Jeanne of Constantinople

Jeanne of Flanders (° 1199 - 1200 † 1244) or Jeanne de Hainaut or Jeanne of Constantinople , countess of Flanders and of Hainaut of 1205 with 1244. It was the oldest daughter of Baudouin IX, count de Flandre and of Hainaut, then Latin Empereur of Constantinople, and Marie de Champagne

In 1202 Baudouin, takes part in the fourth crusade, and Marie joined it later two years, trustful Jeanne and her sister Marguerite still baby, with the care of their uncle Philippe de Namur, count de Namur, husband of Marie de France girl of Philippe II. The mother of Jeanne dies in 1205, and her father, the following year. Philippe de Namur who ensures regency entrusts the two girls to king de France, Philippe-Auguste. This one in its turn concedes their guard with Enguerrand de Coucy, who probably projected to marry Jeanne when it is in age. But these plans are thwarted, when Jeanne, small niece by alliance of Mathilde of Portugal, wife, with Paris in January 1211, Ferdinand of Portugal (1188 - 1233), the nephew of its large aunt. Ferdinand of Portugal says Ferrand of Portugal is the son of Douce of Barcelona († 1198) and of Sanche I {{er}} (1154 - 1211) king de Portugal and brother of Mathilde of Portugal.

During their return in Flanders, the new husbands are captured by the cousin of Jeanne, Louis (the future Louis VIII of France), oldest son of Philippe-Auguste. The goal of Louis was to recover a great piece of territory including/understanding Artois that Elisabeth de Vermandois had brought in dowry to the Flanders by her marriage with Philippe of Alsace, count de Flandre.

After having yielded Surface-on-the-Lily and Saint-Omer (by the treaty of Bridge-with-Vendin, the February 24th 1211), Jeanne and Ferrand of Flanders join the old allies of Baudouin, the king Jean of England and the emperor Otton IV, in an alliance against France. They are decisively demolished with Bouvines in July 1214, where Ferrand is made prisoner.

During the 12 years that Ferrand of Flanders remains prisoner of the French (it will be released only in January 1227), Jeanne only reigns. During this period a war bursts between Jeanne and her sister Marguerite for problem of succession, complicated by the dubious validity of the two marriages of Marguerite. This conflict is added to the difficulties caused by the famine.

In 1225 a man appeared to applicant being the father of Jeanne, of return of the crusades after 20 years. It becomes soon the center of a popular revolt, whose Jeanne came to end only with the assistance from Louis VIII.

Towards 1231, their single child, Maria was born. This one is promised with Robert d' Artois, brother of the king of France Louis IX, but dies in 1236.

After the death of Ferrand of Flanders the July 27th 1233, Jeanne maintains good relationships with France and England. In 1237, it marries in second weddings Thomas II of Savoy (° 1199 - † 1259), wire of the count de Savoie Thomas I {{er}} (°v. 1177 - † 1233) and of Beatrice Marguerite of Geneva († 1257). It was count de Maurienne (1233 - 1259) (Thomas II), lord (1233) then count (1245 - 1259) of Piedmont.

With its death, the December 5th 1244, his/her Marguerite sister succeeds to him.

Jeanne will remain in the history, like a voluntary and pious woman. Under its impulse much of convents and abbeys were created. It supported the hospitals and the leper-houses and founded the new ones (inter alia the Hospice Countess with Lille), the abbeys of Flines-lez-Raches and Inlay-lez-Lille. It will be buried in the latter. Under its government the capacity and the economic prosperity of the Flemish cities are considerably acrus. Its statue decorates the gardens of the béguinage of Courtrai.

Sources and bibliography

HISTORY OF the COUNT OF HARNES of Robert Robespierre 1867 - Printing works Lefebvre-Ducrocq Lille
HISTORY GENEALOGICAL OF the HOUSES OF GUINES, ARDRES, GHENT AND COUCY. Andre of Chesne - Geographer of Roy - published by Sebastien Cramoisy Paris 1631. Deliver VIII - in connection with Siger, lord of the manor of Ghent
HISTORY OF the COUNTS OF FLANDERS UNTIL the ADVENT OF the HOUSE OF BURGUNDY, by Edward Glay Former student of the Royal School of the Charters, Conservateur of the Files from Flanders to Lille

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