Constance, Duchess of Brittany

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Constance of Brittany (1161 – September 5 1201) was Duchess of Brittany between 1186 and 1196. Constance was the only child of Conan IV, Duke of Brittany and Earl of Richmond, by his wife Margaret of Scotland, countess of Hereford (granddaughter of king David II).

In 1181, Constance married Geoffrey Plantagenet, the fourth son of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine, and had two children by him: Eleanor, Fair Maid of Brittany (1184-1241) and Arthur. Geoffrey assumed the title of Duke of Brittany and became the effective ruler of the duchy since the date. However, he died in 1186, stamped by a horse during a tournament. Constance then became ruler of Brittany until 1196, when she abdicated in favour of Arthur.

Constance married two more times: with Ranulph de Blundeville, Earl of Chester in 1188 and with Guy of Thouars in 1199. From Guy, Constance had a daughter, Alix of Thouars, who married Peter de Dreux, first Breton ruler of the House of Dreux.

She has several very eloquent speeches on grief and death in Shakespeare's play King John.

See also: Dukes of Brittany family tree