Blanche was the Queen of France as the wife of Louis VII. She acted as regent twice during the reign of her son, Louis IX. She was born in Palencia, Spain, 1188, the third Daughter of Alfonso VII, king of Castile and Eleanor of England. Eleanor was the daughter of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Blanche had her oldest surviving son crowned as Louis IX on 29th November 1226. She put down a revolt, reconciling with Count Thibaut.
Background
Blanche of Castile (1188- 1252) was the daughter of the English princes Eleanor and Alfonso VII, king of Castle. Her mother was the daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II. Her three sisters also became queens: the two older sisters, Berengaria/Berenguela and Urraca, married Alfonso IX, king of Leon and Alfonso II of Portugal; her younger sister, Eleanor married James I of Aragon, Blanche married Louis VIII of France in 1200; her grandmother, Eleanor of Aquitaine by then close to 80 went to Spain to fetch and escort her.
Blanche had her oldest surviving son crowned as Louis IX on 29th November, 1226. She put down a revolt, reconciling with count Thibault one of the rebels. Henry III supported the rebelling barons and Blanche’s leadership with the help of Count Thibault, put down that revolt as well. She also took action against ecclesiastical authorities and a group of rioting university students.
Blanche of Castile continued in a strong role even after Louis’ 1234 marriage, taking an active role in selecting his bride, Marguerite of Provence.
Granted dower lands in Artois as part of the original treaty that brought her to her marriage, Blanche was able to trade those lands for ones closer to Louis’ court in Paris. Blanche used some of her dower income to pay dowries for poor girls and to fund religious houses.
When Louis and his three brothers all went on crusade to the Holy Land, Louis selected his mother at age 60 to be regent. The crusade went badly; Robert of Artois was killed, King Louis captured and his very pregnant Queen Marguerite and then her child had to seek safety in Damietta and Acre. Louis raised his own ransom and decided to send his surviving two brothers home while remaining in the Holy Land. Blanche during her regency backed an ill fated shepherd’s crusade and had to order the destruction of the resulting movement.
Education
Blanche was a patron of the arts and owned a variety of books, both in French and in Latin. Most of the books were instructions on practicing a Christian virtues way of life. She was well educated, strong-willed and shrewd.
Career
Blanche became queen at 11 years after her grandmother Eleanor of Aquitaine Betrothed her to Louis VIII future king of France. Their marriage treaty was concluded immediately and she married twelve year old Louis VIII. She embarked on a regent’s life that would occupy her energies for the next 52 years. The marriage, arranged by john of England, Blanche’s uncle, was politically motivated and sparked a brief truce in the ongoing struggles between France and England over French territories. She was crowned queen of France in 1223 after the demise of King Philip.
Blanche and Louis produced numerous children; accounts vary from eleven to fourteen. The first three did not survive to adulthood, placing the fourth child, Louis IX, in line to ascend the throne upon his father’s death. During Louis VIII’s short reign, Blanche confined her activities to the education and upbringing of her children. She was especially careful of the education of her favorite son, Louis. She was a stern Christian and taught him to be pious and devoted to the services of the church. His training was demanding and she required that he hear all daily prayers said by the monks and to listen to sermons on feast days. One month after Louis’ death, Louis IX was sainted but he was still young hence Blanche becoming the regent of France and guardian of her children until 1234 after which she became the queen mother.
Early in her life in France, Blanche set a goal of French unification. She believed that progress was being made by the victory over the English and her cousin Otto of Brunswick, at Bouvines. In spring of 1214 Blanche gave birth to her fourth child, Louis, the future king of France. Although she missed Spain and her family, she took France with ease. In 1216 Louis VIII, not yet king, embarked on ill-advised journey to invade England. Blanche unsuccessfully sought help for her husband’s endeavor from her father-in- law, Philip Augustus. When he refused, tradition has it that she swore she would ‘pawn her children if necessary to get money for her husband,’ and her father-in-law quickly offered his assistance.
Upon death of John of England in 1216, Blanche and Louis saw an opportunity to further their goal of unification. A small group of barons, who had rebelled against John, sought aid from Louis and, in turn offered him throne o f England. His first skirmishes were successful, but in the end Louis was defeated. Peace was struck at Kingston in1217 and Louis received a secret settlement of10000 marks for his efforts.
Blanche again became regent in 1248 during Louis IX’s absence on the crusade, a project which she had strongly opposed. In the disasters which followed she maintained peace, while draining the land of men and money to aid her son in the East. She fell ill at Melun in November 1256, and was taken to Paris, but lived only a few days.
Blanche of Castile spent most of her life serving the people of France as the queen during the short reign of her husband Louis VIII and as regent of France twice. She was regent of France after her husband’s demise and her son Louis IX took over. She had Louis IX crowned as king on November 29, 1226. She put down a revolt, reconciling with count Thibault, one of the rebels.
Henry III supported the rebelling barons, and Blanche’s leadership, with the help of count Thibault, put down that revolt as well. She also took action against ecclesiastical authorities and a group of rioting university students.
Blanche of Castile continued in a strong role even after Louis’ `1234 marriage, taking an active role in selecting his bride, Marguerite of Provence.
Granted dower lands in Artois as part of the original treaty that brought her to her marriage, Blanche was able to trade those lands for ones closer to Louis’ court in Paris. Blanche used some of her dower income to pay dowries for poor girls, and to fund religious houses.
When Louis and his three brothers went to the crusade to the Holy Land, Louis selected his mother to be regent. The crusade went badly. Robert was killed, King Louis captured. Louis raised his ransom and decided to send his surviving two brothers home while remaining in the Holy Land.
Blanche, during her regency, backed an ill-fated shepherd’s crusade, and had to order the destruction of the resulting movement.
Achievements
She set a goal of unification between France in her early life. She believed that progress was being made by the victory over the English and her cousin Otto of Brunswick, at Bouvines in 1214. She gave birth to fourth child, Louis, the future king of France. Although she missed Spain and her family, she took France with ease. Upon the death of King John of England in 1216, Blanche and Louis saw an opportunity to further their goal of unification. A small group of barons, who had rebelled against John, sought aid from Louis and in turn, offered him the throne of England. Peace was struck at the kingdom in 1217 and Louis received a secret settlement of 10 000 marks for his efforts.
She was a successful leader of France. She ruled France for fourteen years as queen and regent. She was the most long-serving and successful regent in France. She maintained her influence for a long time even after her son reached the age of majority in 1236.
Religion
She was a devout Roman Catholic. She rigorously practiced Christian virtues in her daily life. Le Miroir de l'Ame was even dedicated to her to instruct her more on the virtues. She also insisted on lessons in Christian morals for all of her children.
Politics
Politically, she left a legacy of respect and admiration. Throughout her life both friends and enemies alike admired her ability to reign with grace and determination. Blanche was delicate diplomat, a clever negotiator and a strong politician who believed in unity and oneness of the French Territory. During her reign as queen and regent of France, France entered an era of domestic stability, which saw construction of many cathedrals throughout the country.
Blanche of Castile brought strength of character and a shrewd political mind to her regency, but also brought an appreciation of beauty and poetry as seen through her verses and the building of some of the world’s most beautiful cathedrals.
Views
She saw to it that Louis and Isabelle be canonized. In her rule as a queen and regent, she maintained a good relationship with Roman Catholic church which gave her support to an extend that all chapters of the dioceses tithed to Blanche of Castile in support of the Southern crusade.
Personality
Lindy Grant, in her book, ‘’Blanche of Castile, Queen of France’’, describes Blanche Castile as ‘’…whose identity has until now been Louis IX. A central figure in the politics of medieval Europe, Blanche was a sosphicated patron of religion and culture. Through Lindy Grant’s engaging account, based on a close analysis of Blanche’s household accounts and of the social and religious networks on which her power and agency depended, Blanche is revealed as vibrant and intellectually questioning personality.’’
Physical Characteristics:
Blanche, daughter of Alphonso VII and Eleanor of England of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, wife of Louis VIII of France, ‘’was elegant in body, in aspect singled out for all the noble gifts of nature’’.[ Vie de saint-Louis by L.S. Le Nain Tillemont]. She was interested in politics. She was also a patron of the arts and owned a variety of books, both in French and in Latin. She was also a good and authoritative mother of her children as she oversaw the education of her children all of whom studied Latin. She also insisted on lessons in Christian morals for all of her children
Interests
reading
Connections
Blanche of Castile was from a royal family. Her father, Alphonso VIII of Castile was king of Castile. Her mother Eleanor, daughter of King Henry II of England, was queen of Castile. Her grandmother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, was also queen of England and she was the one who arranged Blanche’s marriage to Louis VIII.
Father:
Alphonso VIII of Castile
Mother:
Eleanor of England
grandmother:
Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine
Grandfather:
Henry II, King of England
children:
Charles Anjou of Sicily
children:
Saint Isabelle of France
children:
Alphonse of Poitiers
children:
Louis IX of France
References
Blanche of Castile, Queen of France by Lindy Grant
