William IX of Aquitaine

William IX of Aquitaine (October 22 1071 – February 10 1126, also Guillaume or Guilhem d'Aquitaine), nicknamed the Troubador was Duke of Aquitaine and Gascony and Count of Poitiers as William VII of Poitiers between 1086 and 1126. He was also one of the leaders of the crusade of 1101 and one of the first vernacular poets and troubadours.

Life and Family

William was the son of William VIII of Aquitaine by his third wife Hildegarde of Burgundy. His birth was an event of great celebration, but at first he was considered illegitimate by religious authorities because of his father's earlier divorces and his parents consanguinity. This obliged his father to make a pilgrimage to Rome soon after his birth, where he sought and received papal approval of his marriage and children.

Related Topics:
William VIII of Aquitaine - Hildegarde of Burgundy - Consanguinity

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In 1094 he married Philippa of Toulouse, the daughter and heiress of William IV of Toulouse. By Philippa, William had two sons and five daughters, including:

Related Topics:
1094 - Philippa of Toulouse - William IV of Toulouse

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• William X of Aquitaine, his heir.
• Agnes of Aquitaine, who married (1) Aimery V of Thouars; (2) to King Ramiro II of Aragon
• Raymond of Poitiers, ruler of the principality of Antioch, a crusader state

He was excommunicated twice, the first time in 1114 for some unknown offense. His response to this was to demand absolution from the Bishop of Poitiers at swordpoint. He was excommunicated the second time for carrying off Dangereuse, the wife of his vassal Aimery I de Rochefoucauld, Viscount of Châtellerault. He installed her in the Maubergeonne tower of his castle, and, as related by William of Malmesbury, even painted a picture of her on his shield.

Related Topics:
1114 - Vassal - Châtellerault - William of Malmesbury

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This greatly offended both his wife and his son, William. According to Orderic Vitalis, Philippa protested her treatment in October 1119 at the Council of Reims, claiming to have been abandoned by the duke in favor of Dangereuse. She later retired to the convent of Fontevrault. Relations were only patched up with his son when the younger William married Ænor of Châtellerault, Dangereuse's daughter by her husband.

Related Topics:
William - Orderic Vitalis - 1119 - Fontevrault - Châtellerault

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His 13th century Provençal biographer remembers him:

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:" was one of the most courtly men in the world and one of the greatest deceivers of women. He was a fine knight at arms, liberal in his attentions to ladies, and a fine composer and singer of songs."

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