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03. Robert III of Artois
Robert III of Artois, 1287-1342

Count Robert III of Artois was an instigator of the Hundred Years War

For Robert III's arms we have:

Azure semé fleurs-de- Lis Or ( France ancient ), a label with a five points Gules.
The source for these arms is Peter Greenhill’s book, “Heraldic Sketchbook”,
page 61.

Alternately one might have picked:

Azure semi fleurs-de-lys Or (France ancient ), a label of four points Gules, charged on each point with three castles Or in pale.” These arms were found on page 218,
of “The Lily and the Lion”, the sixth book in the seven book historical novel series,
"The Accursed Kings" by Maurice Druon, wherein our Roger III plays an important part.

The actual and historical arms of Roger III’s father, grandfather and great grandfather, Robert I are: Azure semi fleurs-de-lys Or (France ancient ), a label of three points Gules, charged on each point with three castles Or in pale. The source for these arms is the: "Armorial General" by J.B. Rietstap, 2nd edition of 1884, volume 1, page72.

These are the arms of Robert I of Artois 1216-1250, first Count of Artois. He was the younger brother of King Louis IX ( Saint Louis of France ). Robert received the arms and the appanage of the County of Artois from his father Louis VIII.

These arms and the County of Artois were inherited by his son Robert II of Artois
1250-1302

Robert II had two children who survived to adulthood:

Mahaut 1268-1329

Philip 1269-1298
He had seven children but we concern ourselves here only with his son Robert,
who was the only male to survive to adulthood,
that is Robert III of Artois, Count Beaumont-le-Roger, Lord of Conches, 1287-1342

Robert's father Philip predeceased his father, Robert II in 1298
and then his grandfather Robert II died in 1302 while our Robert was still a minor at age eleven.

so then, his Aunt Mahaut ( his father's elder sister ) grabbed the County of Artois and the arms of her father Philip on the basis of proximity of blood and managed to hold onto it despite all Robert's determined and continued efforts to get possession of it until her death in 1329... at which point the County of Artois was inherited by Mahaut’s daughter Joan II, (Jeanne ) Countess of Burgundy and the widow of Philip V, King of France.

The only thing Robert III of Artois got for his efforts were: from Mahaut, her Lordship of Conches ( Seigneur de Conches ) and from the Parliament of Paris, the County of Beaumont-le-Roger as an appanage as compensation.

Our Robert III was a very frustrated and angry man. He even tried forging documents to bolster his case, was caught and had to flee France and ended up in England egging on the English and Edward III until the Hundred Years War got started then rolled up his eyes and died in 1342 at age 55 without his County of Artois.

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[3]_SwinfordRoet.jpg [1]_Swinford.jpg Winchester.jpg Artois2~0.jpg DouglasArch_2332~0.jpg
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