Constance DE ARLES b. Abt 973 Tolouse, Arles, France d. 25 Jul 1032 Melun, Seine-Et-Marne, France: Our Family History

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Abt 973 - 1032 (~ 59 years)

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Name	Constance DE ARLES
Born	Abt 973	Tolouse, Arles, France
Gender	Female
FamilySearch ID	LDSS-6H5
House	[1]
	Capet
Title	1000 [1]
	Queen of France
Title (Nobility)	Between 1003 and 1031 [1]
	Queen consort of The Franks
Name	Constance D'ARLES [1]
Name	Constance De TOULOUSE [1]
Name	Constance of Provence [1]
Occupation	1003 [1]
	Reine des francs
_UID	D2E9A6231546428D90B12A0A455179619308
Died	25 Jul 1032	Melun, Seine-Et-Marne, France
Buried	Aft 28 Jul 1032	Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, Île-de-France, France [1]
Person ID	I24287	Carney Wehofer 2024 Genealogy
Last Modified	13 Dec 2022

Father	Guillaume DE PROVENCE, I, Comte de Provence, b. 13 Sep 950, Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône, France , d. Aft 29 Aug 993, Avignon, Loir-et-Cher, Centre-Val de Loire, France (Age 42 years)
Mother	Queen of Aquitaine Adelaise D'ANJOU, b. 946, Anjou, now, Pays de la Loire, France , d. 29 May 1026, Arles, Bouches-du-Rhone, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France (Age 80 years)
Family ID	F536728395	Group Sheet \| Family Chart

Family Robert II "The Pious", King Of France, b. 27 Mar 972, Orléans, Loiret, France , d. 20 Jul 1031, Melun Castle, Melun, Aquitaine, France (Age 59 years)

Alt. Marriage 1000 Melun, Seine-et-Marne, Île-de-France, France [2]

Married 1001

NOTE MARRIED

Children

	1. Hedwige DE FRANCE, b. Bef Nov 1005, Nevers, Nièvre, Burgundy, France , d. Aft 5 Jun 1063, Nevers, Nièvre, Burgundy, France (Age ~ 57 years)
	2. Henri CAPET, King Of the Franks, b. 4 May 1008, Reims, Champagne, France , d. 4 Aug 1060, Vitry, Brie, France (Age 52 years)
	3. Adèle CAPET, Comtesse de Flandre, b. 3 May 1009, Toulouse, Haute-Garonne, Midi-Pyrenees, France , d. 8 Jan 1079, Mesen, West Flanders, Belgium (Age 69 years)
	4. Princess Adele (Alix) De FRANCE, b. 3 May 1009, Toulouse, Haute-Garonne, Occitanie, France , d. 8 Jan 1097, Messines, France (Age 87 years)
	5. Robert, III, Duc de Bourgogne, b. 23 Aug 1011, Meulan, Yvelines, Île-de-France, France , d. 18 Mar 1076, Fleury-sur Ouche, Dijon, Côtes d'Or, Bourgogne, France (Age 64 years)
	6. Eudo Odes Prince of FRANCE, b. 1013, Germigny-des-Prés, Centre, France , d. 1057, Auxerre, Yonne, Bourgogne, France (Age 44 years)

Last Modified 13 Dec 2022

Family ID F4185 Group Sheet | Family Chart

Notes

In 1003 Robert submitted to the pope and married the daughter of the marquis of Provence, Constance of Arles, by whom he had four sons. He recognized Hugh, the eldest of these sons, as his successor. After Hugh's death in 1025, the other sons, aided by their mother, revolted; Robert was still fighting them at the time of his own death.

Constance of Arles (c. 986 - 28 July 1032), also known as Constance of Provence, was a queen consort of France as the third spouse of King Robert II of France.

Life
Born c.?986 Constance was the daughter of William I, count of Provence and Adelaide-Blanche of Anjou, daughter of Fulk II of Anjou. She was the half-sister of Count William II of Provence. Constance was married to King Robert, after his divorce from his second wife, Bertha of Burgundy. The marriage was stormy; Bertha's family opposed her, and Constance was despised for importing her Provençal kinfolk and customs. Robert's friend, Hugh of Beauvais, tried to convince the king to repudiate her in 1007. Possibly at her request twelve knights of her kinsman, Fulk Nerra, then murdered Beauvais.

In 1010 Robert went to Rome, followed by his former wife Bertha, to seek permission to divorce Constance and remarry Bertha. Pope Sergius IV was not about to allow a consanguineous marriage which had been formally condemned by Pope Gregory V and Robert had already repudiated two wives. So the request was denied. After his return according to one source Robert "loved his wife more."

In the famous trial in 1022 of members of the clergy, including Constance's previous confessor Stephen, on charges of heresy Robert had his wife Queen Constance stand at the door to prevent any mob violence. However, as the condemned clerics left the trial the queen "struck out the eye of Stephen... with the staff which she carried". This was seen as Constance venting her frustration at anyone subverting the prestige of the crown.

At Constance's urging, her eldest son Hugh Magnus was crowned co-king alongside his father in 1017. But later Hugh demanded his parents share power with him, and rebelled against his father in 1025. Constance, however, on learning of her son's rebellion was furious with him, rebuking him at every turn. At some point Hugh was reconciled with his parents but shortly thereafter died, probably about age eighteen.

Robert and Constance quarrelled over which of their surviving sons should inherit the throne; Robert favored their second son Henry, while Constance favored their third son, Robert. Despite his mother's protests and her support by several bishops, Henry was crowned in 1027. Constance, however, was not graceful when she didn't get her way. The ailing Fulbert, bishop of Chartres told a colleague that he could attend the ceremony "if he traveled slowly to Reims but he was too frightened of the queen to go at all".

Constance encouraged her sons to rebel, and they began attacking and pillaging the towns and castles belonging to their father. Son Robert attacked Burgundy, the duchy he had been promised but had never received, and Henry seized Dreux. At last King Robert agreed to their demands and peace was made which lasted until the king's death.

King Robert died on 20 July 1031. Soon afterwards Constance was at odds with both her surviving sons. Constance seized her dower lands and refused to surrender them. Henry fled to Normandy, where he received aid, weapons and soldiers from his brother Robert. He returned to besiege his mother at Poissy but Constance escaped to Pontoise. She only surrendered when Henry began the siege of Le Puiset and swore to slaughter all the inhabitants.

Constance died 28 July 1032. and was buried beside her husband Robert at Saint-Denis Basilica.

Sources

[S1160] FamilySearch Family Tree (http://www.familysearch.org), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ((http://www.familysearch.org)), accessed 13 Dec 2022), entry for Constance DE ARLES, person ID LDSS-6H5. (Reliability: 3).
[S1160] FamilySearch Family Tree (http://www.familysearch.org), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ((http://www.familysearch.org)), accessed 13 Dec 2022), entry for Robert II "The Pious", person ID LD9R-RB7. (Reliability: 3).