Catherine I, Latin Empress

Catherine I
Titular Empress of Constantinople
Reign	15 December 1283 – 11 October 1307
Marquise de Namur
Dame de Courtenay, de Montargis, and de Blacon
Born	25 November 1274
Died	11 October 1307 (aged 32) Paris, France
Burial	Maubuisson Abbey, Paris
Spouse	Charles of Valois
Issue	John, Count of Chartres Catherine II of Valois, Princess of Achaea Joanna of Valois Isabella of Valois
House	Courtenay
Father	Philip of Courtenay
Mother	Beatrice of Sicily
Religion	Roman Catholic

Catherine I, also Catherine of Courtenay (25 November 1274 – 11 October 1307), was the recognised Latin Empress of Constantinople from 1283 to 1307, although she lived in exile and only held authority over Crusader States in Greece. In 1301, she became the second wife of Charles of Valois, by whom she had one son and three daughters; the eldest of these, Catherine II of Valois, Princess of Achaea succeeded her as titular empress.

Life

She was born on 25 November 1274, the only daughter and heir of the titular Emperor of Constantinople Philip I of Courtenay by Beatrice of Sicily.

Upon her father's death which occurred on 15 December 1283, Catherine inherited his claims to the Latin throne of Constantinople and was recognized as empress by the Latin states in Greece, despite the city having been re-taken by the Empire of Nicaea in 1261.

Catherine was betrothed to three men she never married, including James of Majorca. On 28 February 1301 at the Priory of St. Cloud near Paris, she became the second wife of Count Charles of Valois, son of King Philip III of France. On 23 April 1301, Charles became titular emperor with Catherine until her death in Paris on 11 October 1307 at the age of 32. She was buried at the abbey of Maubuisson^[1] the following day, 12 October. Jacques de Molay, Grand Master of the Knights Templar served as one of her pallbearers.

Issue

By Charles of Valois, Catherine I had four children:

• John, Count of Chartres (1302–1308).
• Catherine II of Valois, Princess of Achaea, titular Empress of Constantinople (before 15 April 1303 – October 1346). She married Philip I of Anjou, Prince of Taranto and had issue.
• Joan of Valois (1304 – 9 July 1363). Married Count Robert III of Artois and had issue.
• Isabella of Valois (1305 – 11 November 1349), Abbess of Fontevrault.

References

1. {FR} Revue archéologique Juillet-Decembre 1907, Volume 4; Volume 9, ed. G. Perrot and S. Reinach, (Ernest Leroux, 1907), 448–449.

See also

• Jacques de Molay, while attending her funeral on 12 October 1307 in Paris, was arrested by King Philip IV.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Catherine I, Latin Empress

16. Peter I of Courtenay               8. Peter II of Courtenay                       17. Elizabeth de Courtenay               4. Baldwin II of Constantinople                             18. Baldwin V, Count of Hainaut               9. Yolanda of Flanders                       19. Margaret I, Countess of Flanders               2. Philip of Courtenay                                   20. Erard II, Count of Brienne               10. John of Brienne                       21. Agnes of Montfaucon               5. Marie of Brienne                             22. Alfonso IX of León               11. Berengaria of León                       23. Berengaria of Castile               1. Catherine of Courtenay                                         24. Philip II of France               12. Louis VIII of France                       25. Isabella of Hainault               6. Charles I of Naples                             26. Alfonso VIII of Castile               13. Blanche of Castile                       27. Eleanor of England               3. Beatrice of Sicily                                   28. Alfonso II, Count of Provence               14. Ramon Berenguer IV of Provence                       29. Garsenda, Countess of Forcalquier               7. Beatrice of Provence                             30. Thomas I, Count of Savoy               15. Beatrice of Savoy                       31. Margaret of Geneva

External links

Media related to Catherine I, Latin Empress at Wikimedia Commons