[August 19] Ramon Berenguer IV, count of Provence

Parents: Alfonso II, count of Provence, and Garsenda of Sabran
Date of Birth: 1195
House: Barcelona
Spouse(s): Beatrice, daughter of Thomas I, duke of Savoy, and Margaret of Geneva
Predecessor: Alfonso II
Reign: 1209 – 1245
Summary: Born to the count of Provence and the countess of Forcalquier, Ramon inherited Provence at the age of fourteen. Unfortunately he was under Aragonese imprisonment as a child at the castle of Monzón and was only able to escape and claim his county in 1219. Ramon Berenguer ruled as a kindly and just monarch, inspiring many of the monarchs around him and turning Provence into a beacon to which many local nobles were drawn. Soon after his escape, he married Beatrice, the daughter of the duke of Savoy, a beautiful and politically able woman. The couple produced no surviving sons that survived birth, but four daughters, all of whom married prominent European monarchs. By the time of his death in 1245, Ramon was the father-in-law of King Louis IX of France, King Henry III of England, King Richard of Germany, and King Charles I of Sicily. The count died in Aix-en-Provence and two famous funeral laments were written in his honor. He left Provence to his youngest daughter, Beatrice, who eventually passed on the title to her son, King Charles II of Naples.
Date of Death: 19 August 1245
Successor: Beatrice

Other Monarchs Who Died Today:

• Augustus, emperor of Rome (14 CE)
• Geoffrey II, duke of Brittany (1186)
• Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor (1493)