Joan of Valois, Countess of Hainaut

Joan of Valois
Countess of Hainaut, Holland, and Zeeland
Tenure	1305–1337
Born	1294 Longpont, Aisne, France
Died	7 March 1342 Fontenelle Abbey, Maing, France
Spouse	William I, Count of Hainaut
Issue	William II, Count of Hainaut Margaret II, Countess of Hainaut Philippa, Queen of England Joanna, Duchess of Jülich Isabelle of Hainaut
House	House of Valois
Father	Charles of Valois
Mother	Margaret, Countess of Anjou

Joan of Valois (c. 1294 – 7 March 1342) was the second eldest daughter of the French prince Charles of Valois and his first wife, Margaret, Countess of Anjou. As the sister of King Philip VI of France and the mother-in-law of Edward III, she was ideally placed to act as mediator between them.

Her paternal grandparents were Philip III of France and Isabella of Aragon. Her maternal grandparents were Charles II of Naples and Maria Arpad of Hungary. Joan was one of six children. In 1299, Joan's mother died, probably in childbirth, and her father married his second wife, Catherine I of Courtenay, Titular Empress of Constantinople, by whom he had four more children. He would marry his third wife, Mahaut of Châtillon, in 1308, and by her he would sire a son and three daughters, among them Isabella of Valois, who became Duchess of Bourbon, and Blanche of Valois, who married Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor.

Joan married William I, on 23 May 1305. She was a supporter of her cousin Isabella of France in her struggle against Edward II. In December 1325, she traveled to France to attend the funeral of her father and had talks with Isabella and Charles IV of France. This brought about an alliance between Hainaut, Isabella, and the English exiles, who were in opposition to the English king and his favorite, Hugh Despenser the Younger. Isabella's son became engaged to Joan's daughter Philippa and Isabella raised an army in their lands. It was also from there that Isabella and her lover, Roger Mortimer, began their invasion of England.

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