Constance of Arles

Constance of Arles, also known as Constance of Provence, was Queen of France as the third wife of King Robert II. Born around 986, she was the daughter of William I, Count of Provence, and Adelaide-Blanche of Anjou. Her marriage to King Robert followed his divorce from Bertha of Burgundy. The marriage faced opposition from Bertha’s family and was marked by Constance’s unpopularity for bringing her Provençal relatives and customs to court. Constance was involved in the controversy surrounding the murder of Hugh of Beauvais and was known to have a turbulent relationship with her husband and sons.

Constance played a significant role in the political landscape of France, urging her eldest son Hugh Magnus to be crowned co-king and later supporting her son Robert in a dispute over the succession. Her involvement in her sons’ rebellions against their father marked her influence on the governance of the kingdom. After King Robert’s death, Constance clashed with her surviving sons and maintained control over her dower lands until her death in 1032. She was buried beside her husband at Saint-Denis Basilica.