Arthur I, Duke of Brittany
Arthur I (Breton: Arzhur 1añ; French: Arthur 1er de Bretagne) (29 March 1187 – presumably 1203) was 4th Earl of Richmond and Duke of Brittany between 1196 and 1203. He was the posthumous son of Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany, and Constance, Duchess of Brittany. His father, Geoffrey, was the son of Henry II, King of England.
| Arthur I | |
|---|---|
Arthur of Brittany as portrayed in a genealogical roll in the British Library | |
| Duke of Brittany | |
| Reign | 1196–1203 |
| Predecessor | Constance |
| Successor | Alix |
| Co-ruler | Constance (1196–1201) |
| Count of Anjou | |
| Reign | 1199–1203 |
| Predecessor | Richard I of England |
| Successor | John Tristan |
| Born | 29 March 1187 Nantes, Brittany |
| Died | presumed c. 1203 (aged 15–16) |
| House | Plantagenet |
| Father | Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany |
| Mother | Constance, Duchess of Brittany |
In 1190 Arthur was designated heir to the throne of England and its French territory by his uncle, Richard I, the intent being that Arthur would succeed Richard in preference to Richard's younger brother John. Nothing is recorded of Arthur after his incarceration in Rouen Castle in 1203, and while his precise fate is unknown, it is generally believed he was killed by John. Some of the ways that it is believed or rumored of how he would have been murdered would be, that John has drowned him in a lake when a drunk fury, or he was stabbed to death when he was in a drunk fury.