- Queen of France
Bertha van Holland was born circa 1058 to Floris I van Holland (1030-1061) and Gertrud von Sachsen (1033-1113) and died 30 July 1093 Montreuil-sur-Mer, France of unspecified causes. She married Philip I of France (1052-1108) 1072 JL .
Biography
Bertha of Holland (c. 1055 – 15 October 1094), also known as Berthe or Bertha of Frisia and erroneously as Berta or Bertrada, was Queen of France from 1072 until 1092, as the first wife of King Philip I of France. Bertha's marriage to the king in 1072 was a result of peace negotiations between him and her stepfather, Count Robert I of Flanders. After nine years of childlessness, the royal couple had three children, including Philip's successor, Louis VI. Philip, however, grew tired of his wife by 1090, and repudiated her in 1092 in order to marry the already married Bertrade of Montfort. That marriage was a scandal since both Philip and Bertrade were already married to other people, at least until Queen Bertha died the next year.
Early life

Bertha of Holland marrying King Philip I
Bertha was the daughter of Count Floris I van Holland (1030-1061) and Gertrud von Sachsen (1033-1113).[1] Bertha had six siblings and both of her parents came from large families. Her father ruled a territory vaguely described as "Friesland west of the Vlie", which is where Bertha spent her childhood.[2] Count Floris I was assassinated in 1061,[2] and two years later her mother remarried to Robert of Flanders.[3] Robert, now known as Robert the Frisian, became guardian of Bertha and her six siblings.[2] In 1070, Robert the Frisian became involved in a war with King Philip I of France over succession to the County of Flanders.[2][4] Within two years, Robert and Philip concluded a peace treaty which was to be sealed by a marriage; Robert's own daughters were too young, but their half-sister Bertha was just the right age.[2] Robert thus agreed to the marriage of his stepdaughter to King Philip. Bertha married Philip, thus becoming queen of the Franks, probably in 1072.[2]
Queenship

Queen Bertha and King Philip with their children
Bertha was, at the time, the lowest-ranking woman to marry a French king; no suitable princess could be found, since they were all too closely related to Philip for the marriage to any of them to be seen as perfectly valid by the Church. Bertha had no kings among her traceable ancestors and lacked even tenuous links with the Carolingian that her predecessors could claim. Consequently, contemporary chroniclers did not even try to present her lineage as more exalted than that of a count's daughter. Nevertheless, the shortage of royal candidates made Bertha a suitable choice.[5] The regal title she gained by this marriage was prestigious, but had little meaning, as she was confined to her husband's small royal domain that covered little more than areas around Paris and Orléans.[2]
However, Philip I was also known for his personal life, which was marked by scandal and controversy. He had a reputation as a womanizer, and his affairs with several noblewomen, including Bertrade de Montfort (c1059-1117), caused political and social upheaval. In 1092, he divorced his first wife, Bertha van Holland (c1058-1094), and married Bertrade, despite objections from the Church and many of his subjects.
Philip first married Bertha van Holland (c1058-1094) in 1072.[6] Although the marriage produced the necessary heir, Philip fell in love with Bertrade de Montfort, the wife of Fulk IV, Count of Anjou.
Philip's children with Bertha were:
- Constance of France, Princess of Antioch, married Hugh I of Champagne before 1097[7] and then, after her divorce, to Bohemund I of Antioch in 1106.[8]
- Louis VI of France (1081-1137), next King of France.[8]
- Henry Capet (1083-?) - died young.
- Charles Capet (1085-?)
- Eudes Capet (1087-1096)
Children
Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
Constance Capet (1078-c1125) | 1078 | 1 January 1125 | Hugh de Champagne (c1074-1125) Bohemond I of Antioch (c1058-1111) |
Louis VI of France (1081-1137) | 1 December 1081 Paris | 1 August 1137 Béthisy-Saint-Pierre | Lucienne de Rochefort (1088-aft1137) Adèle de Savoie (1092-1154) Marie de Breuillet |
Henry Capet (1083-?) | |||
Charles Capet (1085-?) | |||
Eudes Capet (1087-1096) |
Siblings
Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
Adelheid van Holland (1045-1085) | 1045 | 1085 | Baudouin de Guines (c1038-aft1091) |
Albert van Holland (1051-c1098) | 1051 | 1098 | |
Pieter van Holland (1053-c1101) | 1053 | 1101 | |
Dirk V van Holland (1054-1091) | 1045 | Othelhildis von Sachsen (1059-?) | |
Floris van Holland (c1055-c1103) | 1055 | 1103 | |
Machteld van Holland (c1057-) | |||
Bertha van Holland (c1058-1094) | 1058 | 30 July 1093 Montreuil-sur-Mer, France | Philip I of France (1052-1108) |
See Also
- Charlemagne Family Ancestry
- Capetian dynasty
- wikipedia:en:Bertha of Holland
- Bertha of Holland at thePeerage
- Capetian Kings - Foundation for Medieval Genealogy
- Bertha of Holland - Geni.com
- Philip I of France at Find A Grave
- d'Avray, David, ed (2014). "Philip I of France and Bertrade". Dissolving Royal Marriages: A Documentary History, 860–1600. Cambridge University Press.
- Bradbury, Jim (2007). The Capetians: The History of a Dynasty. Bloomsbury Publishing.
- Brown, Elizabeth A. R. (1990). "Authority, the Family, and the Dead in Late Medieval France". French Historical Studies 16 (4 Autumn): 803–832. DOI:10.2307/286323.
References
- ^ William (of Malmesbury), Gesta Regum Anglorum: The History of the English Kings: General introduction and commentary, Volume 2, Roger Aubrey Baskerville Mynors, Rodney M. Thomson and Michael Winterbottom (Oxford University Press, 1999), 244.
- ^ a b c d e f g van Bussel, Marion (2012). "Bertha van Holland (ca. 1055–1094)". Digitaal Vrouwenlexicon van Nederland. http://www.historici.nl/Onderzoek/Projecten/DVN/lemmata/data/Bertha%20van%20Holland.
- ^ Cite error: Invalid
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- ^ Luscombe, David; Riley-Smith, Jonathan (2004). The New Cambridge Medieval History: Volume 4, c.1024-c.1198. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521414113.
- ^ Bouchard, Constance Brittain (2001). Those of My Blood: Creating Noble Families in Medieval Francia. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 0812235908.
- ^ Bradbury 2007, p. 114.
- ^ Paul 2012, p. 38.
- ^ a b Huscroft 2016, p. xi.
French royalty![]() | ||
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Preceded by Anne of Kiev |
Queen consort of the Franks 1072–1092 |
Succeeded by Bertrade of Montfort |
Footnotes (including sources)
‡ General |