Marguerite of Geneva

Margaret of Geneva
Margaret of Geneva
Born	c.1180?
Died	1252 Paris, Kingdom of France
Spouse(s)	Thomas I of Savoy
Father	William I, Count of Geneva
Mother	Beatrice de Faucigny (c.1160-1196)

Margaret of Geneva (1180?-1252), countess of Savoy, was the daughter of William I, Count of Geneva, and Beatrice de Faucigny (1160-1196).

She was supposed to become the third wife of Philip II of France. However, when her father was escorting her to France in May 1195, Thomas I of Savoy carried her off. Attracted by her youth and her beauty, Count Thomas then married her himself, claiming that Philip II was already married (the French King had married Ingeborg of Denmark in 1193 but had repudiated her soon thereafter). Margaret's father fell sick and died after the wedding, and her mother died the following year. Margaret was the mother of either 14 or 19 children.

The children of Marguerite and Thomas I of Savoy were:

Margaret was the ancestress of many royal houses, including the Valois and Bourbons. After her death, she was buried at Hautecombe Abbey in Savoy.