Odo III, Duke of Burgundy | |
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Seal of Odo III
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Spouse(s) |
Teresa of Portugal Alice of Vergy |
Noble family | House of Burgundy |
Father | Hugh III, Duke of Burgundy |
Mother | Alice of Lorraine |
Born | 1166 |
Died | 6 July 1218 Lyon |
Eudes III (1166 – July 6, 1218), commonly known in English as Odo III, was duke of Burgundy between 1192 and 1218. Odo was the eldest son of duke Hugh III and his first wife Alice, daughter of Matthias I, Duke of Lorraine.
Odo did not follow his father's aggressive policies towards France and proved a worthy ally of king Philip II of France in his wars against John Lackland and the Holy Roman Emperor Otto IV of Germany. He fought bravely against the latter in the Battle of Bouvines, where he lost, according to contemporary chroniclers, two horses beneath him. Odo was also an important figure in the Crusade against the Cathars. When Philip II refused to get involved, the Odo stepped forward with the support of the local bishops and his vassals and organized the campaign of 1209 against the Cathar strongholds. Before leaving on crusade against the Cathars, Odo pledged the castle of Ile-d'Ouche and the village of Crimolois to the Knights Templar to assist them in the defense of the Catholic faith.
He married in 1194 Teresa of Portugal (1156–1218), the daughter of Afonso I of Portugal, and Matilda/Maud of Savoy, and the widow of Philip, Count of Flanders. She was repudiated in 1195, having produced no children.
In 1199, he married Alice of Vergy (1182–1252), the daughter of Hugues, Seigneur de Vergy by Gillette de Trainel. This marriage produced:
Odo was portrayed by actor Peter Baldwin in the 1978 BBC TV drama series The Devil's Crown.