1. Anne de Mercoeur
2. Countess of Forez
3. Dauphiness of Auvergne
4. Marriage and Children
5. Catherine (1378 – died young)

Anne de Mercoeur

Early Life

Anne de Mercoeur, born in 1358, was the daughter of Beraud II, Dauphin of Auvergne, and Jeanne de Forez, daughter of Count Guy VII of Forez. In 1368, at the age of ten, she was betrothed to her cousin Louis II, Duke of Bourbon. Due to their close kinship, papal dispensation for their marriage was required and obtained in 1370.

Countess of Forez

In 1372, Jean II, Count of Forez, died without direct heirs. Anne, whose mother was the late count's sister, inherited the county. However, her grandmother, Jeanne de Clermont, contested the inheritance. In 1376, Jeanne renounced her claims in favor of Anne.

Dauphiness of Auvergne

Upon her father's death in 1400, Anne also became known as the Dauphine of Auvergne.

Marriage and Children

Anne married Louis II, Duke of Bourbon, on August 19, 1371. They had four children:

Catherine (1378 – died young)

Jean I (1381-1434), 4th Duke of Bourbon
Isabelle (1384 – after 1451), nun at Poissy
Louis (1388-1404), Lord of Beaujeu
Later Life and Legacy

Anne played a significant role in the politics of her time, supporting her husband in the War of the Hundred Years and managing her estates. She died in 1417 and was succeeded by her son, Jean I, as Count of Forez. Anne's lineage continued through the House of Bourbon, which ruled in France for centuries.

Wife