William II de Forz, 3rd Earl of Albemarle

William de Forz, 3rd Earl of Albemarle ( 1190 − 26 March 1242) was an English nobleman. He is described by William Stubbs as "a feudal adventurer of the worst type".

Family background Forz was the son of William de Forz (died 1195), and Hawise, Countess of Aumale (died 11 March 1214), a daughter of William le Gros, 1st Earl of Albemarle. His father was a minor nobleman from the village of Fors in Poitou; the toponymic is variously rendered as Fors and Forz, or else Latinised to Fortibus.

Estate holdings Soon after 1213, Albemarle was established by King John in the territories of the Earldom of Albemarle, and in 1215 the whole of his mother's estates were formally confirmed to him. In 1220 matters were brought to a crisis by his refusal to surrender the two royal castles of Rockingham and Sauvey of which he had been made constable in 1216. Henry III marched against them in person, the garrisons fled, and they fell without a blow. In the following year, however, Albemarle, in face of further efforts to reduce his power, rose in revolt.

Excommunication and loss of power Albemarle was now again excommunicated by the legate Pandulf Verraccio at a solemn council held in St Paul's, and the whole force of the kingdom was set in motion against him, a special scutage—the scutagium de Bihan—being voted for this purpose by the Great Council. The capture of his Castle of Bytham broke his power; he sought sanctuary and, at Pandulph's intercession, was pardoned on condition of going for six years to the Holy Land. He remained in England, however, and in 1223 was once more in revolt with Falkes de Breauté and other turbulent spirits. A reconciliation was again patched up; but it was not until the fall of Falkes de Breauté that Albemarle finally settled down as an English noble.

He eventually gave in when the cause was lost in 1224, and was thenceforth loyal to Henry III.

Revived influence In 1225 Albemarle witnessed Henry's third re-issue of the Great Charter; in 1227 he went as English ambassador to Antwerp; and in 1230 he accompanied Henry on his expedition to Brittany. In 1241 he set out for the Holy Land, but died at sea, on his way there, on 26 March 1242.

Family By his wife Aveline de Montfichet (Modern English: Avelina), a sister of Richard de Montfichet's, William left a son, William de Forz, 4th Earl of Albemarle, who succeeded him in the Earldom.