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Birth:          1182 of Montpelier, Haerault, France
Death:          21 Jan 1213 Rome, Italy
Burial:         St. Peter's, Rome, Italy

Notes
heiress of Montpellier
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_of_Montpellier
Marie of Montpellier (adapted from Occitan: Maria de Montpelhièr) (1182 – 21 April 
1213) was Lady of Montpellier and by her three marriages Viscountess of Marseille, 
Countess of Comminges and Queen of Aragon.

She was the daughter of William VIII, Lord of Montpellier, by his wife Eudokia 
Komnene, a niece of Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos.
Life[edit]

Since her birth, Marie was the legitimate heiress of the Lordship of Montpellier, 
because a clausule of the marriage contract of her parents established that the 
firstborn child, boy or girl, would succeed in Montpellier on William VIII's death.

In April 1187, William VIII repudiated Eudokia Komnene and married with certain 
Agnes, a relative of the Kings of Aragon. She bore him eight children, six sons and 
two daughters. Although Eudokia entered in a convent in Aniane as a Benedictine 
nun, William VIII's second marriage was declared invalid and all the children born from 
this union declared illegitimate, so Marie remained as the undisputed heiress of 
Montpellier.

Marie married Viscount Raymond Geoffrey II of Marseille, also named Barral, in 1192 
or shortly before, but was widowed at the end of that year. Her second marriage, in 
December 1197, was to Count Bernard IV of Comminges, and at the insistence of her 
father, Marie renounced to her rights over Montpellier in favor of her eldest half-
brother William (IX), son of Agnes.

From her marriage with Bernard IV, Marie had two daughters, Mathilde (by marriage 
Viscountess de la Barthe) and Petronille (by marriage Countess of Astarac). The 
marriage was, however, notoriously polygamous (Bernard IV had two other living 
wives) and was finally annulled (some say on Marie's insistence, some say on that of 
King Peter II of Aragon) in 1201. With this annulment, Marie was once more heir to 
Montpellier, but her father never recognized her and openly acknowledge his son 
William IX as his heir.

William VIII died in 1202. Marie's half-brother William IX had taken control of the city, 
but she asserted her right to it. On 15 June 1204 Marie married Peter II of Aragon and 
thanks to a revolt against William IX, she was recognised as Lady of Montpellier.

From her marriage with Peter II, Marie gave birth two children: Infanta Sancha (born in 
1205, died aged one) and Infante James, the future King James I the Conqueror (born 
on 1 February 1208). Peter II immediately attempted to divorce her, hoping both to 
marry Maria of Montferrat, Queen of Jerusalem, and to claim Montpellier for himself. 
Marie's last years were spent in combating these political and matrimonial manoeuvres. 
Pope Innocent III finally decided in her favour, refusing to permit the divorce. Marie 
died in Rome (21 April 1213) on her way back to Aragon, and Peter II a few months 
later (14 September 1213) at the Battle of Muret. Marie and Peter II's only surviving 
child, king James I, inherited Aragon and Montpellier.

Parents
____ William (Guillaume) VIII (1158 - 1202)
KOMNENA Eudoxia (Euxodia) (1162 - ABT 1203)

Siblings
DE MONTPELIER Maria (1182 - 21 Jan 1213)

Marriage To ____ Pedro II "the Catholic" (ABT 1175 - 14 Sep 1213)
    m. 15 Jun 1204 

Notes
her 3d

Parents
____ Alfonso II "The Chaste" (Mar 1157 - 25 Apr 1196)
____ Sancha (Sanchia) (21 Sep 1154 - 9 Nov 1208)

Children by ____ Pedro II "the Catholic" ABT 1175 - 14 Sep 1213
____ Jaime I "The Conqueror" (1 Feb 1207 - 25 Jul 1276)

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