Henry the Third King of England.
HENRY III, b. at Winchester, 10th Oct., 1206, succeeded his father, as King of England in 1216. He m. in 1236, Eleanor, 2nd dau. and co-heir. of Raymond Berenger, Count of Provence, grandson of Alfonso, King of Arragon. Berenger was the last and most illustrious of the royal Provençal Counts ; and, even had he not been the sovereign of the land of song, his own verses would have entitled him to a distinguished rank among the Troubadour poets. His consort, Beatrice, dau. of Thomas, Count of Savoy, was scarcely less celebrated for learning and literary taste. Of these illustrious parents, the eldest daughter, Marguerite, be came the wife of St. Louis, King of France, and the second, Eleanor, wedded HENRY III, of England, on the 4th Jan. 1236. Piers of Langtoft, thus commemorates the Royal Lady :—
By this famous beauty, Henry had issue:
I. EDWARD, his heir, afterwards EDWARD I.
II. EDMUND, surnamed Crouchback, Earl of Lancaster, of whom presently.
i. Margaret, b. in 1241, and named after her aunt, the Queen of France. This Princess m. ALEXANDER III. King of Scotland, and had, besides two sons, Alexander and David, who both d.s.p., an only dau. MAR GARET, who wedded in 1281, Eric, King of Norway, and left an only dau.. MARGARET, the Maiden of Norway, who ascended the throne of Scotland, in 1285, but d. soon after unmarried
ii. Beatrice, b. in 1242, who m. John de Dreux, Earl of Richmond and Duke of Brittany, and had issue,
1. ARTHUR, who inherited the Dukedom of Brittany. He m.. twice: by his second wife, he was father of JOHN, Count of Montfort, whose son, JOHN DE DREUX, Earl of Richmond, m. Mary, dau. of King EDWARD III, (whose reign see). By his first wife, he had a son,
JOHN DE DREUX, Duke of Brittany, succeeded to the Earldom of Richmond, in 1334, but d.s.p. in 1341.
2. JOHN, Earl of Richmond, d.s.p. in 1334.
1. Blanch, m. to Philip, son of Robert, Earl of Artois.
2. Mary, m. to Guy Castilon, Earl of St. Pol.
3. Alice, Abbess of Fontevraud.
HENRY III. d. 16 Nov. 1272. His widow survived him nineteen years, dying at the Nunnery of Ambresbury 21 June, 1291.