Agnes of Burgundy, Duchess of Aquitaine
| Agnes of Burgundy | |
|---|---|
| Duchess of Aquitaine Countess of Anjou |
|
 |
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| Spouse(s) |
William V, Duke of Aquitaine Geoffrey II, Count of Anjou |
| Issue | |
| Father | Otto-William, Count of Burgundy |
| Mother | Ermentrude de Roucy |
| Born | Burgundy |
| Died | 10 November 1068 Abbey of St. Nicolas de Poitiers |
Agnes of Burgundy (or Agnes de Macon), Duchess of Aquitaine (died 10 November 1068) was a daughter of Otto-William, Count of Burgundy and Ermentrude de Roucy. She was a member of the House of Ivrea.
In 1019, she married Duke William V of Aquitaine by whom she had three children: William VII, Duke of Aquitaine, William VIII, Duke of Aquitaine and Agnes, Holy Roman Empress. William died on January 31, 1030, leaving his widow and their three young children, plus the three surviving children from his first two marriages. While married to William, Agnes gave many gifts to the abbey of Cluny.
After her husband's death, Agnes lost her influence at the court of Poitiers since her sons were not heirs. In order for her to regain her position and ensure a future for her children, Agnes had to remarry. Thus she married Geoffrey II, Count of Anjou in 1032, which was an attractive offer because his father was the powerful Fulk III, Count of Anjou.
In 1033, Geoffrey's troops invaded Poitou with the support of Agnes. William VI, Duke of Aquitaine the new Count of Poitou, was captured in March. He was released only in 1036 against a large ransom and he died in 1038 without children. The county then returned to his brother, Agnes' stepson Odo of Gascony, who was already Duke of Gascony. He went to war against Agnes, her husband and sons. Odo was killed at the battle at Mauzé.
The succeeding Count of Poitou was Agnes's son, Peter, who took the name of William VII Aigret. Being too young, his mother governed territories in his place from 1039 to 1044 and indeed it even seems the government itself, without her husband. When she transmitted the power to William, she married and took the opportunity to give his second son, Geoffrey Guy the duchy of Gascony, by marrying an heiress. Agnes then joined Geoffrey in Anjou and although she may not have actively participated in the government, certainly had some influence on him.
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