Editing Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany

{{Short description|Duke of Brittany from 1181 to 1186}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name = Geoffrey II
| succession = [[Duke of Brittany]]
| image  = Geoffrey2.jpg
| reign = July 1181 – 19 August 1186
| predecessor = [[Constance, Duchess of Brittany|Constance]]
| successor = Constance
| regent = Constance
| reg-type = Co-ruler
| spouse = [[Constance, Duchess of Brittany]]
| issue = [[Eleanor, Fair Maid of Brittany]]<br/>[[Arthur I, Duke of Brittany]]
| issue-link = #Family
| house = [[House of Plantagenet|Plantagenet]] / [[House of Angevin|Angevin]]{{efn|{{Angevin}}}}
| father = [[Henry II, King of England]]
| mother = [[Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine]]
| birth_date = 23 September 1158
| death_date = 19 August 1186 (aged 27)
| death_place = Paris, [[Kingdom of France]]
| burial_place = [[Notre Dame de Paris]]
}}

'''Geoffrey II''' ({{langx|br|Jafrez}}; {{Langx|la|Galfridus}}, {{langx|xno|Geoffroy}}; 23 September 1158 – 19 August 1186) was [[Duke of Brittany]] and [[Earl of Richmond]] between 1181 and 1186, through his marriage to [[Constance, Duchess of Brittany]]. Geoffrey was the fourth of five sons of [[Henry II of England]] and [[Eleanor of Aquitaine]].<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/229573/Geoffrey-IV Britannica Online]</ref>
<!---The identifier (as they did not have surnames) Plantagenet does not apply to him. Only his grandfather acquired _the nickname_ Plantagenet and SEVEN generations later a descendant of his brother John, (Richard Duke of York father of King Edward IV) took Plantagenet as surname (See Burke's Guide to the Royal Family) and in hindsight this Richard is shifted out of the Plantagenet box into the York box. --->

==Life==

In the 1160s, Henry II began to alter his policy of indirect rule in Brittany and to exert more direct control.<ref>Everard (2000), pp. 41–42.</ref> Henry had been at war with [[Conan IV, Duke of Brittany]]. Local Breton nobles rebelled against Conan, so Conan sought Henry II's help. In 1164, Henry intervened to seize lands along the border of Brittany and Normandy and, in 1166, he invaded Brittany to punish the local barons.<ref name=Everard2000P42>Everard (2000), p. 42.</ref> Henry then forced Conan to abdicate as duke and to give Brittany to his five-year-old daughter, [[Constance, Duchess of Brittany|Constance]], who was handed over and betrothed to Henry's son Geoffrey.<ref name=Everard2000P42/> This arrangement was quite unusual in terms of medieval law, as Conan might have had sons who could have legitimately inherited the duchy.{{sfn|Everard|1999|pages=43–44}}{{efn|Henry never formally became Duke of Brittany as he was only holding the duchy on behalf of Geoffrey and Constance.}} Geoffrey and Constance eventually married, in July 1181.<ref>Warren, Wilfred Lewis, ''King John'', (University of California Press, 1973), 574.</ref>

Growing tensions between Henry and [[Louis VII of France]] finally spilled over into open war in 1167, triggered by a trivial argument over how money destined for the [[Crusader states]] of the [[Levant]] should be collected.{{sfn|Warren|2000|page=105}} Louis allied himself with the Welsh, Scots and Bretons and attacked Normandy.<ref>Dunbabin, p. 59.</ref> Henry responded by attacking Chaumont-sur-Epte, where Louis kept his main military arsenal, burning the town to the ground and forcing Louis to abandon his allies and make a private truce.<ref>Dunbabin, p. 59</ref>{{sfn|Warren|2000|p=106}} Henry was then free to move against the rebel barons in Brittany, where feelings about his seizure of the duchy were still running high.<ref>Everard (2000), pp. 45–46.</ref>

Geoffrey was fifteen years old when he joined the first revolt against his father. He later reconciled to Henry in 1174 when he participated in the truce at [[Gisors]].{{efn|The meetings leading to the Truce of Gisors probably occurred at the [[Château de Gisors]] which had been built by [[Henry I of England]].}}{{efn|Richard was absent from Gisors and would reconcile with Henry II later at a place between Tours and Amboise.}} Geoffrey prominently figured in the second revolt of 1183, fighting against [[Richard I of England|Richard]], on behalf of [[Henry the Young King]].

Geoffrey was a good friend of Louis VII's son [[Philip II of France|Philip]], and the two men were frequently in alliance against King Henry. Geoffrey spent much time at Philip's court in Paris, and Philip made him his [[seneschal]]. There is evidence to suggest that Geoffrey was planning another rebellion with Philip's help during his final period in Paris in the summer of 1186. As a participant in so many rebellions against his father, Geoffrey acquired a reputation for treachery. [[Gerald of Wales]] wrote the following of him: "He has more [[aloes]] than honey in him; his tongue is smoother than oil; his sweet and persuasive eloquence has enabled him to dissolve the firmest alliances and by his powers of language able to corrupt two kingdoms; of tireless endeavour, a hypocrite in everything, a deceiver and a dissembler."<ref>Dan Jones, "The Plantagenets", p. 102</ref>

Geoffrey also was known to attack monasteries and churches in order to raise funds for his campaigns. This lack of reverence for religion earned him the displeasure of the Church and, as a consequence, of the majority of chroniclers who wrote about his life.

==Family==
Geoffrey and Constance had three children, one born after Geoffrey's death:
* [[Eleanor, Fair Maid of Brittany]] (1184–1241)
* Maud/Matilda of Brittany (1185–before May 1189)
* [[Arthur I, Duke of Brittany]] (1187–1203?)

==Death==
Geoffrey died on 19 August 1186, at the age of 27, in Paris. There is also evidence that supports a death date of 21 August 1186.<ref>Marie-Aline de Mascureau, ''Chronologie'', published originally in ''Aliénor d’Aquitaine''. Revue 303, hors-série no 81, pp. 218–223, Nantes 2004, in Edmond-René Labande, ''Pour une image véridique d'Aliénor d'Aquitaine'', edited with a preface by Martin Aurell of la Société des antiquaires de l'Ouest-Geste edition of 2005.  {{ISBN|2-84561-224-9}}, p. 142</ref> There are two alternative accounts of his death. The more common first version holds that he was trampled to death in a jousting tournament. At his funeral, a grief-stricken Philip is said to have tried to jump into the coffin. [[Roger of Hoveden]]'s chronicle<ref>Hoveden on [http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1183hovden.html The 1183 Revolt]</ref> is the source of this version; the detail of Philip's hysterical grief is from [[Gerald of Wales]].

In the second version, in the chronicle of the French royal clerk [[Rigord]], Geoffrey died of sudden acute chest pain, which reportedly struck immediately after his speech to Philip, boasting his intention to lay Normandy to waste. Possibly, this version was an invention of its chronicler, sudden illness being God's judgment of an ungrateful son plotting rebellion against his father, and for his irreligiosity. Alternatively, the tournament story may be an invention of Philip in trying to prevent Henry II discovering a plot; by inventing a social reason, a tournament, for Geoffrey's being in Paris, Philip could have obscured their meeting's true purpose.

[[Marie of France, Countess of Champagne|Marie of Champagne]], with whom Geoffrey was on good terms, was present at the requiem for her half-brother and established a mass [[chantry]] for the repose of his soul.<ref>{{cite book | title=Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings | last=Kelly | first=Amy | page=226 | year=1950 }}</ref>

Geoffrey was buried in the choir of [[Notre-Dame de Paris]] cathedral,<ref>{{cite book | title=Brittany and the Angevins: Province and Empire, 1158–1203 | last=Everard | first=Judith | page=144 and 144 n. 87 | year=2000 }}</ref> but his tombstone was destroyed in 1699.<ref>[http://www.tombes-sepultures.com/crbst_816.html Destroyed tombs at Notre-Dame de Paris]</ref> His body was exhumed in 1797 and measured at 5&nbsp;ft 6.5 in (1.69 m).<ref>As related by Valentine Green in ''[[The Gentleman's Magazine]]'', 67, pt. 2, 1797</ref>

==Succession==
After Geoffrey's death, Henry II arranged for Constance, Geoffrey's widow, to marry [[Ranulf de Blondeville, 6th Earl of Chester]]. Ranulf would become Duke of Brittany, ''[[jure uxoris]]'', for a short time before this marriage was annulled.

== Portrayals ==
=== In literature ===
Geoffrey II of Brittany is a major character in the play ''[[The Lion in Winter]]'' (1966) by [[James Goldman]] where his portrayal is reminiscent of that made by [[Gerald of Wales]], and in the novel ''Devil's Brood'' (2008) by [[Sharon Kay Penman]]. He is also mentioned in the tragedies ''[[The Troublesome Reign of King John]]'' (anonymous, c.1589), ''[[King John (play)|King John]]'' (1593–1596) by [[William Shakespeare]] and ''King John'' by [[Richard Valpy]], the poem ''Le petit Arthur de Bretagne à la tour de Rouen'' (1822) by [[Marceline Desbordes-Valmore]], the drama ''Arthur de Bretagne'' (1885) by [[Louis Tiercelin]] and the novels ''Lionheart'' (2011) and ''A King's Ransom'' (2014) by [[Sharon Kay Penman]], as well as in the second volume of the trilogy ''Le Château des Poulfenc'' (2009) by [[Brigitte Coppin]].

=== In theatre and television ===
Geoffrey has been portrayed by [[John Castle]] in the movie [[The Lion in Winter (1968 film)|''The Lion in Winter'']] (1968) and by [[John Light (actor)|John Light]] in the 2003 [[The Lion in Winter (2003 film)|made-for-TV remake]]. He has also been portrayed by [[Austin Somervell]] (as a boy) and [[Martin Neil]] (as an adult) in the BBC TV drama series ''[[The Devil's Crown]]'' (1978).

==Genealogical table==
{{chart top|Geoffrey's position within the English royal family<ref name="Turner & Heiser 256-257">{{harvnb|Turner|Heiser|2000|pp=256–257}}</ref>}}
{{chart/start}}
{{chart |border=0| | | | | |Fulk|y|Eremburga| | | |Edith|y|~|~|~|~|~|Henry|Henry=[[Henry I of England]]|Fulk=[[Fulk V of Anjou]]|Eremburga=[[Eremburga of Maine]]|Edith=[[Matilda of Scotland]]}}
{{chart | | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | |,|-|^|-|.| | | | |!|}}
{{chart |border=0| | | | | | | |Geoffrey|~|~|y|~|~|Matilda| |Adelin| | |Maud|Geoffrey=[[Geoffrey V of Anjou]]|Matilda=[[Matilda of England|Matilda]]|Adelin=[[William Adelin]]|Clito=[[William Clito]]|Maud=[[Matilda FitzRoy, Duchess of Brittany|Matilda]]}}
{{chart | | | | | | |,|-|-|-|-|-|^|-|v|-|-|-|.| | | | | | |!| | | | | | | | |}}
{{chart |border=0| | | | | |Henry|y|Eleanor| |Geoffrey| |William| | | | |Bertha|Eleanor=[[Eleanor of Aquitaine]]|Henry=[[Henry II of England]]|William=[[William FitzEmpress]]|Geoffrey=[[Geoffrey VI of Anjou]]|Bertha=[[Bertha of Brittany]]}}
{{chart | |,|-|-|-|v|-|-|^|v|-|v|-|v|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|.| | | |!|}}
{{chart |border=0|Henry| |Matilda| |Richard|!|Eleanor| |Joan| |John| |Conan|Henry=[[Henry the Young King]]|Richard=[[Richard I of England]]|John=[[John I of England]]|Matilda=[[Matilda of England, Duchess of Saxony|Matilda]]|Eleanor=[[Eleanor of England, Queen of Castile|Eleanor]]|Joan=[[Joan of England, Queen of Sicily|Joan]]|Conan=[[Conan IV of Brittany]]}}
{{chart | | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | | | | | | | |!|}}
{{chart |border=0| | | | | | | | | | |Geoffrey|~|~|~|~|~|y|~|~|~|~|~|Constance|Geoffrey=Geoffrey II of Brittany|Constance=[[Constance of Brittany]]}}
{{chart | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |,|-|^|-|.| | | | | | | | | | | |}}
{{chart |border=0| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Arthur| |Eleanor| | |Arthur=[[Arthur I of Brittany]]|Eleanor=[[Eleanor, Fair Maid of Brittany|Eleanor]]}}
{{chart/end}}
{{chart bottom}}

==See also==
* [[Dukes of Brittany family tree]]
*[[Earl of Richmond]]
* [[British monarchs family tree]]
* [[List of horse accidents|Other politically important horse accidents]]

==Notes==
{{notes}}

==References==
{{reflist|group="nb"|30em}}
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==

* Costain, Thomas B. ''The Conquering Family'', 1962
* {{cite book |last=Everard |first=Judith |title=Charters of Duchess Constance of Brittany and her Family, 1171–1221 |year=1999 }}
* Everard, Judith. ''Brittany and the Angevins: Province and Empire, 1158–1203'', 2000
* Gillingham, John. ''The Life and Times of Richard I'', 1973
* Gillingham, John. ''Richard the Lionheart'', 1978
* Gillihgham, John. ''Richard I'', 1999
* {{Cite book |last=Hamilton |first=J.S. |title=The Plantagenets: History of a Dynasty |date=2010 |publisher=Continuum |isbn=978-1-4411-5712-6 |location=London |ol=28013041M}}
* Reston, James. ''Warriors of God: Richard the Lion-Heart and Saladin in the Third Crusade'', 2001
* {{Citation |last1=Turner |first1=Ralph V. |last2=Heiser |first2=Richard R |title=The Reign of Richard Lionheart, Ruler of the Angevin empire, 1189–1199 |location=Harlow |publisher=Longman |year=2000 |isbn=978-0-582-25659-0}}
* {{cite book |last=Warren |first=W. L. |title=Henry II |year=2000 }}

==External links==
* [http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook1n.html#Angevin%20England The Medieval Sourcebook] contains many primary sources including Hoveden and Gerald of Wales, some of which pertains to Geoffrey

{{S-start}}
{{S-hou|[[House of Plantagenet]]|23 September|1158|19 August|1186}}
{{s-reg}}
{{S-bef|before=[[Constance, Duchess of Brittany|Constance]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of rulers of Brittany|Duke of Brittany ''jure uxoris'']]|years=1181–1186|regent1=[[Constance, Duchess of Brittany|Constance]]}}
 {{S-aft|after=[[Constance, Duchess of Brittany|Constance]]<br> and<br> [[Ranulph de Blondeville, 6th Earl of Chester|Ranulph]]}}
{{s-reg|en}}
{{S-bef|before=[[Constance, Duchess of Brittany|Constance]]}}
{{S-ttl | title=[[Earl of Richmond]]|years=1181–1186|regent1=[[Constance, Duchess of Brittany|Constance]]}}
{{S-aft|rows=1|after=[[Constance, Duchess of Brittany|Constance]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Breton monarchs}}
{{House of Plantagenet}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Geoffrey 02 Duke Of Brittany}}
[[Category:1158 births]]
[[Category:1186 deaths]]
[[Category:12th-century dukes of Brittany]]
[[Category:12th-century English nobility]]
[[Category:House of Plantagenet]]
[[Category:Deaths by horse-riding accident in France]]
[[Category:Jure uxoris dukes]]
[[Category:House of Anjou]]
[[Category:Earls of Richmond (1136 creation)]]
[[Category:Burials at Notre-Dame de Paris]]
[[Category:Children of Henry II of England]]
[[Category:Sons of kings]]
[[Category:Rebel princes]]
[[Category:English princes]]