Peter of Dreux
| Peter I | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Duke of Brittany | |
| Reign | 1213–1221 (as duke) 1221–1237 (as regent) |
| Predecessor | Alix |
| Successor | John I |
| Co-ruler | Alix |
| Born | c. 1187 |
| Died | 26 May 1250 (aged 63) |
| Spouse |
Alix, Duchess of Brittany Nicole Margaret of Commequiers |
| Issue |
John I, Duke of Brittany Yolande, Countess of Penthrièvre Arthur Oliver I of Machecoul |
| House | House of Dreux |
| Father | Robert II, Count of Dreux |
| Mother | Yolande de Coucy |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Peter I (French: Pierre; c. 1187 – 26 May 1250), also known as Peter Mauclerc, was Duke of Brittany jure uxoris from 1213 to 1221, and regent of the duchy for his minor son John I from 1221 to 1237. As duke he was also 1st Earl of Richmond from 1218 to 1235.
Peter was the second son of Robert II, Count of Dreux and Yolande de Coucy. The latter was in turn the son of Robert I of Dreux, a younger brother of Louis VII of France. Peter was thus a Capetian, a second cousin of Louis VIII of France.
Despite being of royal descent, as the younger son of a cadet branch Peter's early prospects were that of a minor noble, with a few scattered fiefs in the Île-de-France and Champagne. He was initially destined for a career in the clergy, which he later renounced, earning him the nickname Mauclerc (French: mauvais clerc, bad-cleric). He broke the convention of ecclesiastical heraldry by placing on the canton of his paternal arms the ermine, then reserved for the clergy.
In 1212 King Philip II of France needed to find a weak and faithful ruler for Brittany. The duchy lay athwart the sea lanes between England and the English territories in Gascony. Furthermore, it bordered on Anjou and Normandy, which the English had lost ten or twelve years before and were eager to recover. It was being ruled with less than a strong hand by Guy of Thouars, as regent for his young daughter Alix. Also worrisome was that Alix's older half-sister Eleanor, Fair Maid of Brittany, was in an English prison.
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