Marie of Alencon

Marie of Alencon (29 March 1373 – 1417) was a French noblewoman, a Princess of the Blood, and the wife of John VII of Harcourt, Count of Harcourt and of Aumale, Viscount of Chatellerault, Baron of Elbeuf, of Mézières, of Lillebone, of La Saussaye.

Family

Marie was born on 29 March 1373, at the Chateau d' Essay, Orne, France the daughter of Peter II of Alencon (1340-20 September1404) and Marie Chamaillart, Viscountess of Beaumont-au-Maine. Her paternal grandparents were Charles II of Alencon (Killed 26 August 1346 at The Battle of Crecy) and Maria de La Cerda. Charles was a younger brother of King Philip VI of France. Her maternal grandparents were Guillaume Chamaillart, Viscount of Beaumont-Brienne, Sire d'Anthenaise, and Marie de Beaumont, Dame de Beaumont-le-Vicomte. Marie's father was knighted in 1350. At The Battle of Poitiers in 1356, he was taken hostage in exchange for King John II of France. He did not return home until 1370. On 20 October 1371, he married Marie Chamaillart (died 18 November 1425 at Chateau d'Argentan). Marie was their eldest daughter; she had seven siblings.

List of siblings

# Pierre of Alencon (1374-1375)
# Jean of Alencon (1375-1376)
# Marie of Alencon (1377-1377)
# Jeanne of Alencon (1378-6 August1403
# Catherine of Alencon (1380 Verneuil-sur-Avre -25 June1462. Married firstly in 1411 Peter d' Evreux, Infante of Navarre, Count of Mortain and secondly on 1 October 1413 Louis VII, Duke of Bavaria-Ingolstadt. By her last marriage she had a son Johann (Born 6 February 1415) and an unnamed daughter. Both children died young.
# Marguerite of Alencon (1383- after 1400). Nun at Argentan.
# John I of Alencon Duke of Alencon (9 May 1385-25 October 1415 at The Battle of Agincourt. Married 26 June 1396 Marie of Brittany (18 February 1391-18 December 1446). They had five children, including his heir, John II of Alencon.

Marriage

Marie married John VII, Count of Harcourt and of Aumale (1369-18 December1452) in Paris on 17 May 1389 at the age of 16. He was the son of John VI, Count of Harcourt and Catherine de Bourbon. The marriage produced three children, Through her eldest daughter Marie, Marie of Alencon was the ancestress of Mary, Queen of Scots, King Henry IV of France, King Louis XIV of France, and Henrietta Maria of France, Queen-Consort of King Charles I of England. Marie died in 1417 about two years after her husband had distinguished himself at the Battle of Agincourt and had been taken prisoner by the victorious English. John died in 1452.

Children

# John VIII of Harcourt, Count of Aumale (9 April1396 Chateau d'Harcourt, Calvados -17 August1424 at The Battle of Verneuil). He was the senior French Commander at the battle. By mistress Marguerite de Preullay, he had one illegitimate son, Louis II of Harcourt
# Marie of Harcourt, Countess of Aumale (9 September1398 Chateau d'Harcourt, Calvados -19 April1476). Married 12 August 1416 Antoine of Vaudémont, Count of Vaudémont, Sire of Joinville (1401-22 March 1458). Had five children including Frederic II of Vaudémont, Count of Vaudemont, Sire of Joinville (May 1428-31 August1470 Joinville. In 1445 he married Yolande de Bar of Anjou, elder sister of Margaret of Anjou, Queen-Consort of England
# Jeanne of Harcourt, Countess of Harcourt (11 September1399 Chateau d' Harcourt, Calvados -1456). Married firstly in 1414, Jean, Seigneur de Rieux et de Rochfort, Baron d'Ancenis (died 1431). She married secondly in 1434 Bertrand de Dinan, Baron de Chateaubriant, Marshal of Brittany. Had issue.

References

# Pére Anselm "Histoire des Rois de France"
# "The Royal Family: A Genealogy" by Francois Velde
# le Maison des Ducs D'Alencon
# Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europaischen Staaten, 4 volumes, Marburg, 1953, 1975