- Arthur II, Duke of Brittany
Arthur II (
July 2 ,1262 –August 27 ,1312 ), of theHouse of Dreux , wasDuke of Brittany from 1305 to his death. He was the first son of John II and Beatrice, daughter ofHenry III of England andEleanor of Provence .After he inherited the ducal throne, he gave his brother John their father's English
earldom of Richmond .As duke, Arthur was independent of the French crown. He divided his duchy into eight "battles": Leon, Kernev, Landreger, Penteur, Gwened, Naoned, Roazhon, and Sant Malou. In 1309, he convoked the first
estates general (the ancestor of the Breton parliament) in Brittany. It was the first time in French history that thethird estate was represented.Arthur died at
Château de L'Isle and was interred in a marble tomb of thecordeliers ofVannes . The tomb was vandalised during theFrench Revolution , but repaired and is on display today.Marriages and children
In 1275, Arthur married
Mary, Viscountess of Limoges , daughter ofGui VI, Viscount of Limoges and Margaret, Lady of Molinot. Her maternal grandparents wereHugh IV, Duke of Burgundy and his first wifeYolande of Dreux . They were parents of three children:*
John III, Duke of Brittany (March 8 ,1286 -April 30 ,1341 ).
*Guy de Dreux, Count of Penthievre (1287 - 1331). Father ofJoanna of Dreux .
*Pierre de Dreux (1289 - 1312).Mary died in 1291. In May, 1292, Arthur was re-married to
Yolande de Dreux ,Countess of Montfort , daughter of Robert IV,Count of Dreux andBeatrice de Montfort . They were parents of seven children:*Jeanne de Dreux (1294 - 1363). Married Robert, Lord de Cassell.
*John IV, Duke of Brittany (1295 -September 16 ,1345 ).
*Beatrice de Dreux (1295 - 1384). MarriedGuy X, Lord of Laval .
*Jeanne de Dreux (1296 - 1364). MarriedRobert, Count of Marle .
*Alice de Dreux (1297 - 1377). MarriedBouchard VI, Count of Vendôme .
*Blanche de Dreux (born c. 1300). Considered to have died young.
*Marie de Dreux (1302 - 1371). A nun.Ancestors
ee also
*
Dukes of Brittany family tree
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