Renard II of Choiseul
Lord of Choiseul
Coat of arms of the House of Choiseul(Azure, a cross or, each canton adorned with eighteen billets of the same.).
Tenure	Before 1198 - 1239
Predecessor	Foulques II of Choiseul
Successor	John I of Choiseul
Other names	Latin:Renardus de Causeoli
Born	Around 1175
Died	1239
Noble family	Choiseul family
Spouses	Clémence of Faucogney,Alix of Dreux
Father	Foulques II of Choiseul
Mother	Alix of Vignory

Renard II of Choiseul, also known as Raynard II of Choiseul or Renaud of Choiseul, was the son ofFoulques II andAlix of Vignory. He held the title of lord ofChoiseul inChampagne during the late 12th and early 13th centuries. The region is located in the current department ofHaute-Marne.

He marriedClémence of Faucogney as his first wife, the heiress of thelordship of Faucogney in thecounty of Burgundy, which they both ruled. He took part in thewar of the succession of Champagne and supported the claims of his cousinÉrard of Brienne against CountessBlanche of Navarre and her son, the futureThibaut IV. He then participated in theFifth Crusade, where he likely fought during thesiege of Damietta alongside another cousin,John of Brienne, theking of Jerusalem.

Upon returning to France, he entered into a prestigious marriage withAlix de Dreux, his second wife, who hailed fromCapetian lineage and was the lady ofTraves. In 1228, he joined forces withCountThibaut IV of Champagne in a battle against a coalition led by a half-brother of the king who was dissatisfied withQueen MotherBlanche of Castille's regency.

As a vassal of theBishop of Langres, he was generous with the clergy throughout his life. He sought to enhance the influence of his house while preserving independence from neighboring powers such as the counts ofBurgundy,Champagne, andBar. He died in 1239 and was laid to rest in theAbbey of Morimond. His eldest son,John I of Choiseul, assumed control of the lordship of Choiseul, while his youngest son,Robert of Choiseul, received the lordship of Traves as part of his wife's dowry.

Born around 1175, likely at the castle of Choiseul, Renard was the eldest son and the primary heir ofFoulques II of Choiseul andAlix of Vignory. The houses of Choiseul (originating from the division of thecounty of Bassigny) and Vignory (originating from the division of the county of Bolenois) were prominent vassals of theBishop of Langres.^{[P 1]}

Renard is first mentioned in a charter from 1176, where his father donated to theAbbey of Belfays, likely as a gesture of gratitude for the birth of his son. Renard is consistently mentioned alongside his father in various documents over the following decade, indicating his involvement in power matters and his apprenticeship.^{[P 2]}

Some 19th-century historians claim that Renard participated in theThird Crusade and fought at thesiege of Acre.^{[G 1][1]} However, before embarking on the Holy Land, many Crusaders made donations to the clergy to seek divine favor during their journey. There is no charter from Renard confirming such donations or his participation in the crusade.^[2] The only document mentioning Renard's presence inMessina in 1190 is a forgery created for establishing theHall of Crusades at thePalace of Versailles.^{[P 3]} In this document, Renard vouches for a loan taken out by twenty-one knights, including himself. Historian Gilles Poissonnier suggests that Renard was born in 1175 or 1176, making him around fifteen years old at the time of the supposed crusade.^{[P 2]}

Before 1192, at the age of about 16, he marriedClémence of Faucogney,^{[P 2][F 1]} the daughter ofAymon II of Faucogney, thelord of Faucogney,^{[Note 1]} who had died after 1174. The lordship ofFaucogney was then held by his eldest son, Aymon, who died around 1205 without marrying or having children, thus passing the family estate to his sister, Clémence,^{[Note 2]} and subsequently to her husband.^{[3][P 4]}

Renard and Clémence jointly managed the lands of Faucogney, dividing their time betweenChoiseul andFaucogney until 1207 when Renard's mother,Alix of Vignory, died. This event prompted him to establish his presence inBassigny.^{[P 4]} However, around 1217, Clémence de Faucogney died without an heir, leading Renard to relinquish control of the lordship of Faucogney to his wife's family.^{[P 5]} The title then passed toAymon III of Faucogney, the son of Béatrice of Faucogney, Clémence's sister, and Hugues ofRougemeont.

Shortly before 1198, Renard inherited the lordship ofChoiseul upon his fatherFoulques' death. He initially shared management of the estate with his motherAlix of Vignory, who hadusufruct over the property, possibly as part of herdower.^{[P 2]} By 1203, Renard was the sole ruler of his domains, even though his mother was still alive. It is possible that she had relinquished her dower rights in favor of her eldest son.^{[P 6]}

Renard then sought to consolidate the power of his house and preserve his autonomy. He was the first in his lineage to employ personalscribes from the start of his rule, enabling him to break free fromepiscopal oversight while remaining a vassal of theBishop of Langres.^{[P 6]}

As thelord ofChoiseul, he was responsible for providingdowries for his sisters and arranging marriages to form alliances with other noble houses. Helvide, the eldest, married Simon of Beaujeu, while the youngest, Ide, married Pierre of Mereville. It is likely that the youngest sister, Alix, either became a nun or died at a young age.^{[P 7]}

Renard was already a vassal of theCount of Burgundy forFaucogney and his holdings inBourbonne.^{[P 4]} However,Choiseul was an independentfief that only paid homage to theBishop of Langres, despite being a target of interest for its neighbors, the counties ofBar andChampagne.^{[P 4]}

In 1210, Renard declared himself avassal of theCountess of Champagne,Blanche of Navarre, in two charters. It was the first time he acknowledged his vassalage for rents he owned on the fairs ofBar-sur-Aube andProvins. Although it did not greatly affect Renard, it helped fulfill the expansionist ambitions of the Champenois and provided him with protection against other rivals.^{[P 8]}

In 1214, he was one of theknight bannerets who gathered under the banner of theCount of Champagne in response to the call of theKing of France,Philip Augustus. He likely took part in theBattle of Bouvines, although there is no documented evidence of his presence.^{[4][P 9]}

However, Renard always maintained good relations with his other neighbor, the Count of Bar, especially since the latter's wife was the sister of his second wife. In 1209, he became the guardian of the land ofApremont in the absence of its legitimate owner, who had gone on acrusade.^{[P 10][F 2]} In November 1214, upon the death of Count of BarTheobald I, Renard stood surety for the new count Henri of Bar to his suzerain, theDuke of LorraineTheobald I.^{[P 9][F 2]} These two acts demonstrate the importance of the Lord ofChoiseul vis-à-vis his neighbors.^{[P 11]} In 1224, he also declared himself a vassal of theCount of Bar, his brother-in-law, forColombey and his possessions inVrécourt.^{[P 12]}

During thewar of the succession of Champagne, he sided with his cousinÉrard of Brienne^{[A 1]} and his wifePhilippa of Champagne against CountessBlanche of Navarre and her sonTheobald.^{[G 2][F 3]}

In 1217, PopeHonorius III urged Érard of Brienne and his supporters, including Renard, to reconcile with Blanche of Navarre or faceexcommunication.^{[P 13][A 2]} The peace agreement lasted from February 24 to April 22.^{[A 3]} However, hostilities resumed, leading PopeHonorius III toexcommunicate Érard of Brienne and his allies, including Renard.^{[A 4][F 3]}

In June 1218, Blanche of Navarre and the Duke of Burgundy,Odo III, marched to attack the city ofNancy because the Duke of Lorraine was a strong supporter of Érard of Brienne. They successively attacked the castles ofChâteauvillain,Clefmont, andJoinville,^[5] with Renard likely participating in these battles.^{[A 5]} In July 1218, as Érard's supporters dwindled, the remaining members gathered in his castle ofFaucogney. Renard then stood surety forÉrard of Brienne to observe the truce imposed on him.^{[P 13][A 6]}

In 1218, he participated in theFifth Crusade and likely took part in thesiege of Damietta under the command of his cousin, theKing of Jerusalem,John of Brienne.^{[G 1][1]}

A charter from 1219 mentions Renard's presence inDamietta,^[2] but historians Henri of Faget of Casteljau and Gilles Poissonnier do not refer to Renard's participation in this crusade in their studies on the Choiseul family. Hence, it is plausible that Renard did not travel to the Holy Land.

Before his departure, his reputation did not seem tarnished by his participation in thewar of the succession of Champagne. He was at the court of theBishop of Verdun, where he witnessed the lord ofCons acquiring property. Later, he was at the court of theCount of Bar, where he acted as surety with theCount of Vaudémont for an agreement between theCount of Chiny and Guillaume and Richard of Chauvency.^{[P 5]}

Around 1220, at the age of about 45 and as a widower, Renard marriedAlix of Dreux, the widow ofGaucher IV of Mâcon (lord ofSalins) and the daughter ofRobert II of Dreux,Count of Dreux, and Yolande of Coucy. This marriage was significant for thehouse of Choiseul as Alix of Dreux was a descendant of KingLouis VI of the Franks, making her ofCapetian origin.^{[P 14]} Alix of Dreux'sdowry included the castle ofBracon inFranche-Comté and likely rights over the land ofSalins. Renardpledged his castle of Choiseul and half of his land as part of this dowry.^{[P 15]} The efforts to reclaim his wife's property proved costly for Renard, leading him to borrow 250 pounds from Gilebert of Chaumont in 1223, a wealthybourgeois, and offering the village ofChauffourt as collateral for the loan repayment.^{[P 16][A 7]}

In 1222, Renard welcomed his firstborn and heir,John. Before this, his only heir was his younger brother,Barthélemy of Choiseul, with whom he was involved in many of his endeavors. However, after Jean's birth, Barthélemy appeared to retreat to his lands inVrécourt.^{[P 15]}

In 1225, Renard and his wife went to the castle ofBracon to claim their property. However, they were met with a cold reception and were unable to access their portion of the inheritance fromGaucher IV of Mâcon, who was Alix of Dreux's first husband. This was likely due to interference fromMarguerite of Salins, the eldest daughter of Gaucher IV of Mâcon, and his first wifeMathilde of Bourbon. After spending several months at Bracon without any progress,^{[F 4]} they decided to sell their share of the inheritance to theDuchess of Burgundy and returned toBassigny.^{[P 17]} The issue was finally resolved in 1237 when theCount of Chalon granted them the lordship ofTraves, the lands ofScey-sur-Saône, andFrotey.^{[P 18]}

In 1228, a league led byPhilip, the king's half-brother,Hugh X of Lusignan, and the Duke of BrittanyPierre Mauclerc, dissatisfied with the regency ofBlanche of Castille, considered abducting the 14-year-old KingLouis IX.^{[A 8]} However, Count of ChampagneTheobald, loyal to Queen Mother Blanche of Castille, raised anarmy of 300 horsemen, including Renard, to defend the young king.^{[P 19]}

Pierre Mauclerc is Renard's brother-in-law, indicating that Renard decided to stay faithful to theCount of Champagne and theKing of the Franks by fighting against his wife's brother.^{[P 19]}

In February 1239, sensing his death, he drafted his will.^{[F 5]} He first donated to theMorimond Abbey, followed by another donation to theAbbey of Belfays in March.^{[P 20]} He likely died shortly after at around the age of 65 and was laid to rest alongside his ancestors in theMorimond Abbey.^{[P 20]}

He was succeeded by his eldest son,John I, who was only about fifteen years old at the time. His widow,Alix of Dreux, exercised power until Jean's emancipation in December 1246.^{[P 20]} The lordship of Traves, which belonged to his wife, passed to his youngest son,Robert of Choiseul. His second son, Renard, entered the church and became treasurer of Reims. Renard, who had children late in life, could not marry them off or provide dowries for his two daughters, Yolande and Agnès.

The lordship ofChoiseul was independent, although it paid homage to theBishop of Langres. It served as the central authority for several other lordships, such asAigremont,Bourbonne, andTraves. However, his holdings inBourbonne andFaucogney, he was a vassal of theCount of Burgundy.^{[P 4]}

In 1210, Renard, who received several rents from the domain of theCounts of Champagne, acknowledged himself as a vassal of the counts for theproperty he held from them.^{[P 21]} Subsequently, in 1224, he also pledged vassalage to theCount of Bar, his brother-in-law, forColombey and his possessions inVrécourt.^{[P 12]} This arrangement placed Renard under the protection of the three neighboring counties, preventing any of them from attempting to seize Choiseul without facing potential retaliation from the other two.

Following the expansionist advances of theCounts of Champagne inBassigny, Renard sought to consolidate and extend his influence in this region.^{[P 22]}

In 1220, he secured recognition from Guy of Vignory, the lord ofLaferté-sur-Amance and son ofGautier I, thelord of Vignory and nephew of his mother Alix of Vignory, as his pledge of faith and homage, except allegiance to the lord of Vignory. He also gained the right to hold the lordship directly from the lord of Choiseul if the lord of Vignory died without a male heir.^{[P 23]} Before this, the lordship had been under the control of thelord of Clefmont, who had become a vassal of the Count of Champagne due to thewar of the succession of Champagne.^{[P 24]} In 1234, he further negotiated with thelord of Vignory to become his direct vassal forLaferté-sur-Amance. However, he likely had to make concessions for this arrangement.^{[P 22]}

Unlike his fatherFoulques, who always had strained relations with the clergy in general and theMorimond Abbey in particular, Renard maintained positive relationships with neighboring abbeys.

He was generous to theMorimond Abbey and thepriory of Varennes,^{[P 25]} of which he was theadvocate.^{[P 26][Note 3]} He also showed generosity to theLuxeuil Abbey during his time atFaucogney,^{[P 4]} as well as to the Abbey ofVaux-la-Douce,^{[P 27]}Val des Écoliers,^{[P 13][6]}Belfays,^{[P 28]}Faverney,^{[P 18]} andBithaine,^{[P 11]} and to thetemplars of thecommandery of Robécourt.^{[P 21]} In 1215, at the request of theLuxeuil Abbey, he, along with the brothers Guillaume and Richard d'Auxelles, founded the priory of Saint-Urbain ofSaulx.^{[F 3]} However, this priory did not last long, as Renard later donated its possessions to theBithaine Abbey.^{[P 11]}

Renard's generosity was sometimes perceived as collaboration with the monks. For instance, he allocated a third of the new crops to thepriory of Varennes in exchange for their assistance in clearing the forest for new agricultural areas, leading to the settlement of new peasants and increased tax revenue.^{[P 25]} Similarly, he shared the revenues from thefairs ofChoiseul with theMorimond Abbey, hoping to foster the growth of the Cistercian abbey, which drew visitors from across Europe.^{[P 11][Note 4]}

Renard must have enjoyed great integrity among his peers, as he is mentioned as a witness or guarantor in many deeds. In 1209, he was in Lorraine where he became the guardian of the land of Apremont while its owner was on acrusade.^{[P 10]} In 1214, after the death of CountTheobald Iof Bar, Renard stood surety for the new CountHenri of Bar to the suzerain of the latter, DukeTheobald Iof Lorraine.^{[P 11]}

In 1220, he attended the court of the Duchess of Burgundy,Alix of Vergy, where he witnessed her promise to uphold the privileges of the commune ofDijon.^{[P 15]}

In 1236, he took part in the signing of the marriage contract between his nephewJohn of Brittany andBlanche of Champagne, the daughter of CountTheobald I, atChâteau-Thierry.^{[P 29]}

Renard was a patron oftroubadours on his lands.^{[P 3]} Chardin of Croisilles, who had previously been in the company of CountÉrard IIof Brienne, was warmly welcomed and composed a few verses in his honor:^{[A 9]}

To Choiseul go, song, with great cheer,

And tell Renaud that every day, immeasurably,

I love him loyally and with a whole heart,

For praise and honor will greatly reward him.^[7]

However, another troubadour, whose name has not been recorded in history and is known as the troubadour of Choiseul, has yet to receive a warm reception. He mocked the ladies ofChoiseul andChâteauvillain, accusing them of being spendthrifts, and criticized the lords for not welcoming troubadours generously. He is believed to have written the following verses:

Now I tell you, Choiseul,

Is not worth two eggs,

Which used to be worth to me,

Soon came worms.^[7]

However, the dating of this song is inaccurate, and the Lord of Choiseul referred to in the song may beJohn I, the son and successor of Renard.

Before 1192, Renard of Choiseul marriedClémence of Faucogney in his first marriage. Clémence was the daughter ofAymon II of Faucogney, thelord of Faucogney andviscount of Vesoul, and Adeline. They did not have any children, and Clémence died around 1217.^{[citation needed]}

Around 1220, after becoming a widower, he marriedAlix of Dreux. She was ofCapetian origin, being a great-granddaughter of theKing of the FranksLouis VI. Alix was the lady ofTraves and the widow ofGaucher IV of Mâcon, lord ofSalins. She was the daughter ofRobert II of Dreux,Count of Dreux, and Yolande of Coucy. Together, they had five children:^{[citation needed]}

• John I of Choiseul (died 1309) succeeded his father;
• Renard of Choiseul (died 1276) was treasurer ofReims;
• Yolande of Choiseul (died 1310) first married Jean of Ray,lord of Ray, son ofOthon de la Roche, lord of Ray, and of Margueritte de Thilchatel, with whom she had two children: Othon and Guillaume of Ray. Widowed, she entered into her second marriage with Étienne II d'Oiselay, son of Étienne I, lord of Oiselay, and Clémence of Faucogney., with whom she had no children;
• Agnès of Choiseul (died 1293) was married three times. In her first marriage, she wedSimon IV,lord of Sexfontaines and Jonvelle, the son ofSimon III of Sexfontaines and Isabelle of Jonvelle. They had four children: Guy, Simon, Élisabeth, and Alix of Sexfontaines. After being widowed, Agnès married Pierre, lord of La Fauche, the son of Hugues IV of La Fauche, with whom she had children. Following another widowhood, she married Jacques, lord of Bayon, the son of Henri of Lorraine, lord of Bayon, and Damete of Pesmes. They had one child, Henri of Bayon;
• Robert of Choiseul (died 1280) was thelord of Traves and viscount of Besançon.

Some 19th-century historians have included two characters named Renard in the genealogy of thehouse of Choiseul. According to their accounts, Renard II, who reportedly died around 1219, had a son named Renard III withClémence of Faucogney. Renard III then marriedAlix of Dreux and had five children, thus continuing the lineage of this family.^{[G 2]}

However, there is a mistake in this assertion as a charter from 1236 mentions Renard, the lord of Choiseul and the son ofFoulques of Choiseul. Renard II and Renard III are likely the same person, making the genealogy mentioned above accurate. This also explains why the heirs of Renard II are not the lords ofFaucogney.^{[F 6]}

• County of Champagne

• Choiseul family

• Fifth Crusade

Arbois de Jubainville, Henri (1865).Histoire des Ducs et Comtes de Champagne (in French).

Grassot, Abbé (1887).Les seigneurs de Choiseul (in French).

Faget de Casteljau, Henri (1970).Recherches sur la Maison de Choiseul (in French).

• Poissonnier, Gilles (1996).Histoire des Choiseul (in French).

• Other references

• History of Haute-Marne
• French knights
• Christians of the Fifth Crusade
• 1239 deaths

• CS1 French-language sources (fr)
• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• All articles with unsourced statements
• Articles with unsourced statements from September 2025
• Year of birth missing