Marie, Countess of Champagne

## Marie of France

Countess Consort of Champagne

Marie, Margravine of Namur

Charles II, Count of Champagne

Joan, Countess of Geneva

**Marie of France** (C. 1127 - 1157) was Countess Consort of Champagne, by her marriage to Phillip II of Champagne. Marie was the fourth child of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Louis VII of France. Marie was only 2 years old when her father died in 1129, Marie wen't with her mother and sisters to England when her mother remarried the King of England (Who was Henry II of England.) Marie was the favourate step-daughter of King Henry and when he wen't on Crusade, he would sometimes take Marie of France with him. Marie died in 1157 in Brussels which was back then part of the Holy Roman Empire, her body was given to her older sister Blanche of France, who buried her in St. Vitus Cathedral.

## Early Life

### Childhood

Marie was born in Flanders (Now Belgium) in 1127, her mother was Eleanor of Aquitaine (Who was Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right) and her father was Louis VII of France, Marie's siblings were Alix of France, Louis (Later Louis VIII of France), Blanche, and a younger sister, St. Agnes. Marie's childhood in France is unknown, mainly because of the lack of information on her birth date, her father died when she was 2, and her mother and siblings wen't to England where her mother remarried Henry II of England. Her mother wrote of Marie as "Quite beautiful, but not to bright herself." Marie was raised by Catherine of Suffolk.

### 4th Crusade

When Marie turned 7, her step-father whom she was close to, took Marie on Crusade in Hungary, Eleanor of Aquitaine was deeply unhappy and begged Marie to stay were she would be safe. But Marie was known to have interest in things men were suited to do, and wen't to Buda were she crusaded, Marie's step-father then took Marie to Croatia, she watched her step-father kill people in Croatia which her mother was baffled, "Such a young girl, already finding interest in such evil." Marie found the life of a warrior very interesting and continued to do so when the 5th Crusade hit. Eleanor also argued Marie was to young to crusade. But luckily Marie never phisically killed anyone, she only watched her father kill people.

## Betrothal

sense Marie was 6, her mother Betrothed Marie to the Duke of Austria, but the Duke died at 18 leaving his already married brother to succeed, Marie was devastated having being closed to the Duke. Her mother took her to Paris were her brother was Count, Marie was betrothed to the Holy Roman Emperor, but Marie's half-sister Isabella of England was a better suiter because she was closer in age then Marie to the Holy Roman Emperor, when Marie turned 10, she was betrothed to Phillip II, Count of Champagne.

## Marriage

Marie married Phillip in Normandy in 1136, her dowry was added by her father which included 900 pounds. Marie moved into her new home in Champagne, her home was built by her husband's grand-father, Robert I of Champagne. Marie became the most well known courtier at her brother's french-court, her brother constantly promoted Marie for being his sister, Marie became a lady of the bed chambers, to her sister-in-law Joan I of Navarre, 3 years into her marriage, she gave birth to a daughter Eleanor of Champagne, who was most likely named after Eleanor of Aquitaine. a year later, she gave birth to a son, named Louis.

## 6th Crusade

When Marie turned 15, her step-father took her on the 6th Crusade, Marie was pregnant at the time, her sick and ill husband and Eleanor begged Marie to stay in Champagne, but Marie despite her mothers and husbands wishes wen't anyway which sparked Eleanor to cry and shut herself in her room. Marie gave birth to her third child "Marie of Champagne" in Arce in Jerusalem, Marie of Champagne was taken to Marie's husband in Champagne. Marie killed many warriors in Jerusalem.

## Relationship with Constance of England

One of Marie's half-sisters was Princess Constance, Marie never agreed with Constance and her ideas, but she respected Constance for her agro and work during the 5th Crusade. Constance was less passionate with her half-sister, Constance was a visious-master-minded murderer and child-murderer who killed 2 of her siblings: Richard the Lionheart and Matilda of England. Marie was always baffled of Constance's cruelty, but never stopped her in fear she would be murdered.

## Death

Marie's husband died in 1153 of fever, Marie's mother also died 1 or 2 years later, Marie spent the last years of her life caring for her children, she died in 1157, aged 29 in Brussels, her body was given to her sister and she was buried in St. Vitus Cathedral.