Constance, Duchess Consort of Brittany

Constance de Normandie

CONSTANCE de Normandie (Normandy [1057/1061]-13 Aug 1090, bur Church of St Melans near Rhedon).

Listed by Orderic Vitalis after Adelaide and before Adela in his description of the careers of the daughters of King William[74]. Named first in his list of the daughters of King William I by Matthew of Paris[75].

Guillaume de Jumièges names Constance as second daughter, naming her husband "Alain Fergant comte de la petite Bretagne et fils d'Hoel, qui avait succédé à Conan" and specifying that she died childless[76]. The Chronicon Ruyensis Cœnobii records the marriage in 1086 of "Alanus" and "Constantiam filiam Regis Anglorum Guillelmi"[77]. The Chronicon Kemperlegiensis records the marriage in 1087 of "Alanus Hoëli Consulis filius" and "Constantiam Guillelmi Regis Anglorum filiam"[78].

The Chronicon Britannico Alter records the marriage in 1088 of "Alanus" and "Constantiam filam Regis Guillelmi Anglorum"[79]. Orderic Vitalis records that she was married in Bayeux[80]. William of Malmesbury lists her as second daughter after Cecilia, adding that "she excited the inhabitants [of Brittany] by the severity of her justice to administer a poisonous potion to her"[81].

Orderic Vitalis, on the other hand, says that she "did everything in her power to further the welfare of her subjects" and "was deeply grieved when she died"[82]. "Alanus dux Britannorum et Constantia uxor eius" donated property to the priory of Livré by charter dated 31 Jul 1089[83]. The Chronicon Britannico Alter records the death in 1090 of "Constantia Alani coniux…sine liberis"[84]. The Chronicon Universum in the cartulary of Sainte-Croix de Quimperlé records the death in 1090 of "Constantia comitissa filia regis Anglorum"[85].

m (Bayeux [1086/88]) as his first wife, ALAIN IV “Fergant” Duke of Brittany, son of HOËL V Comte de Cornouaille, de Léon et de Nantes & his wife Havise heiress of Brittany (-13 Oct 1119).

Constance of Normandy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Constance, Duchess of Brittany (died 1090) was a daughter of William I of England and Matilda of Flanders, it was said she was the most highly gifted of all of the Conqueror's daughters. As she was favourite of her mother she was offered later in marriage to Alan IV of Brittany, the year being 1086. Constance died childless, perhaps poisoned, on 13 August 1090, and was buried in St Melans in Redon, In 1672 her tomb was discovered and opened, inside were some fragments of woolen stuff, which at the time the body had been wrapped and a leaden cross with her epitaph engraved with the name of her father, husband and date of death. Her husband later married Ermengarde of Anjou.

[edit]References

Lives of the Princesses of England from the Norman Conquest - Mary Anne Everett Green Pages 23-33