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William II of Dampierre
William II of Dampierre
William II of Dampierre (French: Guillaume de Dampierre; died 3 September 1231) was a lord of Dampierre-sur-l'Aube, Saint-Dizier, and founder of the Flemish branch of the House of Dampierre. He was a younger son of Sire Guido II of Dampierre and Mathilde of Bourbon.
In 1221, William obtained from his elder brother Archambault the establishment in the paternal heir, Dampierre and Saint-Dizier, and the transfer of the office of Connetablé of Champagne. His plan to marry Alice of Cyprus and thus secure an entitlement to the county of Champagne failed in 1223 due to the Pope's objection, who refused a necessary dispensation due to close kinship. However, this did not deter William from pursuing his ambitions; instead, he married Margarete von Flanders and Henegau in 1223, although she was also closely related to him.
This relationship, like Margarete's first marriage to Burkhard von Avesnes, was initially considered illegitimate under canon law. However, after the birth of their four children, including William III, John I, and Joanna, the couple received a dispensation in 1230, legitimizing their marriage as well as their offspring.
William II died before his wife could take over the counties of Flanders and Henegau in 1244. Her children were considered legitimate heirs, but Margarete's sons from her first marriage also made claims to the inheritance, triggering the Flemish War of Succession. William was buried in the Cistercian Abbey of Flines, where his son John I would later be interred alongside him.
William II had four children with Margarete von Flanders:
- Johanna von Dampierre (died 1246), married to Count Hugo III by Rethel
- Wilhelm III of Dampierre (1224–1251), Lord of Dampierre and Saint-Dizier, as well as Wilhelm II's Count of Flanders and Henegau
- Guido von Dampierre (1226–1304), Count of Flanders and Margrave of Namur
- John I of Dampierre (1228–1257), Lord of Dampierre and Saint-Dizier