Constance of Normandy (between 1057 and 1061 – 13 August 1090) was a Duchess of Brittany.
| Constance of Normandy | |
|---|---|
 Depiction of Constance (English kings' family tree) | |
| Duchess consort of Brittany | |
| Tenure | 1086–1090 |
| Born | c. 1057/1061 Normandy |
| Died | 13 August 1090 |
| Burial | Église Saint-Melaine, Rennes |
| Spouse | |
| House | Normandy |
| Father | William the Conqueror |
| Mother | Matilda of Flanders |
She was one of the nine children of William the Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders.[1] She was born in Normandy, where her father was duke. William of Jumièges, the monk who chronicled the 1066 Norman conquest of England, names Constance second among the daughters of King William and Queen Matilda. No source indicates the order of birth of the couple's daughters, however.[2]
In 1086, Constance's father arranged a marriage between the duke of Brittany Alan Fergant and Constance, who was already nearly 30, to ensure peace at his Western border. Like her mother, Constance was an able administrator. William of Malmesbury, an early 12th century historian, wrote that her "severe and conservative manner" made Constance an unpopular duchess. According to his contemporary, Orderic Vitalis, however, Constance was caring, considerate, and well-liked by her subjects. William of Malmesbury alleges that her husband had their servants poison her. She died on 13 August 1090.[3]
References
edit- ^ Douglas, David C. (1964), William the Conqueror: The Norman Impact Upon England, University of California Press, p. 4, ISBN 0300185545
- ^ Bates, David (2004). "William I (known as William the Conqueror)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/29448. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. Retrieved 20 June 2018. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ Panton, James (2011), Historical Dictionary of the British Monarchy, Scarecrow Press, p. 110, ISBN 978-0810874978