Matilda of Guelders


Matilda of Guelders and Zutphen, was a countess from the House of Wassenberg and by marriage countess of Nassau. She is a direct ancestor of both the Kings of the Netherlands and the Grand Dukes of Luxembourg.

Life

Matilda was the youngest daughter of Count Otto I of Guelders and Zutphen and Richardis of Bavaria, daughter of Otto I Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria and Agnes of Loon.
Matilda is among others mentioned in the following charters:
  • A charter dated 11 December 1215, in which ‘Heinricus et Roppertus comites de Nassovva’ with the consent of ‘uxorum nostrarum Methildis et Gertrudis’ bought property from Mainz Cathedral.
  • A charter dated 9 June 1239, in which ‘Heinricus … comes de Nassowe … collateralis nostra … Methildis’ confirmed the dependence of ‘ecclesie in Nepphe’ to Arnstein Abbey.
  • A charter dated 20 July 1245, in which ‘Henricus comes de Nassowe et Methildis comitissa uxor eiusdem, Walramus primogenitus, ceterique liberi eorundem’ donated tolls from a bridge to Altenberg Abbey.
  • A charter dated 1247, in which ‘Heinricus comes de Nassowe et Mectildis comitissa’ donated ‘ecclesiam in Inferi Diffenbach’ to Arnstein Abbey, witnessed by ‘filiorum nostrorum Walerami, Ottonis, Henrici, Gerardi, Johannis’.
The necrology of Arnstein Abbey records the death of ‘Mecktildis comitisse de Nassauw sororis nostre’ on 28 October. She is last mentioned in a charter from 1247, therefore she died on 28 October in 1247 or a later year.

Marriage and children

Matilda married before 11 December 1215 to Count Henry II "the Rich" of Nassau.
From this marriage were born:
  1. Rupert, was granted allod in Diez and Ober-Lahnstein by the Archbishop of Trier, was a knight of the Teutonic Order.
  2. Walram II, succeeded his father as Count of Nassau, is the ancestor of the Walramian Line of the House of Nassau.
  3. Otto I, succeeded his father as Count of Nassau, is the ancestor of the Ottonian Line of the House of Nassau.
  4. Henry, was a monk in Arnstein Abbey.
  5. Elizabeth, married Gerhard III, Lord of Eppstein.
  6. Gerhard, was a clergyman.
  7. John, was Bishop-Elect of Utrecht 1267–1290.
  8. Catharine, became Abbess of Altenberg Abbey near Wetzlar in 1249.
  9. Jutta, married around 1260 to John I, Lord of Cuijk.
  10. ? Irmgard, was Abbess of Val-Benoît.