turks. He returned to Europe to obtain relief for the Crusaders in the Holy Land. The regency of the Principality of Antioch was assured by Bohemond's nephew Tancred, Prince of Galilee. Bohemond now needed a wife. He impressed audiences across France with gifts of relics from the Holy Land and tales of heroism while fighting the Saracens, gathering a large army in the process. Henry I of England famously prevented him from landing on English shores, so great was his influence expected to be on the English nobility. His new-found status won him the hand of Constance. Of this marriage wrote Abbot Suger:
Bohemond came to France to seek by any means he could the hand of the Lord Louis' sister Constance, a young lady of excellent breeding, elegant appearance and beautiful face. So great was the reputation for valour of the French kingdom and of the Lord Louis that even the Saracens were terrified by the prospect of that marriage. She was not engaged since she had broken off her agreement to wed Hugh, count of Troyes, and wished to avoid another unsuitable match. The prince of Antioch was experienced and rich both in gifts and promises; he fully deserved the marriage, which was celebrated with great pomp by the bishop of Chartres in the presence of the king, the Lord Louis, and many archbishops, bishops and noblemen of the realm.The marriage was celebrated in the cathedral of Chartres, and the festivities were held at the court of Adela, who also took part in negotiations. The groom took the opportunity to encourage the nobility to fight in the Holy Land, and also negotiated for a marriage between Bohemond's nephew Tancred, Prince of Galilee and Constance's half-sister Cecile of France.
Pleased by his success, Bohemond resolved to use his army of 34,000 men, not to defend Antioch against the Greeks, but to attack Alexios I Komnenos. He did so; but Alexius, aided by the Venetians, proved too strong, and Bohemond had to submit to a humiliating peace, (the Treaty of Devol in 1108).
After her marriage, Constance accompanied her husband to Apuleius, where she gave birth to their only child, Bohemond II of Antioch (1107- 1130), future Prince of Antioch. Bohemond became the vassal of Alexius, consented to receive his pay, with the title of sebastos, and promised to cede disputed territories and to admit a Greek patriarch into Antioch. Henceforth Bohemond was a broken man. He died without returning to the East, and was buried at Canosa in Apulia, in 1111.
===Widowhood===
Constance acted as regent of the duchies of Calabria and Apuleius on behalf of her son and took the title of Queen as a daughter of the King of France, but she was imprisoned by Grimoald Alferanites, who proclaimed himself Lord of Bari. Constance was released in 1120 on the intervention of King Roger II of Sicily and the Pope, but in exchange for her release, Constance had to give up the regency over her son.
===Death===
She died on 14 September 1126, and Bohemond II then went to takeover his principality of Antioch.
Constance's granddaughter, also called Constance, became Princess of Antioch. Her children included: Maria, Byzantine Empress, Bohemund III of Antioch and Agnes, Queen of Hungary.
===Source:===
* The book, 'The Oxford History of Medieval Europe'
----: [[Stephenson-407 | Michael Stephenson]].[[Amnelin-1 | Johanna Amnelin]]. [[Bryant-1003 | Willette Bryant]].
Events
| Birth | Abt 1078 | Reims, Marne, Champagne-Ardenne, France | |||
| Death | Jan 1124 | Canossa, Reggio Emilia, Emilia-Romagna, Italy | |||
| Alt name | de Blois | ||||
| Reference No | 2797455 | ||||
| Reference No | 2834391 | ||||
| Reference No | 60 |
Families
| Father | Philippe I Capet (1052 - 1108) |
| Mother | Berthe Holland (1056 - 1108) |
| Sibling | Louis "le Gros, Roi de France" Capet (1081 - 1137) |
| Sibling | Henri Capet (1083 - 1089) |
| Sibling | Charles Capet (1085 - ) |
| Sibling | Eudes France (1087 - 1096) |