, Adelaide-Blanche

Adelaide-Blanche of Anjou[a] (c.?940 –1026) was the countess by marriageof Gévaudan and Forez, of Toulouse, of Provence, and of Burgundy; andqueen consort of Aquitaine. She was the regent of Gevaudan during theminority of her sons in the 960s, and the regent of Provence during theminority of her stepson from 994 until 999.

She was the daughter of Fulk II, Count of Anjou and Gerberga and sisterof Geoffrey Greymantle.[1] She successfully increased Angevin fortunesbeing married a total of five times.[2] Her family had become upwardlymobile to the point that, as a member of just the third generation fromIngelger, Adelaide-Blanche had married into the highest ranks of theolder nobility of western Francia.[2]

Her first marriage was to Stephen, the powerful Count of Gévaudan[3] andForez in eastern Aquitaine.[4] She was no more than fifteen at thetime[5] and he was much older. Still, they had three children whosurvived to adulthood.[4] Stephen died in the early 960s[4] and after hisdeath she ruled the lands as countess-regent for her sons William, Ponsand Bertrand.[6] She continued to govern Gevaudan and Forez while herremaining two sons learned to rule their father''s counties.[6]Additionally, after her oldest son William''s death in 975 she raised hisinfant son Stephen.[6] Her brother Guy (a.k.a. Guido II) was madeCount-Bishop of le Puy in 975 amidst local opposition and at his requestAdelaide, acting for her sons Guy and Bertrand, led an army to aid him inestablishing the "Peace of God" in le Puy.[6]

In 982, as the widow of her second husband, Raymond, count of Toulouse,she wed Louis V of France, son of Lothair of France.[7] The two werecrowned King and Queen of Aquitaine at Brioude by her brother Bishop Guyof le Puy.[7] But the marriage lasted just over a year due to the couplebeing unable to peacefully live together.[7] There was also a significantage difference—he being just fifteen and Adelaide-Blanche being overforty.[7] Adelaide found herself in a precarious situation with kingLothair but was rescued by Count William I of Provence[b][8] who shesubsequently married in c.?984.[9] Count William of Provence died in 994shortly after becoming a monk at Avignon.[10]
In 1010 king Robert II of France along with Odo II, Count of Blois wentto Rome to secure an annulment from Robert''s second wife, Constance ofArles, Adelaide-Blanche''s daughter by William I. Pope Sergius IV, afriend to the Angevin counts, upheld the marriage and additionally upheldAdelaide''s struggle to maintain control of lands at Montmajour Abbey.[11]These lands, at Perth, had been donated by Count William I of Provencewith his wife Adelaide-Blanche, as well as by a previous donation byWilliam''s father, Boson.[12] A dispute over these lands arose by fourbrothers, sons of Nevolongus, who pope Sergius threatened withexcommunication if they did not withdraw their claim.[12] The claim waswithdrawn and the lands remained under the control of Adelaide-Blancheacting as regent for her son William II of Provence.[12]


The cloister of Montmajour Abbey her final resting place.
Her fifth marriage was to Otto-William, Count of Burgundy,[c] whosubsequently died 21 September 1026.[13] Adelaide-Blanche herself died in1026, aged approximately eighty-six.[3] The location of her death wasprobably at Avignon, since the year of her death is recorded by Arnoux, amonk of the abbey of Saint-André, near Avignon. She was buried inMontmajour Abbey, near Arles, considered at the time as the burial placeof the family of counts of Provence.

She married first, c.?955, Stephen, Count of Gévaudan.[14][15] Childrenof this marriage were:
William, (c.?955-975).[6]
Pons, Count of Gévaudan and Forez. He died aft. 26 February 1011.[16]
Bertrand, Count of Gévaudan.[16]
Almodis of Gévaudan, she married Adalbert I de Charroux, Count de laHaute March.[16]

Her second marriage was to Raymond, Count of Toulouse and Prince ofGothia,[2] in 975. He died in 978. She had by him at least one child:
William III, Count of Toulouse

She married as her third husband Louis V of France and the two werecrowned King and Queen of Aquitaine but the marriage ended inannulment.[7][15]

As her fourth husband she married, c.?994—996, William I ofProvence[10][15] Together they had:
Constance of Arles,[15] who later married Robert II of France.[10]
Ermengarde, she married Robert I, Count of Auvergne.[10]
Tota-Adelaide, she married Bernard I, Count of Besalú.[10]

Her final marriage was to Otto-William, Count of Burgundy. He andAdelaide had no children.[13]