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D'ANJOU Adelaide (Blanche)
Birth: ABT 942
Death: 1026
Notes
AFT 981 is too late, even for his second, b/c his first was very short
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelaide-Blanche_of_Anjou
Adelaide-Blanche of Anjou[a] (c.? 940 –1026) was the countess consort by marriage of
Gévaudan and Forez, of Toulouse, of Provence, and of Burgundy; and queen consort
of Aquitaine. She was the regent of Gevaudan during the minority of her sons in the
960s, and the regent of Provence during the minority of her stepson from 994 until
999.
Life[edit]
She was the daughter of Fulk II, Count of Anjou, and Gerberga and sister of Geoffrey
Greymantle.[1] She successfully increased Angevin fortunes, being married a total of
five times.[2] Her family had become upwardly mobile to the point that, as a member of
just the third generation from Ingelger, Adelaide-Blanche had married into the highest
ranks of the older nobility of western Francia.[2]
Her first marriage was to Stephen, the powerful Count of Gévaudan[3] and Forez in
eastern Aquitaine.[4] She was no more than fifteen at the time[5] and he was much
older. Still, they had three children who survived to adulthood.[4] Stephen died in the
early 960s[4] and after his death she ruled the lands as regent for her sons William,
Pons and Bertrand.[6] She continued to govern Gevaudan and Forez while her
remaining two sons learned to rule their father's counties.[6] Additionally, after her
oldest son William's death in 975 she raised his infant son Stephen.[6] Her brother
Guy (a.k.a. Guido II) was made Count-Bishop of le Puy in 975 amidst local opposition
and at his request Adelaide, acting for her sons Guy and Bertrand, led an army to aid
him in establishing the "Peace of God" in le Puy.[6]
In 982, as the widow of her second husband, Raymond, count of Toulouse, she wed
Louis, son of King Lothair of France.[7] The two were crowned King and Queen of
Aquitaine at Brioude by her brother Bishop Guy of le Puy.[7] The marriage lasted just
over a year due to the couple being unable to peacefully live together.[7] There was
also a significant age difference—he being fifteen and Adelaide-Blanche being over
forty.[7] Adelaide found herself in a precarious situation with King Lothair but was
rescued by Count William I of Provence[b][8] whom she subsequently married in c.?
984.[9] Count William of Provence died in 994 shortly after becoming a monk at
Avignon.[10]
In 1010 king Robert II of France along with Odo II, Count of Blois went to Rome to
secure an annulment from Robert's second wife, Constance of Arles, Adelaide-
Blanche's daughter by William I. Pope Sergius IV, a friend to the Angevin counts,
upheld the marriage and additionally upheld Adelaide's struggle to maintain control of
lands at Montmajour Abbey.[11] These lands, at Perth, had been donated by Count
William I of Provence with his wife Adelaide-Blanche, as well as by a previous
donation by William's father, Boson.[12] A dispute over these lands arose by four
brothers, sons of Nevolongus, who pope Sergius threatened with excommunication if
they did not withdraw their claim.[12] The claim was withdrawn and the lands remained
under the control of Adelaide-Blanche acting as regent for her son William II of
Provence.[12]
The cloister of Montmajour Abbey her final resting place.
Her fifth marriage was to Otto-William, Count of Burgundy,[c] who subsequently died
21 September 1026.[13] Adelaide-Blanche herself died in 1026, aged approximately
eighty-six.[3] The location of her death was probably at Avignon, since the year of her
death is recorded by Arnoux, a monk of the abbey of Saint-André, near Avignon. She
was buried in Montmajour Abbey, near Arles, considered at the time as the burial place
of the family of counts of Provence.
Marriages and children[edit]
She married first, c.? 955, Stephen, Count of Gévaudan (directs to French Wikipedia
since no English language page yet).[14][15] Children of this marriage were: William,
(c.? 955–975).[6]
Pons, Count of Gévaudan and Forez. He died aft. 26 February 1011.[16]
Bertrand, Count of Gévaudan.[16]
Almodis of Gévaudan, she married Adalbert I de Charroux, Count de la Haute March.
[16]
Her second marriage was to Raymond, Count of Toulouse and Prince of Gothia,[2] in
975. He died in 978. She had by him at least one child: William III, Count of Toulouse
She married as her third husband Louis V of France and the two were crowned King
and Queen of Aquitaine but the marriage ended in annulment.[7][15]
As her fourth husband she married, c.?984, William I of Provence[10][15] Together
they had: Constance of Arles,[15] who later married Robert II of France.[10]
Ermengarde, she married Robert I, Count of Auvergne.[10]
Tota-Adelaide, she married Bernard I, Count of Besalú.[10]
Her final marriage was to Otto-William, Count of Burgundy. He and Adelaide had no
children.[13]
Parents
____ Fulk (Foulques) II "the Good" (ABT 905 - 11 Nov 960)
OF GASTINOIS Gerberge (ABT 913 - 952)
Siblings
____ Geoffrey I "Grisgonelle" (ABT 11 Nov 938 - 21 Jul 987)
D'ANJOU Agnes (ABT 940 - AFT 987)
D'ANJOU Adelaide (Blanche) (ABT 942 - 1026)
Marriage To DE BRIOUDE Etienne II (ABT 940 - BEF 972)
m.
Notes
Parents
DE GEVAUDAN Bertrand I (ABT 920 - 993)
____ Emildis (ABT 922 - )
Children by DE BRIOUDE Etienne II ABT 940 - BEF 972
DE GEVAUDAN Pons (ABT 970 - )
Marriage To ____ Raymond III (ABT 942 - )
m. 975
Notes
Parents
PONS Raymond III (ABT 900 - )
OF GASCONY Gersende (ABT 900 - )
Children by ____ Raymond III ABT 942 -
TAILLEFER William (Guillaume) III (ABT 976 - Sep 1037)
____ Bertrand (ABT 977 - )
Marriage To ____ William I (ABT 954 - 994)
m.
Notes
his 2d
Parents
OF ARLES Boso II (ABT 920 - ABT 965)
OF PROVENCE, ARLES AND TOULOUSE Constance (ABT 933 - ABT 961)
Children by ____ William I ABT 954 - 994
OF ARLES, PROVENCE AND TOULOUSE Constance (ABT 975 - 28 Jul 1032)
OF PROVENCE Toda-Adelaide (ABT 986 - )
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