Infanta Teresa, Countess of Flanders
| Theresa of Portugal | |
|---|---|
.png)
|
|
| Countess consort of Flanders | |
| Tenure | 1183–1191 |
| Duchess consort of Burgundy | |
| Tenure | 1194–1195 |
| Born | c. 1151 Coimbra, Kingdom of Portugal |
| Died | 6 May 1218 Veurne, Flanders |
| Burial | Clairvaux Abbey, Aube |
| Spouse |
Philip I, Count of Flanders Odo III, Duke of Burgundy |
| House | Burgundy |
| Father | Afonso I of Portugal |
| Mother | Maud of Savoy |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Theresa of Portugal (Coimbra, c. 1151; – Veurne, 6 May 1218; Portuguese pronunciation: [tɨˈɾezɐ] or [ˈtɾezɐ]) was the daughter of the Portuguese king Afonso I and Matilda of Savoy who became Counteess of Flanders and Duchess of Burgundy by her successive marriages.
Theresa, her brother Sancho and sister Urraca were the only children of Afonso and Matilda to survive to adulthood. Named after her paternal grandmother, Countess Theresa, she was reputedly King Afonso I's favourite. During their father's illness Sancho at first exercised regency alone but from 1172 he shared the government with Theresa. At that time Afonso started considering to allow Theresa to succeed t the throne, and in 1173 he declared Sancho and Theresa co-heirs. As Afonso's illness progressed, the role of the siblings increased. Sancho took over military matters, while Theresa assumed administrative functions. Due to her proximity to the throne and fears of a loss of independence, a marriage with an Iberian lord was undesirable. Theresa thus remained unmarried until relatively late.
Around 1183 envoys came from the County of Flanders to ask for Theresa's hand in marriage to Count Philip. Perhaps because of the difficulty of pronouncing her name, she became known as Matilda. Her marriage was celebrated (in the Tournai Cathedral, Bruges) after the death of Elisabeth of Vermandois, first wife of Philip, who hadn't given him any children, and was because Philip needed an heir so that his county wouldn't fall into French hands. For its part, Portugal, a new-born country, managed to secure an important alliance with Flanders, and European recognition. Theresa brought a considerable dowry, something that helped Philip manage his war with France for a couple of more years, before making peace in 1186. A reasonable number of Portuguese immigrants (mainly merchants) also went to Flanders with the infanta.
...
Wikipedia