Robert II’s Attempt to Divorce Constance and Remarry Bertha (1010)

In 1010, Robert II of France ("the Pious") traveled to Rome, once again seeking papal approval to divorce his wife, Constance of Arles, and remarry his former wife, Bertha of Burgundy. His request was flatly denied by Pope Sergius IV, reinforcing the Church’s opposition to consanguineous unions and serial repudiation of spouses.

Robert’s Marital Struggles and Papal Resistance

• Robert’s first marriage (989) to Rozala-Susanna of Italy had ended in repudiation after Hugh Capet’s death in 996.
• His second marriage to Bertha of Burgundy, the widow of Odo I of Blois, was annulled by Pope Gregory V on the grounds of consanguinity, as Bertha was Robert’s cousin.
• Despite his forced separation from Bertha, Robert never abandoned his desire to reunite with her, continuing to resent his arranged marriage to Constance of Arles.

The Failed Papal Appeal in 1010

• Hoping to secure Church approval for a reunion with Bertha, Robert personally traveled to Rome in 1010.
• Bertha followed him, reinforcing the seriousness of his plea.
• Pope Sergius IV, unwilling to reverse a ruling already made by Pope Gregory V, denied the request, upholding the original condemnation of their consanguineous marriage.
• The pope also viewed Robert’s history of repudiated wives unfavorably, further justifying his refusal to grant an annulment.

Robert’s Return and Relationship with Constance

• Returning from Rome unsuccessful, Robert was forced to remain with Constance of Arles, despite the discord in their marriage.
• According to one account, after this episode, Robert "loved his wife more", suggesting that he may have resigned himself to his fate and attempted to reconcile with Constance. (Penelope Ann Adair, "Constance of Arles: A Study in Duty and Frustration," in Capetian Women, ed. Kathleen Nolan (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003), pp. 13-14.)
• However, their marriage remained stormy, as Constance continued to bring her Provençal family into power at court, much to the resentment of Robert’s northern Frankish nobility.

Legacy

• This episode demonstrated the increasing authority of the papacy over royal marriages, reinforcing the Church’s role in regulating European dynastic unions.
• Despite Robert’s personal inclinations, he was unable to circumvent the Church’s ruling, illustrating the limits of Capetian royal power in this period.
• Though he remained with Constance, his failed effort to remarry Bertha would continue to haunt his reign, exacerbating tensions within the royal household and among the nobility.

Robert II’s marital entanglements reflect the political and religious complexities of Capetian rule, where royal desires were often subject to the rigid laws of Church doctrine and the pressures of feudal alliances.