Marie Of BLOIS

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Countess of Boulogne
• Fact: Princess of England, Countess of Mortain
• Fact: A Nun at Stratford
• Fact: Romsey; Prioress at Lillechurch, abbess of Rumsey
• Birth: 1131
• Death: 1180

Notes:

DeBrett's Kings and Queens of Britain by Williamson states "the marriage was annulled in 1169. In "Lives of the Princesses of England", Vol. I,pgs 196-212, Green writes how Mary was used as the political tool of Henry II of England to help secure his continental possessions: Mary's only brother William died, leaving her countess of Boulogne and Mortagne. The king, despite her vows, "then considered so sacred, which bound her to a life of perpetual virginity," had her taken from the monastery and married against her will to Matthew of Alsace. The nun found herself "the innocent object of execration to the whole Catholic world" and her marriage described as "execrable nuptials." Matthew was excommunicated; his bride was not indicating she was held faultless in the matter. Bologne was placed under an interdict, which was followed by "an interdict of fire and water, by which any one who assisted the earl in procuring even the ordinary necessaries of life was subjected to the same penalties as he himself had incurred." Eventually, her husband allowed Mary to return to the cloister, and in 1169 she entered the Benedictine nunnery of St. Austrebert near Montreuil, where she remained until her death 13 years later.

Marie married Matthew I Of ALSACE in 1160. Matthew (son of Thierry I Of LORRAINE and Sybil Of ANJOU) was born about 1137 in Flanders, Belgium; died on 25 Jul 1173 in Seige of Driencourt; was buried in Josse. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Ida Of BOLOGNE was born about 1161 in Boulogne, Pas-De-Calais, France; died in 1216.
2. Maud Of BOULOGNE was born about 1160 in Boulogne, Pas-De-Calais, France; died in 1210.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Stephen of Blois
• Fact: Count of Boulogne
• Fact: Count of Mortain
• Fact: King of England
• Crowned: 26 Dec 1135, Westminster Abbey
• Crowned: 25 Dec 1141

Notes:

After his capture and release by Matilda the Empress (whose throne, some believed,he usurped), Stephen was recrowned but not reconsecrated, insisting "that he had never been deposed."

On Henry I's death in 1135, Stephen usurped the throne from Matilda, Henry's daughter, and most of his reign was marked by civil war with the rival claimant. Order was not restored until 1153, when her son, Henry of Anjou, compelled the barons to recognize him as the heir to the throne.

Stephen married Matilda Of BOULOGNE about 1120. Matilda (daughter of Eustache III and Mary Of SCOTLAND) was born about 1105 in Boulogne, Pas-De-Calais, France; died on 03 May 1152 in Hedingham Castle, Essex, England; was buried in Faversham Abbey. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Crowned: 22 Mar 1136, Westminster Abbey
• Death: 3 Jul 1151, Hedingham Castle, Kent

Other Events and Attributes:

• Also Known As: "le Sage" "Count of Chartres & Tours"
• Fact: Count of Blois, Champagne, Brie, and Chartres
• Name: Stephen II Count Of Blois
• Fact: 1096, A Crusader, a leader of the 1st Crusade

Stephen married Adela Of ENGLAND between 1080 and 1085 in Breteuil and Chartres. Adela (daughter of William I The CONQUEROR and Matilda Of FLANDERS) was born about 1062 in Normandy, France; died on 8 Mar 1137 in Cluniac Priory of Marcigny-sur-Loire; was buried in Abbey Of the Holy Trinity in Caen. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Also Known As: Alice Princess of England
• Birth: Abt 1062

Notes:

Name:
Adela was born around 1062 and was the youngest daughter of William the Conqueror and his wife Mathilde of Flanders. She was very well educated, spoke several languages, and was deeply religious. Around 1080/81, she married Stephen III, Count of Blos who was one of the richest men in Europe and a king in all but name. They had eleven children.

Adela's formidable political abilities first showed themselves in 1095 when Stephen became one of the leaders of the First Crusade and left for the Holy Land. He was County of Blois, Champagne, Brie, and Chartres and controlled hundreds of estates in France. he was away four years, and Adela was such an effective ruler of his domains in his absence that she became known as "the heroine of the Fist Crusade."

From 1099 when Stephen returned until he departed again on the Crusade of 1101, Adela continued to support several scholars and poets that she had invited to her court and that significantly contributed to the spiritual and cultural life of her era.

From 1101, Adela was once again ruling Stephen's domains. After May 1102 when he was killed at the battle of Ramleh, she became regent for their eldest son Thibaud and was the most important woman in Europe until he came of age in 1109. She generously endowed abbeys and churches. Several letters on ecclesiastical matters written to her by Hildebert, bishop of Le Mans, have survived.

Around 1122, Adela became a nun, entered the Cluniac priory of Marigney-sur-Loiure, and died there on 8 march 1137. She was buried in Caen in the abbey of the Holy Trinity next to her mother and her sister Cecilia.

Adela's brothers William and Henry both became kings of England, as William II and Henry I. So did her son Stephen.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Count of Boulogne and Lens
• Fact: 1125, Went of 1st Crusade

Eustache married Mary Of SCOTLAND in 1102. Mary (daughter of Malcolm III CANMORE and St. Margaret Of SCOTLAND) was born about 1084 in Scotland; died on 31 May 1116 in St. Saviors Monastery, Bermondsey, Middlesex, England; was buried in Abbey Of St. Savior, Bermondsey, London. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Death: 18 Apr 1118