Bertrade of Montfort

Bertrade of Montfort ( – 14 February 1117), also known by other names, was a Norman noble from the House of Montfort. She was countess of Anjou (10891092) through her first marriage to Fulk the Rude and then queen consort of France (10921108) through her initially bigamous marriage to Condemned in her era's ecclesiastical histories, she played a role in the popularization of pigache footwear and founded a daughter house of Fontevraud Abbey at Hautes-Bruyeres. Names Bertrade is a French feminine given name related to Bertha, descended from Proto-Germanic roots reconstructed as *berht ("bright") and *rād ("counsel, advice"). Notably, it was held by Bertrade of Laon, mother of Charlemagne. The Norman countess and queen's name also appears as and as from the French form of her family's name. Life Bertrade was born around 1070 to Simon I, lord of Montfort, and Agnes of Évreux. Her brother was Amaury III. As a teenager, Bertrade was the ward of her maternal uncle William of Évreux. In 1089, the much-married Fulk IV of Anjou demanded her hand from Robert Curthose, duke of Normandy, in exchange for his assistance putting down rebel Manceaux. Despite his reservations about the duke and about Fulk's numerous exwives, William consented to the marriage in exchange for the restoration of lands previously held by his relative Ralph the Asshead. According to the scandalized English historian Orderic Vitalis, Fulk's embarrassment concerning his bunions prompted him to develop the pigache, a pointed-toe shoe that quickly became fashionable across Western Europe despite repeated condemnations by the church. Shortly after their 1089 marriage, Bertrade bore Fulk's son and heir, Fulk V.