Blanche of Burgundy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blanche of Burgundy |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Queen consort of France and Navarre | |
| Tenure | 3 January 1322 – 19 May 1322 |
| Born | c. 1296 |
| Died | c. 1326 |
| Spouse | |
| Issue | Philip of France Joan of France |
| House | Ivrea |
| Father | Otto IV, Count of Burgundy |
| Mother | Mahaut, Countess of Artois |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Blanche of Burgundy (born around 1296 – died around 1326) was a Queen of France and Navarre. She held this title for only a few months in 1322. This was because she was married to King Charles IV the Fair.
Blanche was the daughter of Count Otto IV of Burgundy and Countess Mahaut of Artois. Her mother was very ambitious for her daughters. Blanche's marriage to Charles IV was later ended. She was held in prison for some time. The exact date and place of her death are not known. Her death was only mentioned when her husband married for the third time in 1326.
Contents
Blanche's Early Life
Blanche was the younger daughter of Otto IV, Count of Burgundy, and Mahaut, Countess of Artois. Her father passed away in 1303. He left his land to Blanche's older sister, Joan.
Joan was first planned to marry Louis. He was the son of Philip IV of France. But King Philip changed his mind. He arranged for Joan to marry his second son, Philip, in 1307.
Countess Mahaut was very happy about this. She quickly started to arrange a marriage for Blanche. Blanche was to marry Charles, King Philip's third son. Mahaut offered a large sum of money as a dowry.
The plans worked out well. On 23 September 1307, Blanche, who was eleven, and Charles, who was thirteen, signed a marriage agreement. Their wedding happened quickly in January 1308. It took place at Countess Mahaut's castle in Hesdin.
Becoming Queen and Later Life
When Philip V died on 3 January 1322, Blanche's husband, Charles, became the new king. This meant Blanche became the Queen of France and Navarre.
However, King Charles asked Pope John XXII to end their marriage. The Pope agreed, and their marriage was officially cancelled on 19 May 1322. Both Charles and Blanche were then allowed to marry someone else.
Sadly, both of Blanche's children died when they were very young. Her son Philip died by the end of March 1322. Her daughter Joan passed away on 17 May 1321.
Charles quickly married Marie of Luxembourg. Blanche, however, was sent to Gavray Castle. There is no clear proof that she became a nun at Maubuisson Abbey, as some people believe.
Blanche had been held in prison for eight years. Because of this, her health was not good. The exact date of her death is still unknown. The Pope mentioned her as being dead in a document from 5 April 1326. This document was about her former husband's marriage to Jeanne d'Évreux.
In Stories
Blanche is a character in a famous French book series. The series is called Les Rois maudits (The Accursed Kings). These are historical novels written by Maurice Druon.
She was played by Catherine Hubeau in the 1972 TV show based on the books. Later, Anne Malraux played her in the 2005 TV show.
Family Tree
| Philip IV of France | Otto | Mahaut | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Edward II | Isabella | Margaret | Louis X of France | Philip V of France | Joan | Charles IV of France | Blanche | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Images for kids
-
Blanche of Burgundy
See also
In Spanish: Blanca de Borgoña para niños
