Arnold, Duke of Guelders

Arnold of Egmond (14 July 1410 – 23 February 1473) was Duke of Guelders, Count of Zutphen.

Arnold, Duke of Guelders
Arnold, Duke of Guelders
Born	(1410-07-10)10 July 1410 Egmond-Binnen
Died	23 February 1473(1473-02-23) (aged 62) Grave
Noble family	Egmont
Spouse(s)	Catherine of Cleves
Issue Mary, Queen of Scotland William Margaret, Countess of Palatine-Simmern Adolf, Duke of Guelders Catherine
Father	John II, Count of Egmond
Mother	Maria van Arkel

Arnold was born in Egmond-Binnen, North Holland, the son of John II of Egmond and Maria van Arkel.

Egmond coat of arms

On 11 July 1423, Arnold, still a boy, succeeded Duke Reinald IV. Arnold was the grandson of Reinald's sister, Johanna. Although the Emperor Sigismund had invested the Duke of Berg with the duchy of Gelders, Arnold retained the confidence of the Estates by enlarging their privileges, and enjoyed the support of Duke Philip of Burgundy. Arnold was betrothed, and afterwards united in marriage to Catherine of Cleves, a niece of Philip of Burgundy. Subsequently, however, Duke Arnold fell out with his ally as to the succession to the see of Utrecht, whereupon Philip joined with the four chief towns of Guelders[1] in the successful attempt of Arnold's son Adolf to substitute his own for his father's authority. Arnold gave up his claim on Jűlich only after his defeat in 1444 by Gerhard VII, Duke of Jülich-Berg.[2]

When Charles the Bold became Duke of Burgundy in 1467, after rejecting a compromise, Adolph was thrown into prison. Arnold, against the will of the towns and the law of the land, pledged his duchy to Charles for 300,000 Rhenish florins (1471). [2] Upon Arnold's death two years later at Grave, Charles took possession of the duchy, starting a series of wars that would last more than 70 years.

Family and children

He was married in Cleves on 26 January 1430 to Catherine of Cleves (1417-1479), daughter of Adolph IV, Duke of Cleves and Marie of Burgundy and great-aunt of Anne of Cleves. Their children were:[3]

• Mary[4] (c. 1431–1463), married 3 July 1449 to James II, King of Scots
• William (born c. 1434), died young
• Margaret (c. 1436–1486, Simmern), married on 16 August 1454 to Frederick I, Count of Palatine-Simmern.
• Adolf (1438–1477)
• Catherine (1439–1496), Regent of Geldern in 1477–1481. She was married secretly in 1464 to Louis de Bourbon, Bishop of Liège.

Ancestors[3]

Ancestors of Arnold, Duke of Guelders

16. Walter II, Lord of Egmond 8. John I, Lord of Egmond 17. Beatrix of Doortogne 4. Arnold I, Lord of Egmond 18. Arnold, Lord of IJsselstein 9. Guida of IJsselstein 19. Maria of Avesnes 2. John II, Count of Egmond 20. Frederick VI of Leiningen 10. Frederick VII of Leningen 21. Jutta of Isenburg 5. Jolanthe of Leiningen 22. Gottfried of Jülich-Bergheim 11. Jolanthe of Jülich-Bergheim 23. Elisabeth of Cleves 1. Arnold, Duke of Guelders 24. John IV, Lord of Arkel 12. Otto, Lord of Arkel 25. Irmengard of Cleves 6. John V, Lord of Arkel 26. Theobald of Bar-Pierrepont 13. Elisabeth of Bar-Pierrepont 27. Marie of Flanders 3. Maria van Arkel 28. William V, Duke of Jülich 14. William II, Duke of Jülich 29. Joanna of Hainaut 7. Joanna of Jülich 30. Reginald II, Duke of Guelders 15. Maria of Guelders 31. Sophia Berthout, Lady of Mechelen

Arnold, Duke of Guelders House of Egmont Born: 14 July 1410 Died: 23 February 1473
Preceded by Reinoud IV	Duke of Guelders 1423–1465	Succeeded by Adolf
Preceded by Adolf	Duke of Guelders 1471–1473	Succeeded by Charles the Bold

References

1. Richard Vaughan (2002). Philip the Good: The Apogee of Burgundy. Boydell Press. pp. 292–. ISBN 978-0-85115-917-1.
2. Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co. KG. Künker Auktion 121 - The De Wit Collection of Medieval Coins. Numismatischer Verlag Künker. pp. 320–. GGKEY:XA7PPK6ZHF7.
3. Familytree for Arnold of Egmond
4. S. Jansen (17 October 2002). The Monstrous Regiment of Women: Female Rulers in Early Modern Europe. Palgrave Macmillan US. pp. 262–. ISBN 978-0-230-60211-3.