Bertrade de Montfort 1
- Born: Abt 1070
- Marriage (1): Fulk IV "le Réchin" Count of Anjou in 1089
- Died: 14 Feb 1117, <Fontevraud Abbey, Fontevraud-l'Abbaye, Anjou>, (France) about age 47
Another name for Bertrade was Beatrice de Montfort.
Research Notes:
5th wife of Fulk IV. "Abducted" by King Philip I of France in 1092.
From Wikipedia - Bertrade de Montfort :
Bertrade de Montfort (c. 1070-14 February 1117) was the daughter of Simon I de Montfort and Agnes, Countess of Evreux . Her brother was Amauri de Montfort .
Marriages
The oft-married Fulk IV, Count of Anjou was married to the mother of his son in 1089, when the lovely Bertrade caught his eye. According to the chronicler John of Marmoutier :
The lecherous Fulk then fell passionately in love with the sister of Amaury of Montfort, whom no good man ever praised save for her beauty. For her sake, he divorced the mother of Geoffrey II Martel…
Bertrade and Fulk were married, and they became the parents of a son, Fulk , but in 1092 Bertrade left her husband and took up with King Philip I of France . Philip married her on 15 May 1092, despite the fact that they both had spouses living. He was so enamoured of Bertrade that he refused to leave her even when threatened with excommunication . Pope Urban II did excommunicate him in 1095, and Philip was prevented from taking part in the First Crusade . Astonishingly, Bertrade persuaded Philip and Fulk to be friends.
Children
With Fulk IV, Count of Anjou :
Fulk of Jerusalem , Count of Anjou and King of Jerusalem (1089/92 - 1143)
With Philip I of France :
Philippe de France, Count of Mantes (living in 1123)
Fleury de France, seigneur of Nangis (living in 1118)
Cecile of France (died 1145), married (1) Tancred, Prince of Galilee ; married (2) Pons of Tripoli
Later life
According to Orderic Vitalis , Bertrade was anxious that one of her sons succeed Philip, and sent a letter to King Henry I of England asking him to arrest her stepson Louis . Orderic also claims she sought to kill Louis first through the arts of sorcery, and then through poison. Whatever the truth of these allegations, Louis succeeded Philip in 1108. Bertrade lived on until 1117; William of Malmesbury says: "Bertrade, still young and beautiful, took the veil at Fontevraud Abbey , always charming to men, pleasing to God, and like an angel." Her son from her first marriage was Fulk V of Anjou who later became King of Jerusalem iure uxoris . The dynasties founded by Fulk's sons ruled for centuries, one of them in England (Plantagenet ), the other in Jerusalem .
Bertrade married Fulk IV "le Réchin" Count of Anjou, son of Aubri-Geoffrey Count of the Gâtinais and Ermengarde of Anjou, in 1089. (Fulk IV "le Réchin" Count of Anjou was born in 1043 in Anjou, (France) and died on 14 Apr 1109.)
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