Yolanda of Lusignan

Yolanda of Lusignan or Yolande I & I de Lusignan (24 March 1257^[1][2]-30 September 1314 succeeded her brother Guy I as Dame de Lusignan, de Couhe et de Peyrat and Countess of La Marche in 1308, but not as Countess of Angoulême since after her brother's death the county was sold by her sisters, Jeanne and Isabelle, to King Philip IV and annexed to the French Crown.^[3] She was also the Heiress of Fougères, which she succeeded to upon her mother's death sometime after 1273.^[4]

Lineage and family

Yolanda was born in Angouleme, France on 24 March 1257.^[5][6] She was the eldest child of Hugh XII of Lusignan, Seigneur de Lusignan, Couhe, et de Peyrat, Count of La Marche, Count of Angouleme, (died in 1270 on Crusade) and Jeanne, Dame de Fougères. Her paternal grandparents were Hugh XI of Lusignan, Seigneur de Lusignan, Couhe, et de Peyrat, Count of La Marche, Count of Angouleme, and Yolande de Dreux, Countess of Penthièvre and of Porhoet. Her maternal grandparents were Raoul III, Sire de Fougères and Isabelle de Craon. Her great-grandmother was Isabella of Angouleme, widowed Queen-Consort of King John of England who married secondly, Hugh X of Lusignan, Count of La Marche. Yolanda had two brothers and three sisters.

List of siblings

1. Hugh XIII of Lusignan, Count of La Marche, Count of Angouleme, (25 June 1259- 1 November 1303. Married Beatrice of Burgundy.
2. Guy I of Lusignan, Count of La Marche, Count of Angouleme, (died 1308). Died unmarried and without issue.
3. Jeanne of Lusignan ( 1260-13 April 1323). Married firstly, Bernard IV, Sire d'Albret and secondly, Piers de Geneville, of Trim and Ludlow. By her last husband, Jeanne was mother to Joan de Geneville, Countess of March.
4. Isabelle of Lusignan (died 1309). Married Jean de Vesci.
5. Marie of Lusignan (died 1322). Married Etienne II, Count of Sancerre.

Marriage

In 1270, at the age of 13, Yolanda's father was killed while on Crusade with King Louis IX of France. Before 1281, she married her first husband, Elie Rudel, Seigneur de Pons and by him she had two children: Renaud IV de Pons (born before 1282-1308) who married Isabeau de Levis and had issue; and Yolande de Pons (born before 1290- ?) who married Fouques III, Baron de Matha and had issue. Yolanda married secondly Robert de Matha.

Death

Following her death on 30 September 1314, the county of La Marche was annexed by King Philip IV of France and given as an appanage to Philip's son Charles IV of France.

Sources

1. Les Sires de Pons et leurs Alliances (dont la maison de Rabaine).
2. Medieval Lands "Angouleme".

References