Biography of Raoul Brienne II Count of Eu II Count Guînes 1315-1350

In 1315 Raoul Brienne II Count of Eu II Count Guînes was born to Raoul Brienne I Count of Eu I Count Guînes and Jeanne Melo Countess Eu and Guines.

In 1315 [his father] Raoul Brienne I Count of Eu I Count Guînes and [his mother] Jeanne Melo Countess Eu and Guines were married. She by marriage Countess Eu. He the son of [his grandfather] John Brienne II Count of Eu and [his grandmother] Jeanne Guines Countess Eu I and Guînes.

In 1325 William "Rich" Dampierre I Marquis Namur (age 1) and [his future wife] Catherine Countess Eu and Guînes (age 1) were married. She by marriage Marchioness Namur. He the son of John Dampierre I Marquis Namur (age 58) and Marie Artois.

In 1340 Raoul Brienne II Count of Eu II Count Guînes (age 25) and Catherine Countess Eu and Guînes (age 16) were married. He the son of Raoul Brienne I Count of Eu I Count Guînes and Jeanne Melo Countess Eu and Guines.

In 1344 [his father] Raoul Brienne I Count of Eu I Count Guînes was killed in a tournament at Paris [Map]. His son Raoul (age 29) succeeded II Count Eu, II Count Guînes. [his wife] Catherine Countess Eu and Guînes (age 20) by marriage Countess Eu, Countess Guînes.

Around 19th November 1350 Raoul Brienne II Count of Eu II Count Guînes (age 35) was executed.

On 18th June 1388 [his former wife] Catherine Countess Eu and Guînes (age 64) died.

Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke [-1360]. After these events, the Cypriot was granted his freedom, and Thomas confidently went into the presence of his brother, the "crowned one of the French" [King John II], but found that the king and the nobles of France were angered against him, because he had consented to a trial by combat before the King of England. Then Thomas, falsely trusting in his brother's friendship, and wishing to demonstrate that he had acted well, among other things, praised the nobility of King Edward, his worldwide fame, and the justice he exercised in judgment, saying: "He did not favour the Cypriot, who loved the king, over me, a Frenchman and your own brother and friend, my lord, the King of France." The Count of Eu¹ also lavishly praised the English king, listing the comforts and honours he had received in England during his captivity, and recalling, along with others, how envy was far removed from that great king, especially when, as a prisoner, he jousted in tournaments in England, even with the king himself, and the king did not begrudge him the acclaim of the field. But the "crowned one of the French", envious of such well-deserved praise, was angered, and, driven by envy, the stepmother of justice, born of illegitimate passion, wickedly ordered the execution of these praisers of Edward, falsely accusing the count of having had undue familiarity with the queen, and accusing his own brother, Thomas, of high treason against the French crown for submitting his cause to the judgment of the King of England. After this fratricide, he persecuted his wife,² the daughter of the noble King of Bohemia, who had died gloriously in the Battle of Crécy, harassing her with slander until it drove her to death. And later, he disgraced his royal honour through immoral relations with a depraved nun, leading up to his eventual capture in the Battle of Poitiers, described below.

Hiis peractis, Ciprio datur libertas manumissionis; et Thomas, ad presenciam sui fratris coronati Francorum confidenter profectus, invenit dictum coronatum et proceres Francie contra ipsum indignatos pro eo quod coram rege Anglie monomachie consenciebat. Ad hec Thomas securus putative de falsa fratris sui amicicia, volens ostendere se bene fecisse, inter cetera laudavit regis Edwardi nobilitatem, famam per totum mundum ventilatam, et iusticiam quam exercuit iudicando: 'Non acceptans personam Ciprii qui ipsum regem diligebat preferendam,' inquit, ' mihi Franco atque fratri et amico tibi, domino meo regi Francie.' Itemque comes de Ew in laudes regias profudit habunde, adnumerans solacia et beneficia que in Anglia recepit a rege tempore sue captivitatis, recensens cum aliis quam longe fuit ab optimo rege invidia relegata, quando ipsi in Anglia captivo hastiludianti, ubi eciam rex hastiludiavit, non invidebat campi graciam acclamari. Laudibus prefatis quantumcumque citra condignum predicatis invidebat coronatus Francorum, et per indignacionem, ex invidia, noverca iusticie, spurio partu progenitam, predictarum laudum precones impie iussit decapitari, fingens comitem cum sua regia uxore nimiam habuisse familiaritatem, atque suum fratrem lese regie magestatis Francie fuisse reum, quando suam causam duellarem regis Anglie examini commisit. Post predictum fratricidium, uxorem suam, filiam nobilis regis Boemie, in prelio de Cressi dudum occisi, fame torsit usque ad mortem; et deinde cuiusdam monialis fedis amplexibus et concubitu suum regium honourem fedavit, usque ad ipsius captivitatem in bello Pictavensi infra descripto.

Note 1. Raoul de Brienne, comte d'Eu et de Guines, had been detained a prisoner in England since his capture at Caen in 1346. He did not regain his freedom until near the end of October 1350. At first received with favour by the French king John, he was suddenly arrested and executed. The day of his death is usually stated to be the 19th November, but there is reason for adopting the 18th. Luce's Froissart 4.48. The story of his intrigue with the queen, Bona of Luxemburg, is an idle tale. She had already died on the 11th September 1349.

Jean Le Bel 2.165, has the following: The Count of Eu and of Guînes So he had him immediately seized by his guards and had him thrown into prison in the Tower of the Louvre in Paris, where the Count of Montfort had once been imprisoned, and there he died, it is said. Everyone was grieved by the fate of the noble constable who was treated in this way, for he was greatly loved, and no one could understand why the king had done this to him. The next day, the king swore, in front of the constable's close friends who pleaded for him, that he would never sleep, nor would he spare him for anyone's sake, until he had his head cut off. And so it was done that very night, in the Louvre Tower, without law or judgment, to the great sorrow and anger of all people. The king was harshly blamed and less loved because of it. No one knew for certain why it had been done, except perhaps the king's closest advisers. But some people guessed that the king had been informed of a romantic affair, which had either taken place or was rumoured to exist between Madame Bonne (the queen) and the noble constable. I do not know whether there was any truth in this, but the manner of the act made many people suspicious.

Note 2. Baker appears to have his dates wrong. Bonne of Luxembourg died on the 11th September 1349 from plague.