Matthieu II of Montmorency

Gravure of Mathieu II de Montmorency from 1788.

Matthieu II de Montmorency (died 24 November 1230), called the Great or the Great Constable was lord of Montmorency and Constable of France from 1218 to 1230.

Biography

He was the son of Bouchard V de Montmorency, who died in Jerusalem in 1189 and Laurence de Hainaut (died 1181), daughter of Baldwin IV of Hainault. His paternal grandparents were Matthieu I of Montmorency, Constable of France and Alice FitzRoy, illegitimate daughter of King Henry I of England.

He participated in the French conquest of Normandy by Philip Augustus, where he distinguished himself during the siege of Château Gaillard in 1204. He played a vital role in the Battle of Bouvines in 1214, where he captured twelve enemy banners (in memory of this feat, the shield of Montmorency includes an additional twelve eagles or sixteen altogether instead of four previously[1]).

shield of Montmorency before 1214
shield of Montmorency before 1214
shield of Montmorency after 1214
shield of Montmorency after 1214

In 1215, he joined the Albigensian Crusade and became here, as Constable of France, head of the French Army in 1218. In the service of King Louis VIII of France, he conquered La Rochelle and several other cities from the English in 1224. When the King died in 1226, he protected the interests of the infant dauphin and the Queen-Regent Blanche of Castile.

He died in 1230, returning from a campaign against Anjou.

Marriage and Children[2]

Matthieu II married in 1193 with Gertrude of Soissons, daughter of Ralph, Count of Soissons.
After this marriage was annulled, Matthieu II remarried with Emma of Laval (1200–1264), daughter and heiress of late Guy V de Laval.

From the first marriage, he had 4 children :

From his second marriage, he had 4 children :

References

  1. ↑ Gabriel Eysenbach, History of Heraldry and the Science of Coats-of-Arms, 1848, p. 321. (Fr)
  2. ↑ Genealogy of Mathieu de Montmorency (le Grand Connétable) on the site Medieval Lands
  3. ↑ "Mathieu II, baron de Montmorency".
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