CONSTANCE OF BRITTANY (1161-1201), A DUCHESS AGAINST RICHARD HEART OF LION AND JOHN LACKLAND
In 1166, duke of Brittany Conan IV, must abdicate for being unable to stem the revolt against Henry II, king of England and duke of Normandy, his lord since 1158. Conan give him also his daughter Constance, five years old, his heiress to the duchy of Brittany.
The little girl is therefore due to grow up in England. By that time, the English court vibrates to the stories of legendary King Arthur achievements, popularized by the Welsh cleric Geoffrey of Monmouth. His book, History of the Kings of Britain, published around 1135, calls for the Britonic renaissance by evocating king Arthur’s victorious resistance against the saxon invasion. Geoffrey of Monmouth also speaks about the first legendary king of Brittany : Conan Meriadec, and tells that his descendant, Hoël the Great, Arthur’s nephew, fought the saxon invader alongside his oncle. These stories invoking the glory of the land of which she was the heiress, couldn’t let Constance indifferent : her father bore the same first name than the first king of Brittany. Besides, one of her ancestors, who had been duke of Brittany between 1066 and 1084 was another Hoël ! In such an environment, the young girl must have thought she will take up the torch of the fight for britonic independance as soon as possible.
In 1181, Constance married Geoffrey Plantagenêt, Henri II’s son and younger brother of Richard heart of Lion. Like his wife, Geoffrey will champion the independance of the duchy until his death, in 1186, without knowing Constance is pregnant. In 1187, she gives birth to a boy that she names Arthur. The newborn is considered as the reincarnation of the legendary king, called for free the Britons from English domination. Merlin's prophecies which annunced the successful Arthur's come back have never seemed that close to be fulfilled.
Successfully, Henri II and, after his death in 1189, his son Richard who succeed him, try to con the infant from its mother care. Their attempts are unsuccessful because of the obstinacy of the duchess. After Richard’s death without direct heir in 1199, the duchess defends his son’s rights for the English crown against John Lackand, seeking help from the king of France Philip Augustus.
Constance, which scholars agree to say her last marriage with Guy of Thouars (with whom she’ll have three daughters) was a love match, appears as a figure of astonishing modernity and, maybe, the bigger briton duchess.
The little girl is therefore due to grow up in England. By that time, the English court vibrates to the stories of legendary King Arthur achievements, popularized by the Welsh cleric Geoffrey of Monmouth. His book, History of the Kings of Britain, published around 1135, calls for the Britonic renaissance by evocating king Arthur’s victorious resistance against the saxon invasion. Geoffrey of Monmouth also speaks about the first legendary king of Brittany : Conan Meriadec, and tells that his descendant, Hoël the Great, Arthur’s nephew, fought the saxon invader alongside his oncle. These stories invoking the glory of the land of which she was the heiress, couldn’t let Constance indifferent : her father bore the same first name than the first king of Brittany. Besides, one of her ancestors, who had been duke of Brittany between 1066 and 1084 was another Hoël ! In such an environment, the young girl must have thought she will take up the torch of the fight for britonic independance as soon as possible.
In 1181, Constance married Geoffrey Plantagenêt, Henri II’s son and younger brother of Richard heart of Lion. Like his wife, Geoffrey will champion the independance of the duchy until his death, in 1186, without knowing Constance is pregnant. In 1187, she gives birth to a boy that she names Arthur. The newborn is considered as the reincarnation of the legendary king, called for free the Britons from English domination. Merlin's prophecies which annunced the successful Arthur's come back have never seemed that close to be fulfilled.
Successfully, Henri II and, after his death in 1189, his son Richard who succeed him, try to con the infant from its mother care. Their attempts are unsuccessful because of the obstinacy of the duchess. After Richard’s death without direct heir in 1199, the duchess defends his son’s rights for the English crown against John Lackand, seeking help from the king of France Philip Augustus.
Constance, which scholars agree to say her last marriage with Guy of Thouars (with whom she’ll have three daughters) was a love match, appears as a figure of astonishing modernity and, maybe, the bigger briton duchess.
Compte rendu critique: cliquer ICI
En 1166, le duc de Bretagne Conan IV doit abdiquer après
s'être révélé incapable d'endiguer la fronde contre son seigneur, le roi
d'Angleterre et duc de Normandie Henri II Plantagenêt, suzerain du duc depuis
1158. Conan lui remet également sa fille, âgée de cinq ans, destinée à lui
succéder après sa mort. La petite Constance va donc grandir en Angleterre. A
cette époque, la cour anglaise vibre aux récits des exploits du légendaire roi Arthur,
popularisés par le clerc gallois Geoffroy de Monmouth. Son livre, l'Histoire
des rois de Bretagne, publié vers 1135, appelle à la renaissance bretonne
en évoquant la résistance victorieuse du roi Arthur face à l'invasion saxonne sur l'île de Bretagne. Geoffroy de Monmouth parle également du premier roi légendaire de Bretagne continentale, Conan
Meriadec et raconte que son descendant, Hoël le Grand, neveu d'Arthur,
combattit aux côtés de son oncle l'envahisseur saxon. Ces récits
invoquant la gloire de la terre dont elle était
l'héritière n'ont pas pu laisser Constance indifférente: son père
portait le
même prénom que le premier roi de Bretagne et l'un de ses ancêtres, qui
avait été duc de Bretagne de 1066 à 1084, était prénommé Hoël! Dans un
tel environnement, la
jeune fille dut se dire très tôt qu'elle reprendrait le flambeau de la
lutte
pour l'indépendance bretonne dès que possible.
En 1181, Constance épouse Geoffroy Plantagenêt, le fils d'Henri II et le
frère cadet de Richard Cœur de Lion. Comme sa
femme, Geoffroy prendra fait et cause pour l'indépendance du duché,
jusqu'à sa mort en 1186, sans avoir que Constance est enceinte. L'année
suivante naît un fils qu'elle appelle Arthur... Le nouveau-né est vu
comme la réincarnation du roi légendaire, appelé à libérer les Bretons
de la
domination anglaise. Les prophéties de Merlin qui annonçaient le retour
victorieux d'Arthur n'ont jamais semblé si proches de s'accomplir.
Successivement, Henri II puis, après sa mort en
1189, Richard Cœur de Lion qui lui a succédé, tentent de s'emparer de
l'enfant. Leurs tentatives sont vaines en raison de l'opiniâtreté de la
duchesse. Après la mort de Richard sans héritier direct en 1199, la
duchesse
défend les droits de son fils à la couronne anglaise contre Jean sans
Terre, en allant chercher l'aide du roi de France Philippe Auguste.
Constance, dont les historiens s'accordent à dire que son dernier mariage avec Guy de Thouars (avec qui elle aura trois filles) fut un mariage d'amour, apparaît comme un personnage d'une étonnante modernité et, peut-être, comme la plus grande duchesse bretonne.
Constance, dont les historiens s'accordent à dire que son dernier mariage avec Guy de Thouars (avec qui elle aura trois filles) fut un mariage d'amour, apparaît comme un personnage d'une étonnante modernité et, peut-être, comme la plus grande duchesse bretonne.
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