Count Philippe died in 1234,[3] and Matilda reigned independently for three years. To give the county a male head, she married again in 1238 to Infante Afonso, second in line to the Portuguese throne, younger brother of King Sancho II of Portugal. He became King Afonso III of Portugal on 4 January 1248. At that time he renounced Boulogne.
In 1258, Matilda charged Afonso with bigamy, following his marriage to Beatrice of Castile.[4] Pope Alexander in response, imposed interdict upon any place the couple stayed.[4] At the time of Matilda's death, Afonso and Beatriz were still together, despite the Pope's protests.[4]
Later life
She had a son and a daughter with Count Philippe, but no surviving issue with Afonso. Matilda's then apparent barrenness was the true reason for their divorce. According to reports, Queen Matilda remained in Boulogne and was not allowed to follow her husband to Portugal.
Her son reportedly renounced his rights and went to England, for unknown reasons. Apparently he survived his mother the Countess, but presumably did not leave issue. Matilda's daughter, having married a lord de Châtillon-Montjay, predeceased her, and presumably left no surviving issue.
Aftermath
After Matilda II, the county of Boulogne passed to Adelaide of Brabant, Matilda's cousin, daughter of another Matilda of Boulogne (Matilda II's aunt, wife of Henry I, Duke of Brabant).
The then-widow Adelaide's husband had been William X, Count of Auvergne. Their son Robert of Auvergne succeeded also his mother in Boulogne and already in her lifetime acted as co-ruler. Their heirs continued to rule Auvergne and Boulogne together. The ultimate heiress was Catherine de' Medici, Queen of France, but a couple of decades before her, the then Count of Auvergne, her great-grandfather, had sold Boulogne to the French throne, keeping just Auvergne.
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