Blanche of Castile facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blanche of Castile |
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| Queen consort of France | |
| Tenure | 14 July 1223 – November 1226 |
| Coronation | 6 August 1223 |
| Queen regent of France | |
| Regency |
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| Queen consort of England (disputed) | |
| Tenure | 2 June 1216 – 20 September 1217 |
| Born | 4 March 1188 Palencia, Castile |
| Died | 27 November 1252 (aged 64) Paris, France |
| Burial | Maubuisson Abbey |
| Spouse | |
| Issue | Louis IX of France (Saint Louis) Robert I, Count of Artois Alphonse, Count of Poitiers Saint Isabelle Charles I of Sicily |
| House | Ivrea |
| Father | Alfonso VIII of Castile |
| Mother | Eleanor of England |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Blanche of Castile (born March 4, 1188 – died November 27, 1252) was a powerful queen of France. She became queen when she married Louis VIII. Blanche was also a regent twice for her son, Louis IX. A regent is someone who rules a country when the king or queen is too young or away.
She was regent from 1226 to 1234, when her son was a child. She ruled again from 1248 to 1252, while her son was away on a Crusade. Blanche was born in Palencia, Spain. Her parents were Alfonso VIII, the King of Castile, and Eleanor of England. Eleanor was the sister of King John of England.
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Early Life and Royal Marriage
Blanche grew up in Spain. She often visited the Abbey of Santa María la Real de Las Huelgas, which her parents had founded. When she was young, there was a peace treaty between France and England. This treaty said that one of Blanche's sisters, Urraca, would marry the French king's son, Louis.
However, Blanche's grandmother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, met both sisters. Eleanor decided that Blanche was a better fit to be a queen. So, in the spring of 1200, Eleanor brought Blanche to France instead.
On May 22, 1200, the marriage agreement was signed. King John of England gave some lands to France as part of the deal. The wedding happened the next day. Blanche was twelve years old, and Louis was thirteen. They were too young to start a family right away. Blanche had her first child in 1205.
Blanche's Claim to the English Throne
Later, English nobles rebelled against King John. Because Blanche was the granddaughter of Henry II, Louis was offered the English throne. He was called Louis I of England. But King John died in 1216. The nobles then supported John's young son, Henry.
Louis still claimed the English crown through Blanche. But now, the English people were united against him. Louis's father, the French King, refused to help. Blanche was Louis's only strong supporter. She raised money and organized two fleets of ships. She also gathered an army.
However, the French forces were defeated in England. The English fleet destroyed the French ships carrying more soldiers. Louis had to give up his claim to the English throne and make peace.
Blanche's First Time as Regent
In 1223, Louis VIII became King of France, and Blanche became queen. But in 1226, King Louis VIII died from an illness. Blanche was 38 years old. She became the regent and guardian for her children. Her son, Louis, was only twelve years old. He would later become known as Saint Louis.
Blanche quickly had her son crowned king. She made the powerful nobles promise loyalty to him. This was a difficult time because many nobles had not fully accepted the king's rule. The young king's age made the kingdom seem weak. Blanche released a powerful count, Ferdinand of Flanders, to gain his support. She also gave land to Philip I, Count of Boulogne, to secure his loyalty.
Some important nobles, like Peter Mauclerc, refused to accept the new king. Blanche and Louis were almost captured while traveling. Blanche asked the people of Paris to protect their king. The citizens lined the roads and kept him safe.
Blanche, with help from others, formed an army. This army surprised the rebellious nobles and stopped them for a while. Blanche had to raise armies two more times to protect France from rebellious nobles and Henry III of England. She even led a surprise attack in winter. In January 1229, she led her forces to make Mauclerc accept the king. She went with the army and helped gather wood to keep the soldiers warm. Some people were not happy with her strong rule. They even called her "Dame Hersent," which means "the wolf."
In 1229, Blanche helped create the Treaty of Paris. This treaty made Raymond VII, Count of Toulouse, submit to King Louis. His daughter, Joan, married Blanche's son, Alphonse. This meant that Toulouse would eventually become part of the French crown. The treaty also ended the Albigensian Crusade, a long war in southern France.
Blanche also worked to stop Henry III of England from gaining more French lands through marriage. She prevented him from marrying two women he wanted. She made sure one of them, Yolande of Brittany, married her own son, John. When Henry became engaged to Joan, Countess of Ponthieu, Blanche asked the Pope to stop the marriage.
In 1230, Henry III of England invaded France. Blanche managed to keep some powerful French nobles from helping the English. However, Mauclerc did support the English, and Brittany rebelled. Henry III landed in Brittany with many knights. Blanche's own soldiers were not always easy to control. Some left after their required service time.
Henry's invasion did not achieve much. He spent a lot of money and gained little. This failure helped Blanche and Louis become stronger rulers. By 1234, Mauclerc stopped rebelling and supported King Louis. Louis IX owed a lot to his mother and remained under her influence for his whole life.
Blanche as Queen Mother
Even when Louis became an adult king, Blanche remained very influential. She was powerful in politics and at court. No one dared to criticize her. In 1234, Louis married Margaret of Provence. Blanche had chosen Margaret because she thought it would help control Toulouse.
Blanche did not have a good relationship with her daughter-in-law, Margaret. Blanche wanted to keep control of her son and the court. She sent away Margaret's family and servants who came with her to the wedding. Before Margaret arrived, Blanche was known as the most beautiful woman at court. Some poems were even written about her beauty.
Margaret's arrival drew attention away from Blanche. So, Blanche tried to keep Louis and Margaret apart as much as possible. One story says that when Margaret was giving birth, Blanche told her son to leave the room. Margaret was so upset that she fainted. A writer at the time noted that Blanche did not like Margaret and Louis to be together "except when he went to lie with her."
In 1239, Blanche showed her fairness. She insisted on a fair hearing for the Jewish people in France. They were facing growing unfair treatment. She oversaw a formal discussion in the king's court. Louis wanted to burn Jewish books. But Blanche promised Rabbi Yechiel of Paris, who spoke for the Jewish community, that he and his belongings would be safe.
Blanche's Second Regency and Death
In 1248, Blanche became regent again. Her son, Louis IX, left France to go on a Crusade. Blanche had strongly opposed this trip. During this time, France faced many challenges. Blanche kept the peace at home. But she also sent many men and a lot of money to help her son in the East.
Blanche became ill in November 1252. She was taken to Paris but died a few days later. She was buried at Maubuisson Abbey, a place she had founded herself. Louis heard about his mother's death the next spring. It is said that he did not speak to anyone for two days after hearing the news.
Patronage and Learning
Blanche supported the arts and learning. She owned many books in both French and Latin. Some of these books were for teaching her son. A book called Le Miroir de l'Ame (The Mirror of the Soul) was written for Blanche. It taught queens how to live a good Christian life every day.
She made sure her children received a good education. All of them studied Latin. She also insisted that they learn about Christian morals. Both her son Louis and her daughter Isabelle later became saints. A prayer to the Virgin Mary, called Amours ou trop tard me suis pris, is often thought to have been written by Blanche.
Blanche's Children
Blanche and Louis VIII had many children. Here are some of them:
- Blanche (born 1205)
- Philip (born 1209)
- Alphonse and John (twins, born 1213)
- Louis IX (born 1214), who became King of France.
- Robert (born 1216), Count of Artois.
- Philip (born 1218)
- John (born 1219), Count of Anjou and Maine.
- Alphonse (born 1220), Count of Poitou.
- Philip Dagobert (born 1222)
- Isabelle (born 1224), who became a saint.
- Etienne (born 1225)
- Charles (born 1226/1227), Count of Anjou and Maine, and later King of Sicily.
See also
In Spanish: Blanca de Castilla para niños
