Theresa of Portugal, Countess of Flanders
| Theresa of Portugal | |
|---|---|
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| Countess consort of Flanders | |
| Tenure | 1183–1191 |
| Duchess consort of Burgundy | |
| Tenure | 1194–1195 |
| Born | c. 1157 Coimbra, Kingdom of Portugal |
| Died | 6 May 1218 (aged 60–61) 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. 1157; – Veurne, 6 May 1218; Portuguese pronunciation: [tɨˈɾezɐ] or [ˈtɾezɐ]) was the daughter of the Portuguese king Afonso I and Maud of Savoy who became Counteess of Flanders and Duchess of Burgundy by her successive marriages.
Around 1183 she married Philip of Alsace, Count of Flanders, becoming Countess consort of Flanders. Because of the difficulty of pronouncing her name, she changed it to Matilde (Matilda or Mahaut). She has been reported to be Afonso I of Portugal's favourite daughter. In a work by Portuguese historian Maria Roma, she is described as beautiful and as a "prideful woman with a vyril energy", of the fibre of her grandmother Theresa, Countess of Portugal.
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.
Matilda lived in one of the most luxurious royal courts of Europe, in which Philip patronized Chrétien de Troyes, author of a famous cycle of Arthurian stories and one of the fathers of the Holy Grail theme in literature. However, like Elisabeth of Vermandois, Matilda never gave birth, and after Philip's death, the county went to his sister Margaret I, Countess of Flanders.
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