Marie of Provence

Queen Consort of England

Joan, Lady of Wales

**Marie of Provence** (C. Unknown - 1167) was Queen Consort of England as the first wife of John I of England until her death in 1167. She was the eldest daughter of Geoffrey I, Count of Provence and his first wife Maria of Sicily. Marie was betrothed to her grand-uncle John of England when she was 12 - 14 years old and John was over 30 years old. When they were married, Marie bore John 3 children, Eleanor, Henry, and Joan of England, Marie's husband though was not yet King of England, Marie's brother-in-law Richard the Lionheart was the current king who promised Marie's first cousin Mary, 4th Countess of Gloucester the throne after him, but when Richard was murdered by Marie's grand-mother Constance of England who was also her husband's sister making Constance Marie's aunt as well, John usurped the throne from the Countess of Gloucester (Which led to a civil war) and Marie was crowned Queen of England, Marie was an unpopular Queen, because her father who revolted against the English control of France, and when Marie died of illness England celebrated, she was buried in Westminister abbey, were her husband was buried next to her alongside his next wife Isabella I, Countess of Auvergne.

## Early Life

### Childhood

Marie of Provence was born on an unknown date in Provence, France. Marie was the eldest daughter and second child of Geoffrey I, Count of Provence and Maria of Sicily, she had an older brother also named Geoffrey of Provence. Marie's mother died after Geoffrey I of Provence pushed Maria off a bridge after a fight. Her father remarried Anna of Luxembourg who kicked Marie out of the Provencal Palace, but Marie was raised by the Queen of France (Joan I of Navarre) who loved Marie like a daughter. Marie was sent back to Provence when Anne of Luxembourg died in child-birth, Marie grew to hate her half-siblings and often spent time with her brother whom she was close to, her brother and Marie's first act back was to take revenge on her father for sending her away alongside his late-wife. Geoffrey and Marie attempted to murder there half-siblings, Geoffrey thought his 2 eldest children wen't mad, so Marie and Geoffrey were sent to an insane asylum where other children of royals/nobles stayed, Marie and Geoffrey were treated terribly and they had to share a room.

### Asylum Life

Geoffrey I of Provence sent Marie and Geoffrey there with clothes and food, they shared a room next to the daughters of the Duke of Touraine, and next to the room of the daughters and sons of the Count of Guise. It was clear Marie suffered at times from Melancholia and other mental illnesses, but her father made her Melancholia look more serious then it was. Geoffrey also suffered from Melancholia. Marie of Provence's younger-half sister Catherine of Provence tried to poison Marie, but Marie was luckly warned by her brother not to trust Catherine, her furious brother later murdered Catherine for attempting to poison his dear sister, many people in the asylum were abused by the people suppose to be taking care of them, except Geoffrey who fought back.

### Possible Madness

During her years in the Insane Asylum, it was speculated Marie may have been crazy along with her brother, one aristocrat who lived in the same asylum Marie did said that Marie and Geoffrey hallucinated at times and she also said, that Marie and Geoffrey were ill tempered unlike the rest of the people in the Asylum. Marie was indeed truamatized from the Asylum, but there is no evidence that Marie was mad. But in films she is often described as a violent, ill tempered, mad woman who suffered from Melancholia.

### Freedom from the Asylum

After Marie and Geoffrey left the Asylum, they still wanted to kill there half-siblings. Geoffrey and Marie had an idea to have an assassian do the work to kill Catherine of Provence, Marie and Geoffrey paid a sum of money to have an assassian stab Catherine who was married to Fredrick of Brussels. Catherine was murdered and Fredrick of Brussels hanged on a ceeling light. Her father was out protesting against the English when the Burgundian ambassador to Provence found the bodies and reported back to there father. Her father knew Geoffrey and Marie were behind the murder and ordered guards to kidnap them and Imprison them. But Geoffrey and Marie were in protection of Louis VIII of France who helped Marie find protection.

### Marriage

When Marie was about 12 - 14, Prince John of England came to France looking for a French wife, Marie's brother rushed Marie to London in a chance to ally himself with the English against there father. After John turned down Eleanor of Combria, Geoffrey pursaded John to meet Marie of Provence, at first John was not impressed by a bust out made by Charles de Tatel of Marie of Provence, but when he actually met Marie, he fell in-love with her at first sight, but John's older brother Richard I of England was not impressed of the marriage, nor did the English. The English people hated Marie's father for fighting against the English, and Richard did not wan't John Marrying his grand-niece, John was Marie's grand-niece, and Marie's maternal grand-mother Constance, Queen of Sicily was John's older sister, John married her anyway in a public ceremony in London, Marie was not Queen though and was named Princess as her husband was a Prince. Her husband was also named Earl of Chester which made Marie the Countess of Chester. She was hated by the English people, but Marie did'int really care, and continued to make unpopular desisions which infuriated the English people.

## Queen of England

Marie's grand-mother, Constance whom Marie was close to wanted her grand-daughter to become Queen of England instead of Marie's first cousin, Mary Plantagenet, Constance kidnapped Richard the Lionheart and held him hostage in Sicily, Richard's wife Berengaria of Navarre was made regent but quickly ousted by Marie's husband, Marie great-grand-mother Eleanor of Aquitaine attempted to secure Richard release, but died before the plans could work. Marie gave birth to her first child Eleanor of England during this period and later her 2 children, Henry and Joan. John was tired of waiting to be king and convinced Constance of England the murder Richard the Lionheart, Richard was murdered in 1164, and Marie and her husband were named King and Queen of England, Duchess of Normandy, Brittany, Aquitaine, Countess of Poiters, Anjou, Nantes, Angoulême, and Lady of Ireland. Berengaria was later murdered to make way for Marie to claim the title Queen, Marie's daughters were named princesses of England, and Marie's son was named Prince, Earl of Chester, and heir apparent to the English throne. Marie was an unpopular Queen amoungst the nobles and commoners.

### Unpopularity

Marie was often nicknamed "Queen of Mares" as a insult to her name, Marie's husband was equally unpopular for usurping the throne from Mary Plantagenet, which sparked the English civil war, Marie was indeed her husband's biggest supporter during the civil war and kidnapped many of Mary's advisors and tourtured them for secrets, John also gave Mary a palace were she could hold any one she wan'ts hostage. Marie was a brutal Queen, her father thought it would be easy to manipulate her for power, but Mary was ambitious and haughty which the English people hated about her. Mary wanted Geoffrey to become the next Count of Provence, so she ordered her father slayed in the neck, her brother was named the new Count of Provence. Marie raised her niece Margaret of Provence in Richmond Palace. Margaret appointed her brother Provencal Ambassador to England, and knighted him. The English started an unsuccessful riot against the Queen, but there was not enough members to extend the protest, and the local lords who were loyal to the Queen, executed the 42 people who were apart of the protest.

## Death

Marie was not Queen for long, she caught fever and other illnesses in 1167, doctors used test medicine of Marie of Provence, and they were unable to speculate what was wrong with the Queen. Marie died 3 weeks after she was given test medicine, England celebrated as the hated Queen was dead, but her husband was devastated, though he remarried Isabella I, Countess of Auvergne, John still dearly missed his wife, Marie was buried in westminister Abbey. Her niece Eleanor of Provence married Marie's son Henry and the 2 became King and Queen of England.