Name Arthur Duke | ||
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Reign 18 November 1305 – 27 August 1312 Died August 27, 1312, Marzan, France Children John III, Duke of Brittany, John of Montfort, Guy of Brittany Parents Beatrice of England, John II, Duke of Brittany Grandchildren John IV, Duke of Brittany, Joan, Duchess of Brittany, Joan of Brittany, Baroness of Drayton Similar People | ||
Arthur II (25 July 1261 – 27 August 1312), of the House of Dreux, was Duke of Brittany from 1305 to his death. He was the first son of John II and Beatrice, daughter of Henry III of England and Eleanor of Provence.
After he inherited the ducal throne, his brother John became Earl of Richmond.
As duke, Arthur was independent of the French crown. He divided his duchy into eight "battles": Léon, Kernev, Landreger, Penteur, Gwened, Naoned, Roazhon, and Sant Malou. In 1309, he convoked the first Estates of Brittany. It was the first time in French history that the third estate was represented.
Arthur died at Château de l'Isle in Saint Denis en Val and was interred in a marble tomb of the cordeliers of Vannes. The tomb was vandalised during the French Revolution, but later repaired and is on display today.
Marriages and children
In 1275, Arthur married Marie, Viscountess of Limoges, daughter of Guy VI, Viscount of Limoges and Margaret, Lady of Molinot. Her maternal grandparents were Hugh IV, Duke of Burgundy and his first wife Yolande of Dreux. They were parents of three children:
Mary died in 1291. In May, 1292, Arthur married Yolande of Dreux, who was Countess of Montfort, daughter of Robert IV, Count of Dreux and Beatrice de Montfort. Yolande had briefly been Queen Consort of Scotland by her first marriage. They were parents of seven children: