House of Blois Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids House of Blois House of Champagne
Arms of the House of Blois
Country	France Navarre England
estates	Blois, Champagne, Navarre, England, Sancerre, Boulogne, Aumale
Titles	King of England King of Navarre Prince of Achaea Duke of Normandy Duke of Nicaea Count of Blois Count of Champagne Count of Clermont Count of Chartres Count of Châteaudun Count of Bar-sur-Aube Count of Eu Count of Troyes Count of Beauvais Count of Sancerre Count of Provins Count of Boulogne Count of Reims Count of Aumale Count of Brie Count of Meaux Count of Tours Earl of York Viscount of Blois Viscount of Chartres Viscount of Tours Count of Vitry-le-François Lord of Sancerre Lord of Bray Lord of Holderness Lord of Montlhéry Lord of Menetou-Salon Lord of Vailly-sur-Sauldre Lord of Châtillon-sur-Loing Lord of Château-Thierry Archbishop of Reims Archbishop of Bourges Bishop of Winchester Bishop of Tournai Bishop of Châlons-sur-Marne
Founded	906; 1119 years ago (906)
Founder	Theobald the Old, Viscount of Blois
Final ruler	Joan I of Navarre
Dissolution	1305
Ethnicity	French
Cadet branches	House of Champagne House of Sancerre

The House of Blois was a powerful family of nobles from the Frankish kingdom. Many important members of this family were named Theobald.

History of the House of Blois
Important Rulers from Blois
Arms of the House of Blois
See also

History of the House of Blois

The House of Blois began with Theobald the Old in the year 906. This family started as viscounts of Blois. A viscount was a noble who managed a territory for a count.

Over time, the House of Blois gained control of many important areas. These included the counties of Blois, Chartres, Châteaudun, and Troyes. They also gained the large and wealthy County of Champagne. Later, they even ruled the Kingdom of Navarre.

During the time of Louis VII of France, the King of England, Henry II of England, had a lot of land. To balance this power, Louis VII chose a wife from the House of Champagne. Her name was Adela of Champagne. This marriage helped to strengthen the French king's position.

The main line of the House of Blois ended in 1305. This happened when Joan I of Navarre died. She was married to Philip IV of France. After her death, the lands of Champagne and Navarre became part of the French royal family's control.

An important member of the House of Blois was King Stephen I of England. He ruled England from 1135 to 1154. Stephen was the grandson of William the Conqueror, a famous king. Stephen was the last king from the Anglo-Norman period in England.

A smaller part of the family settled in a place called Sancerre. This branch was started by Stephen I of Sancerre. He was a younger son of Theobald II, Count of Champagne. This part of the family ended when Margaret of Sancerre died around 1418 or 1419.

Important Rulers from Blois

This table shows some of the key rulers from the House of Blois. They held different titles like Count or King.

Ruler	Born	Reign	Death	Territory Ruled	Family	Notes
Theobald I the Trickster	913	928-975	975	Blois	Luitgarde of Vermandois four children	He started the Blois ruling family.
Odo I	950	975-996	12 March 996	Blois	Bertha of Burgundy six children
Theobald II	c.985	996-1004	11 July 1004	Blois	Unmarried	He had no children, so his brother Odo became ruler.
Odo II/I	983	1004-1037	15 November 1037	Blois	Maud of Normandy no children Ermengarde of Auvergne three/four children	He took control of Champagne without the king's permission.
Odo II/I	983	1022-1037	15 November 1037	Troyes & Meaux (Champagne)		He took control of Champagne without the king's permission.
Stephen II	?	1037-1047	1047	Troyes & Meaux (Champagne)	Adele one child
Odo II	1040	1047-1066	1115	Champagne	Adelaide of Normandy one child
Odo II	1040	1069-1115	1115	Aumale	Adelaide of Normandy one child
Theobald III	1012	1037-1089	1089	Blois	Gersende of Maine one child Adele of Valois four children
Theobald III	1012	1066-1089	1089	Champagne	Gersende of Maine one child Adele of Valois four children
Odo III	1062	1089-1093	1093	Champagne	Unmarried	He had no children, so his brother Hugh took over.
Stephen Henry	c.1045	1089-1102	19 May 1102	Blois	Adela of Normandy eleven children
Hugh	1074	1093-1125	1125	Champagne	Constance of France one child Isabelle of Burgundy one child?	After his death, his lands joined Blois.
Theobald IV/II the Great	1090	1102-1152	10 January 1152	Blois	Matilda of Carinthia ten children	He also became Count of Champagne in 1125.
Theobald IV/II the Great	1090	1125-1152	10 January 1152	Champagne	Matilda of Carinthia ten children	He also became Count of Champagne in 1125.
Stephen	c.1070	1115-1127	1127	Aumale	Hawise de Mortimer four children	His father-in-law helped him claim the English throne.
William the Fat	?	1127-1179	20 August 1179	Aumale	Cicely FitzDuncan, Lady of Skipton eleven children	He was also made the Earl of York. His daughter Hawise inherited his lands.
Henry I the Liberal	December 1127	1152-1181	16 March 1181	Champagne	Marie of France four children	He was the first son of Theobald II/IV and inherited Champagne.
Theobald V the Good	1130	1152-1191	20 January 1191	Blois	Sybil of Chateaurenault no children Alix of France seven children	He was the second son of Theobald II/IV and inherited Blois.
Hawise	?	1179-1194	11 March 1214	Aumale	William de Mandeville, 3rd Earl of Essex no children William de Forz one child Baldwin of Bethune one child	She ruled with her husbands. In 1194, the King of France took Aumale.
Aumale became part of the Kingdom of France
Henry II	29 July 1166	1181-1190	10 September 1197	Champagne	Isabella I of Jerusalem two children	He left Champagne to go on a Crusade and became king of Jerusalem.
Marie of France (regent)	1145	1190-1197	11 March 1198	Champagne	Henry I, Count of Champagne four children	She ruled Champagne while her son was away. She passed the county to her youngest son, Theobald.
Louis I	1172	1191-1205	14 April 1205	Blois	Catherine, Countess of Clermont-en-Beauvaisis three children
Theobald III	13 May 1179	1197-1201	24 May 1201	Champagne	Blanche of Navarre one child
Blanche of Navarre (regent)	1177	1201-1222	13 March 1229	Champagne	Theobald III, Count of Champagne one child	She ruled for her young son. Through her, her son would later inherit the Kingdom of Navarre.
Theobald IV/I the Troubadour	30 May 1201	1222-1234 1234-1253	8 July 1253	Champagne Champagne & Navarre	Gertrude of Dagsburg no children Agnes of Beaujeu one child Margaret of Bourbon six children	He was born after his father died. He inherited Navarre from his uncle in 1234.
Theobald VI	1190	1205-1218	16/22 April 1218	Blois	Mathilde of Alençon no children Clemence de Roches no children	He had no children. He left his county to his aunt, Margaret.
Margaret	1170	1218-1230	12 July 1230	Blois	Hugh of Oisy no children Otto I, Count of Burgundy two children Walter II of Avesnes two children	She left the county to her daughter, Marie.
Margaret of Bourbon (regent)	1217	1253-1256	12 April 1256	Champagne	Theobald I of Navarre six children	She ruled for her son.
Theobald V/II	1238	1256-1270	4 December 1270	Champagne & Navarre	Isabella of France no children	He had no children. His brother became the next ruler.
Henry III/I	1244	1270-1274	22 July 1274	Champagne & Navarre	Blanche of Artois two children
Blanche of Artois (regent)	1248	1274-1284	2 May 1302	Champagne & Navarre	Henry I of Navarre two children Edmund Crouchback three children	She ruled for her daughter, Joan.
Joan I	14 January 1273	1284-1305	31 March/2 April 1305	Champagne & Navarre	Philip IV of France seven children

Arms of the House of Blois

These images show the different coats of arms used by members of the House of Blois. A coat of arms is a special design that represents a family or a ruler.

Arms of the House of Blois

Count of Blois