Margaret of Burgundy, Queen of Sicily

Margaret of Burgundy (Marguerite de Bourgogne; 1250– 4 September 1308), also known as Margaret of Jerusalem (Marguerite de Jérusalem), was Queen of Sicily and Naples and titular Queen of Jerusalem by marriage to Charles I of Sicily. She was also Queen of Albania (1272-1285) as well as ruling Countess of Tonnerre (1262–1308).

Life
The second daughter of Odo, Count of Nevers, and Maud of Dampierre, Margaret was Countess of Tonnerre by inheritance from 1262 until her death.

She became Queen consort of Sicily by her marriage to Charles of Anjou, King of Sicily and Count of Anjou and Provence, on 18 November 1268. In February 1272 she became Queen consort of Albania when a delegation of Albanian nobles and citizens from Durrës reached Charles's court, where he signed a treaty declaring himself the King of Albania. Their only daughter, Margaret, died in infancy. She also became titular Queen consort of Jerusalem, after Charles bought the title from Mary of Antioch in 1277. She and her husband lost the title of King and Queen of Sicily in 1283, becoming King and Queen of Naples only.

After Charles died in 1285, Margaret retired to her lands in Tonnerre, residing in the castle there with Margaret of Brienne (widow of Bohemund VII of Tripoli) and Catherine I of Courtenay, titular Empress of Constantinople (a granddaughter of Charles of Anjou by his first wife). She sold the lordship of Torigny, Normandy, to Pierre the Fat, chamberlain of King PhilipIV of France, for 9500 livres tournois (about 768 kg of fine silver). At Tonnerre, the three women lived lives of charity and prayer and Margaret founded the Hospice of the Fontenilles (l’Hospice des Fontenilles), providing adequate funds for its maintenance.

She died in 1308 and she left her possessions to her great-nephew, John II of Châlon-Auxerre. She was buried in the Hospice.