Editing Arthur I, Duke of Brittany

{{Short description|Duke of Brittany from 1196 to 1203}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Arthur I
| image        = Artur of Brittany.jpg
| caption      = Arthur as portrayed in a genealogical roll in the [[British Library]]
| succession   = [[Duke of Brittany]]
| reign        = 1196–1203
| predecessor  = [[Constance, Duchess of Brittany|Constance]]
| successor    = [[Alix, Duchess of Brittany|Alix]]
| regent       = {{ubl|Constance (1196–1201)|[[Guy of Thouars|Guy]] (1199–1201)}}
| reg-type     = Co-rulers
| succession1  = [[Count of Anjou]]
| reign1       = 1199–1203
| predecessor1 = [[Richard I of England]]
| successor1   = {{ill|John Tristan, Count of Anjou|fr|Jean Tristan de France (1219-1232)}}
| house        = [[House of Plantagenet|Plantagenet]]
| father       = [[Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany|Geoffrey of England]]
| mother       = [[Constance, Duchess of Brittany]]
| birth_date   = 29 March 1187
| birth_place  = [[Nantes]], Brittany
| death_date   = presumed {{circa}} 1203 (aged 15–16)
}}
'''Arthur I''' ({{langx|br|Arzhur 1añ}}{{efn|''1añ'' is an abbreviation of ''kentañ'', meaning "first" in Breton}}; {{langx|fr|link=no|Arthur 1er de Bretagne}}) (29 March 1187 – presumably 1203) was 4th [[Earl of Richmond]] and [[Duke of Brittany]] between 1196 and 1203. He was the [[posthumous son]] of [[Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany]], and [[Constance, Duchess of Brittany]]. Through Geoffrey, Arthur was the grandson of King [[Henry II of England]] and Duchess [[Eleanor of Aquitaine]], and the nephew of King [[Richard I of England]].

In 1190, Arthur, whose father had died, was arguably designated heir to the throne of [[Kingdom of England|England]] and its French territory, but as he was dying in 1199, Richard I named his youngest brother [[John, King of England|John]] heir to the throne, as Arthur was still just a child. [[Philip II of France]] thought to make use of a potential succession crisis in England and Brittany and for awhile Arthur joined him.

Nothing is recorded of Arthur after his imprisonment by John in [[Rouen Castle]] in 1203. While his precise fate is unknown, it is generally believed he was killed by John.

==Early life==
Arthur was born in 1187, the son of Duchess [[Constance, Duchess of Brittany|Constance]] and Duke [[Geoffrey II of Brittany]]. Geoffrey died before Arthur was born. As an infant, Arthur was thought by some to be second in line to the succession of his paternal grandfather, King [[Henry II of England]], after his uncle [[Richard I of England|Richard]]. Henry II however would not name official terms of succession, not even officially naming Richard as his heir until he was close to death. [[Primogeniture]] was not yet established, nor the pathway that the crown should take. King Henry died when Arthur was 2 years old, and Richard I became the new king in his place.

While Richard was away on the [[Third Crusade]], Arthur's mother Constance sought to make the [[Duchy of Brittany]] more independent. On 11 November 1190, Arthur was named as Richard's [[heir presumptive]]{{sfn|Carley|Riddy|1998|p=28}} and was betrothed to a daughter of King [[Tancred of Sicily]] as part of their treaty.{{sfn|McAuliffe|2012|p=74}} However, [[Emperor Henry VI]] conquered the [[Kingdom of Sicily]] in 1194, so the betrothal of Arthur came to nothing.

A marriage plan, originally aiming to establish an alliance between King Richard and King [[Philip II of France]] to marry Arthur's elder sister [[Eleanor, Fair Maid of Brittany|Eleanor]] to Philip's son [[Louis VIII of France|Louis]] also failed. In 1196, Constance had the young Arthur proclaimed Duke of Brittany and her co-ruler as a child of nine years. The same year, Richard summoned Arthur, as well as Arthur's mother, Constance,{{sfn|Everard|2004|p=146}} to Normandy, but [[Ranulf de Blondeville, 6th Earl of Chester]], stepfather of Arthur, abducted Constance. It is believed that this was completed under the agreement, and even prompting, of Richard to bring Constance and Arthur under his control, as it is extremely unlikely that Ranulf would have made such a move against Richard's sister-in-law and nephew without such permission.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}} Constance was captured, but Arthur was spirited away to the Court of Philip II of France, to be brought up with Louis.

[[File:Philippe2+Arthur.jpg|thumb|300px|Arthur paying homage to [[Philip II of France]]. ''Chroniques de St Denis'', [[British Library]].]]
When Richard died on 6 April 1199, on his deathbed he proclaimed his brother [[John, King of England|John]] as his heir, fearing Arthur was too young to look after the throne, but also under the influence of Philip II. Arthur was only twelve years old at the time. John immediately claimed the throne of England, but much of the Norman nobility were resentful, or concerned, at recognising him as their overlord based upon previous experiences and issues with him, such as when Richard was away on Crusade and John gave away Plantagenet lands to Philip II in an attempt to take control while Richard was absent. They preferred Arthur, who declared himself [[vassal]] of Philip, but also was the Duke of Brittany. Philip recognised Arthur's right to [[Duchy of Anjou|Anjou]], [[Maine (province of France)|Maine]], and [[Poitou]]. Upon Richard's death Arthur led a force to Anjou and Maine.{{sfn|Everard|2004|p=167}} From 18 April, he styled himself as Duke of Brittany, Count of Anjou and Earl of Richmond.

On 18 September, John persuaded the [[seneschal]] of Anjou, [[William des Roches]], to defect, claiming Arthur would be a [[House of Capet|Capetian]] puppet. Four days later William took Arthur and Constance prisoners to [[Le Mans]]. Viscount Aimery, the seneschal appointed by John, took Arthur and Constance and fled the court to [[Angers]], and later the court of Philip II.{{sfn|Gillingham|1984|p=88}}

==Treaty of Le Goulet==
The [[Treaty of Le Goulet]] was signed by the kings John of England and Philip II of France in May 1200 and meant to settle once and for all the claims the [[Normans|Norman]] kings of England had as Norman dukes on French lands, including, at least for a time, [[Brittany]]. Under the terms of the treaty, Philip recognised John as King of England as heir of his brother Richard I and thus formally abandoned any support for Arthur. John, meanwhile, recognised Philip as the [[suzerain]] of continental possessions of the [[Angevin Empire]].

Philip had previously recognised John as suzerain of Anjou and the Duchy of Brittany, but with this he extorted 20,000 marks sterling in payment for recognition of John's sovereignty of Brittany.{{efn|The king of England bound himself in all ways as a vassal to his lord. He was required to obey summons, support his lord in war with troops or money, and to make payments of special feudal dues never before exacted from his lands.}}

==Battle against John of England==
[[File:Falaise chateau guillaume conquerant 2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.37|The [[Château de Falaise]] in [[Normandy]],  where Arthur was imprisoned by his uncle [[John I of England|King John]]]]
{{Further|French invasion of Normandy (1202–1204)}}
After the signing of the Treaty of Le Goulet, and feeling offended by Philip, Arthur fled to John, his uncle, and was treated kindly, at least initially. However, he later became suspicious of John and fled back to [[Angers]]. Some unidentified source said that in April 1202, Arthur was again betrothed, this time to [[Marie of France, Duchess of Brabant|Marie of France]], a daughter of Philip II and [[Agnes of Andechs-Merania]].{{sfn|McDougall|2017|p=226}}

After his return to France, and with the support of Philip II, Arthur embarked on a campaign in Normandy against John in 1202. Poitou revolted in support of Arthur. The Duke of Brittany besieged his grandmother, [[Eleanor of Aquitaine]], John's mother, in the Château de Mirebeau. John marched on [[Mirebeau]], taking Arthur by surprise on 31 July 1202.{{sfn|Seel|2012|p=47}} Arthur was captured by John's barons on 1 August, and imprisoned in the [[Château de Falaise]] in [[Falaise, Calvados|Falaise]], Normandy.

==Imprisonment and disappearance==
Arthur was guarded by [[Hubert de Burgh, 1st Earl of Kent|Hubert de Burgh]] at the Chateau de Falaise. According to contemporaneous chronicler [[Ralph of Coggeshall]], John ordered two of his servants to blind and castrate the duke. De Burgh could not bring himself to let Arthur be mutilated. Fearful of John, de Burgh leaked news that Arthur had died of natural causes. This news infuriated Brittany, who suspected that Arthur had been murdered.{{sfn|Jones|2014|p=164}} The following year Arthur was transferred to [[Rouen]], under the charge of [[William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber|William de Braose]].{{sfn|Jones|2014|p=166}} Arthur vanished in April 1203, in the background of several military victories by [[Philip II of France]] against King John.{{sfn|Jones|2014|p=166}}

Arthur's disappearance gave rise to various stories. One account was that Arthur's gaolers feared to harm him, and so he was murdered by John directly and his body dumped in the [[Seine]]. The ''[[Margam Abbey|Margam]] Annals'' provide the following account of Arthur's death:

{{quote|After King John had captured Arthur and kept him alive in prison for some time, at length, in the castle of Rouen, after dinner on the Thursday before Easter, when he was drunk and possessed by the devil ['ebrius et daemonio plenus'], he slew him with his own hand, and tying a heavy stone to the body cast it into the Seine. It was discovered by a fisherman in his net, and being dragged to the bank and recognized, was taken for secret burial, in fear of the tyrant, to the [[Bec Abbey|priory of Bec]], which is called St Mary of the Meadow.{{sfn|Jones|2014|p=166-167}}{{sfn|Luard|1864|p=27}}}}

William de Braose is also rumoured to have murdered Arthur. After the young man's disappearance, he rose high in John's favour receiving new lands and titles in the [[Welsh Marches]]. Many years after Arthur's disappearance, and just prior to a conflict with King John, de Braose's wife [[Maud de Braose]] accused the king of murdering Arthur.{{sfn|Jones|2014|p=192}} 

Not only the Bretons, but even Philip II, were ignorant of what actually happened, and whether Arthur was alive or dead. Whatever his fate, Arthur left no known issue. William promised to direct the attack of Mirebeau on condition he was consulted on the fate of Arthur,{{sfn|Warren|1961|p=77}} but John broke the promise,{{sfn|Carpenter|2003|p=265}} causing him to leave John along with Aimeri of Thouars and siege Angers.{{sfn|Warren|1961|p=80}}

==Succession==
The mystery surrounding Arthur's death complicated his succession. This succession was presumably influenced by both King John and King Philip II.{{efn|While John remained suzerain over Brittany, he was also vassal to Philip II of France, and so the succession of Brittany relied as much on John's preferences, as on Philip's agreement. }} There were no male heirs to the ducal crown and so his succession as duke was constrained to several choices among his sisters.

His sister [[Eleanor, Fair Maid of Brittany|Eleanor, the 'Fair Maid of Brittany']], was also King John's prisoner. Eleanor also presented a complicating factor, if not a threat, to John's succession plans as King of England. While permitted by John to claim her rights to Brittany, she remained imprisoned for the rest of her life, through the reign of John's actual successor, his son [[Henry III of England]]. While imprisoned, she never married and had no issue. Her imprisonment and the fact that she was located in England made it impossible for her to reign as hereditary Duchess of Brittany. John allowed her to succeed Richmond but gave her no lands of the Earldom.

Arthur I was succeeded by his half-sister, [[Alix, Duchess of Brittany|Alix of Thouars]], the daughter of Constance and her third husband Guy of Thouars.{{efn|This succession was agreed by Philip II of France. Philip replaced Guy as Alix's regent and then arranged her marriage to [[Pierre I, Duke of Brittany|Pierre Mauclerc]] of the [[House of Dreux]]. The House of Dreux was a junior branch within the Capetian dynasty.}}

==Memorial==
In 1268, Henry III gave the manor of [[Melksham]], Wiltshire, to Amesbury for the souls of Eleanor and Arthur,<ref name=pa>Douglas Richardson and Kimball G. Everingham,, ''Plantagenet Ancestry: a study in colonial and medieval families'' (2004), p.6</ref><ref name=gs>G. Seabourne. "Eleanor of Brittany and her Treatment by King John and Henry III", ''Nottingham Medieval Studies'', Vol. LI (2007), pp. 73–110.</ref> ordering the convent to commemorate them along with all kings and queens.<ref name=am>''Annales Mon.'' (Rolls Ser.), i (de Margam, Theokesberia, &c.), 118; Cal. Pat. 1232–47, 261.</ref>

==Legacy==
[[File:Murder of Prince Arthur.jpg|thumb|Murder of Prince Arthur by Thomas Welly, 1754. Engraving after ''The Death of Arthur'' painted by [[William Hamilton (painter)|William Hamilton]], [[National Galleries of Scotland]].]]

===In literature===
The death of Arthur is a vital ingredient in [[Shakespeare]]'s history play ''[[The Life and Death of King John]]'', in which Arthur is portrayed as a child whose innocence dissuades Hubert de Burgh from committing the murder demanded by King John. However, Arthur soon dies after jumping from his place of confinement in an escape attempt.

In the 19th century, the [[Breton people|Breton]] poet [[Auguste Brizeux]] wrote of Arthur in ''La chasse du Prince Arthur''.

In the novel ''Saving Grace'' by [[Julie Garwood]], the heroine finds documents relating to Arthur's murder, committed under the orders of King John, by two of King John's barons. She is married to a Scottish [[Laird]], Gabriel MacBain, to escape England, but is harassed by both King John's barons and the English faction hoping to take down King John, each party unsure of how much she knows.

In [[Randall Garrett]]'s alternative-history fantasy stories, the [[Lord Darcy (omnibus)|Lord Darcy]] series, King Richard survives. John Lackland never becomes king, and the Plantagenet line, descending from Arthur, continues down to the present day.

In ''The Devil and King John'' by the Australian novelist [[Philip Lindsay]], Arthur is killed by John in a fit of temper, but he is shown as a rebellious adolescent who did provoke John to some extent, rather than the innocent child in some versions. In his introduction, Lindsay acknowledged that he had no evidence that this is what happened to Arthur, but he considered it to be as good a guess as any.

Other literary works featuring Arthur include:<ref>Eric Borgnis-Desbordes, ''Arthur de Bretagne (1187-1203), L'espor breton assassiné'', (Yorann Embanner, 2012), 305-327.</ref>
* ''[[The Troublesome Reign of King John]]'' (c.1589) anonymous tragedy
* ''Below the Salt'' (1957) novel by Thomas B. Costain
* ''Jean sans Terre ou la mort d’Arthur'' (1791) tragedy by [[Jean-François Ducis]]
* ''King John'' (1800) tragedy by [[Richard Valpy]]
* ''Le petit Arthur de Bretagne à la tour de Rouen'' (1822) poem by [[Marceline Desbordes-Valmore]]
* ''La Mort d’Arthur de Bretagne'' (1826) poem by [[Alexis Fossé]]
* ''Arthur de Bretagne'' (1824) tragedy by [[Joseph Chauvet]]
* ''Arthur de Bretagne'' (1885) drama by [[Louis Tiercelin]]
* ''Arthur de Bretagne'' (1887, posthumous) drama by [[Claude Bernard]]
* ''[[Hubert's Arthur]]'' (1935) novel by [[Frederick Rolfe]]
* ''Devil’s Brood'' (2008), ''Lionheart'' (2011) and ''A King’s Ransom'' (2014) novels by [[Sharon Kay Penman]]

===In music===
In 1912 the Breton composer [[Joseph-Guy Ropartz]] composed a [[symphonic poem]], ''La Chasse du Prince Arthur'' (Prince Arthur's Hunt) after the poem by Brizeux. The Breton [[Folk rock|folk-rock]] band [[Tri Yann]]'s 1995 album ''[[Portraits (Tri Yann album)|Portraits]]'' includes a song about Arthur.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://edoll.free.fr/portraits.html|title=Portraits (1995)|website=Tri Yann Site Officiel}}</ref>

===On television===
Arthur and his mother Constance appear as characters in a number of episodes of the 1950s British TV series ''[[The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series)|The Adventures of Robin Hood]]''. Arthur is portrayed by actors [[Peter Asher]] (three episodes, seasons one and two), [[Richard O'Sullivan]] (one episode, season three) and Jonathan Bailey (one episode, season four). [[Simon Gipps-Kent]] portrayed Arthur's life and torturous death in the 1978 BBC series ''[[The Devil's Crown]]''.

==Genealogical table==
{{chart top|Arthur's position within the English royal family{{sfn|Seel|2012|loc=Figure 1}}}}
{{chart/start}}
{{chart |border=0| | | | | | | | | |William| | | |William=[[William the Conqueror]]}}
{{chart | | |,|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|^|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|.| | |}}
{{chart |border=0| |Robert| |Fulk|y|Eremburga| |William| |Henry| |Henry=[[Henry I of England]]|Fulk=[[Fulk V of Anjou]]|Eremburga=[[Eremburga of Maine]]|William=[[William II of England]]|Robert=[[Robert Curthose]]}}
{{chart | | |!| | | | | |!| | | | | | | |,|-|^|-|.| | |}}
{{chart |border=0| |Clito| | | |Geoffrey|~|~|y|~|~|Matilda| |Adelin| |Geoffrey=[[Geoffrey V of Anjou]]|Matilda=[[Matilda of England|Matilda]]|Adelin=[[William Adelin]]|Clito=[[William Clito]]}}
{{chart | | | | | | |,|-|-|-|-|-|^|-|v|-|-|-|.|}}
{{chart |border=0| | | | | |Henry|y|Eleanor| |Geoffrey| |William| |Eleanor=[[Eleanor of Aquitaine]]|Henry=[[Henry II of England]]|William=[[William FitzEmpress]]|Geoffrey=[[Geoffrey VI of Anjou]]}}
{{chart | |,|-|-|-|v|-|-|^|v|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|.| |}}
{{chart |border=0|Henry| |Matilda| |Richard| |Geoffrey|y|Constance|y|Guy| |Eleanor|y|Alfonso| |Joan|y|Raymond| |John| | |Henry=[[Henry the Young King]]|Richard=[[Richard I of England]]|Geoffrey=[[Geoffrey II of Brittany]]|John=[[John of England]]|Matilda=[[Matilda of England, Duchess of Saxony|Matilda]]|Eleanor=[[Eleanor of England, Queen of Castile|Eleanor]]|Alfonso=[[Alfonso VIII of Castile]]|Joan=[[Joan of England, Queen of Sicily|Joan]]|Raymond=[[Raymond VI of Toulouse]]|Constance=[[Constance of Brittany]]|Guy=[[Guy of Thouars]]}}
{{chart | | | | | |!| | | | | |,|-|-|-|(| | | |!| | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | |!|}}
{{chart |border=0| | | | |Otto| | | |Eleanor| |Arthur| |Alice| | | | | |Blanche|~|Louis| |Raymond|Arthur=Arthur I of Brittany|Eleanor=[[Eleanor, Fair Maid of Brittany|Eleanor]]|Otto=[[Otto IV of Germany]]|Blanche=[[Blanche of Castile]]|Louis=[[Louis VIII of France]]|Raymond=[[Raymond VII of Toulouse]]|Alice=[[Alix of Brittany]]}}
{{chart/end}}
{{chart bottom}}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|3}}

==Sources==
*{{cite book |title=Arthurian Literature XVI |editor1-first=James P. |editor1-last=Carley |editor2-first=Felicity |editor2-last=Riddy |publisher=D.S. Brewer |year=1998 }}
*{{Cite book|title=The Struggle for Mastery|last=Carpenter|first=David|publisher=Penguin|year=2003|isbn=9780140148244|pages=[https://archive.org/details/struggleformaste00davi/page/265 265]|url=https://archive.org/details/struggleformaste00davi/page/265}}
*{{cite book |first=J. A. |last=Everard |title=Brittany and the Angevins: Province and Empire 1158–1203 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |year=2004 }}
*{{cite book |last=Gillingham |first=John |year=1984 |title=The Angevin Empire |publisher=Hodder Arnold }}
*{{cite book |first=Dan |last=Jones |year=2014 |title=The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England |publisher=Penguin Books }}
* [[Dominica Legge|Legge, M. Dominica]] (1982), "William the Marshal and Arthur of Brittany", ''Historical Research'', volume 55
*{{cite book |title=Annales Monastici |editor-first=Henry Richards|editor-last=Luard |publisher=Longman |year=1864 |url=https://archive.org/details/annalesmonastici01luar/page/26/mode/2up }}
*{{cite book |title=Clash of Crowns: William the Conqueror, Richard Lionheart, and Eleanor of Aquitaine |first=Mary |last=McAuliffe |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. |year=2012 }}
*{{cite book |first=Sara |last=McDougall |author-link=Sara McDougall |title=Royal Bastards: The Birth of Illegitimacy, 800-1230 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2017 }}
* [[F. M. Powicke|Powicke, F. M.]] (October 1909), "King John and Arthur of Brittany", ''The English Historical Review'', volume 24, pp.&nbsp;659–674
*{{cite book |title=King John: An Underrated King |first=Graham E. |last=Seel |publisher=Anthem Press |year=2012 }}
*{{Cite book|title=King John|last=Warren|first=W. L.|publisher=Yale University Press|year=1961|isbn=9780300073744 }}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Arthur I, Duke of Brittany}}
* {{Cite Americana|wstitle=Arthur (duke)|year=1920  |short=x}}
* {{Cite NIE|wstitle=Arthur (duke)|year=1905 |short=x}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-hou|[[House of Plantagenet]]|29 March|1187||1203}}
{{s-reg}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Constance, Duchess of Brittany|Constance]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Duke of Brittany]]|years=1196–1203}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Alix, Duchess of Brittany|Alix]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Richard I of England|Richard]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Count of Anjou]]|years=1199–1203}}
{{s-vac|reason=Seized by France|next={{ill|John Tristan, Count of Anjou|fr|Jean Tristan de France (1219-1232)}}}}
{{s-reg|en}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Constance, Duchess of Brittany|Constance]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Earl of Richmond]]|years=1196–1203}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Eleanor, Fair Maid of Brittany|Eleanor]] (''Imprisoned'') <br> and <br> [[Alix, Duchess of Brittany|Alix]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Breton monarchs}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arthur 01, Duke of Brittany}}
[[Category:1187 births]]
[[Category:1203 deaths]]
[[Category:12th-century dukes of Brittany]]
[[Category:13th-century dukes of Brittany]]
[[Category:12th-century English nobility]]
[[Category:13th-century English nobility]]
[[Category:13th-century missing person cases]]
[[Category:Anglo-Normans]]
[[Category:Heirs presumptive to the English throne]]
[[Category:Counts of Anjou]]
[[Category:Dukes of Brittany]]
[[Category:Earls of Richmond (1136 creation)]]
[[Category:House of Plantagenet]]
[[Category:Burials at Rouen Cathedral]]
[[Category:Disappeared princes]]
[[Category:Medieval child monarchs]]
[[Category:French prisoners and detainees]]
[[Category:English prisoners and detainees]]
[[Category:French prisoners of war in the 13th century]]
[[Category:Nobility from Nantes]]