William VIII of Montpellier
William VIII of Montpellier | |
|---|---|
| Died | 1202 |
| Noble family | Guilhem |
| Spouse(s) | Eudokia Komnene Agnes of Castile |
| Father | William VII of Montpellier |
| Mother | Matilda of Burgundy |
William VIII (in Occitan: Guilhem; died 1202) was Lord of Montpellier, the son of William VII and Matilda of Burgundy.
William VIII married Eudokia Komnene, grand-niece of the Byzantine emperor Manuel I Komnenos. They had one daughter, Marie of Montpellier.
Lacking a male heir, William separated from Eudokia, sending her to a monastery in Ariane.
William then married Agnes of Castile and sired eight more children:
- William IX of Montpellier
- Aymard, d. 1199
- Bernat William, married Jussiana d’Entença, daughter of Ponç Hug d’Entença
- Tortoseta (Thomas)
- Bergunyo, a priest
- Gui, a priest
- Agnes, married in 1203 Raymond Roger Trencavel, viscount of Carcassonne, Béziers, Albi and Razès.
- Adalaïs.
The Pope ruled William's marriage to Agnes as illegitimate and Marie was given the throne.
William VIII was a patron of troubadours. Arnaut de Mareuil came to his court after fleeing from the entourage of Azalais of Toulouse, and at least one of Arnaut's poems is addressed to him.