Marie of Boulogne was the Countess of Boulogne from 1159 to 1170. She also held the post of Abbess of Romsey for five years until her abduction by Matthew of Alsace, who forced her to marry him.
Marie was born to King Stephen of England and his wife Matilda I, Countess of Boulogne.
Matthew of Alsace abducted Marie from the abbey in 1160, and forced her to marry him in defiance of her religious vows. He therefore became jure uxoris Count of Boulogne and co-ruler. On 18 December 1161, Pope Alexander III wrote a letter to the Archbishop of Rheims in which he discussed Marie's abduction by Matthew of Alsace and her subsequent constrained marriage. The couple had two daughters:
Ida, Countess of Boulogne (1160/1161 – 21 April 1216), married firstly Gerard of Guelders; secondly Berthold IV of Zahringen; and thirdly Count Renaud de Dammartin, by whom she had one daughter, Matilda II of Boulogne, who succeeded her as countess.
Mathilde of Flanders (1170 – 16 October 1210), married in 1179 Henry I, Duke of Brabant, by whom she had seven children. Six of these children lived to adulthood.
Marie's marriage to Matthew was annulled in 1170. This was the same year that she gave birth to their youngest daughter, Mathilde in Louvain. Following the annulment, Marie re-entered the religious life as a Benedictine nun at St. Austrebert, Montreuil, where she died on 25 July 1182 at the age of about 46. Her former husband Matthew continued to reign as Count of Boulogne until his death in 1173, when their eldest daughter Ida succeeded as countess. Following the death of Ida's daughter, Matilda II, the county of Boulogne eventually passed to Adelaide of Brabant, daughter of Marie's second daughter, Mathilde.
Marie was born to King Stephen of England and his wife Matilda I, Countess of Boulogne.
Matthew of Alsace abducted Marie from the abbey in 1160, and forced her to marry him in defiance of her religious vows. He therefore became jure uxoris Count of Boulogne and co-ruler. On 18 December 1161, Pope Alexander III wrote a letter to the Archbishop of Rheims in which he discussed Marie's abduction by Matthew of Alsace and her subsequent constrained marriage. The couple had two daughters:
Ida, Countess of Boulogne (1160/1161 – 21 April 1216), married firstly Gerard of Guelders; secondly Berthold IV of Zahringen; and thirdly Count Renaud de Dammartin, by whom she had one daughter, Matilda II of Boulogne, who succeeded her as countess.
Mathilde of Flanders (1170 – 16 October 1210), married in 1179 Henry I, Duke of Brabant, by whom she had seven children. Six of these children lived to adulthood.
Marie's marriage to Matthew was annulled in 1170. This was the same year that she gave birth to their youngest daughter, Mathilde in Louvain. Following the annulment, Marie re-entered the religious life as a Benedictine nun at St. Austrebert, Montreuil, where she died on 25 July 1182 at the age of about 46. Her former husband Matthew continued to reign as Count of Boulogne until his death in 1173, when their eldest daughter Ida succeeded as countess. Following the death of Ida's daughter, Matilda II, the county of Boulogne eventually passed to Adelaide of Brabant, daughter of Marie's second daughter, Mathilde.
Marie of Boulogne was the Countess of Boulogne from 1159 to 1170. She also held the post of Abbess of Romsey for five years until her abduction by Matthew of Alsace, who forced her to marry him.
Marie was born to King Stephen of England and his wife Matilda I, Countess of Boulogne.
Matthew of Alsace abducted Marie from the abbey in 1160, and forced her to marry him in defiance of her religious vows. He therefore became jure uxoris Count of Boulogne and co-ruler. On 18 December 1161, Pope Alexander III wrote a letter to the Archbishop of Rheims in which he discussed Marie's abduction by Matthew of Alsace and her subsequent constrained marriage. The couple had two daughters:
Ida, Countess of Boulogne (1160/1161 – 21 April 1216), married firstly Gerard of Guelders; secondly Berthold IV of Zahringen; and thirdly Count Renaud de Dammartin, by whom she had one daughter, Matilda II of Boulogne, who succeeded her as countess.
Mathilde of Flanders (1170 – 16 October 1210), married in 1179 Henry I, Duke of Brabant, by whom she had seven children. Six of these children lived to adulthood.
Marie's marriage to Matthew was annulled in 1170. This was the same year that she gave birth to their youngest daughter, Mathilde in Louvain. Following the annulment, Marie re-entered the religious life as a Benedictine nun at St. Austrebert, Montreuil, where she died on 25 July 1182 at the age of about 46. Her former husband Matthew continued to reign as Count of Boulogne until his death in 1173, when their eldest daughter Ida succeeded as countess. Following the death of Ida's daughter, Matilda II, the county of Boulogne eventually passed to Adelaide of Brabant, daughter of Marie's second daughter, Mathilde.
Marie was born to King Stephen of England and his wife Matilda I, Countess of Boulogne.
Matthew of Alsace abducted Marie from the abbey in 1160, and forced her to marry him in defiance of her religious vows. He therefore became jure uxoris Count of Boulogne and co-ruler. On 18 December 1161, Pope Alexander III wrote a letter to the Archbishop of Rheims in which he discussed Marie's abduction by Matthew of Alsace and her subsequent constrained marriage. The couple had two daughters:
Ida, Countess of Boulogne (1160/1161 – 21 April 1216), married firstly Gerard of Guelders; secondly Berthold IV of Zahringen; and thirdly Count Renaud de Dammartin, by whom she had one daughter, Matilda II of Boulogne, who succeeded her as countess.
Mathilde of Flanders (1170 – 16 October 1210), married in 1179 Henry I, Duke of Brabant, by whom she had seven children. Six of these children lived to adulthood.
Marie's marriage to Matthew was annulled in 1170. This was the same year that she gave birth to their youngest daughter, Mathilde in Louvain. Following the annulment, Marie re-entered the religious life as a Benedictine nun at St. Austrebert, Montreuil, where she died on 25 July 1182 at the age of about 46. Her former husband Matthew continued to reign as Count of Boulogne until his death in 1173, when their eldest daughter Ida succeeded as countess. Following the death of Ida's daughter, Matilda II, the county of Boulogne eventually passed to Adelaide of Brabant, daughter of Marie's second daughter, Mathilde.
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