General Notes

Blanche was pious and possessive.  She wrote poetry.  She was regent until Louis
IX became of age in abt 1234 and retained powerful influence over him.

Blanche Of Castile
b. 1188, Palencia, Castile [Spain]
d. Nov. 12, 1252, Paris, France
French BLANCHE DE CASTILLE, Spanish BLANCA DE CASTILLA, wife of LouisVIII of France, mother of Louis IX (St. Louis), and twice regent ofFrance (1226-34, 1248-52), who by wars and marital alliances did much tosecure and unify French territories.
Blanche was the daughter of Alfonso VIII of Castile and Eleanor, who wasthe daughter of Henry II of England. Her grandmother Eleanor ofAquitaine, queen of England, traveled to Spain to take the 11-year-oldBlanche to France, where a marriage treaty was concluded with Louis, theyoung son of King Philip II Augustus. This politically motivated marriagehad been arranged by Blanche's uncle, King John of England, and wascelebrated in 1200 at Portsmouth, Hampshire. It represented only a brieftruce in the struggle between England and France for control over certainFrench territories.

Blanche, who became French through marriage, was gradually to becomeFrench in spirit as well. Although she did not cease to be concerned forher family, among them her uncle John and his allies, her brother-in-lawFerrand of Portugal, and her cousin Otto of Brunswick (later Holy Romanemperor Otto IV), she rejoiced at the French victory over Otto and theEnglish at Bouvines in 1214, marking the first stage of Frenchunification, a goal for which she was constantly to strive. In the sameyear, she gave birth to Louis, the future king of France. Upon John ofEngland's death, Blanche boldly tried to seize the English throne: in1216 Louis of France invaded England on her behalf. The English stoodfirm against him, and John's nine-year-old son was finally crowned HenryIII.

A devout Roman Catholic, Blanche soon became involved in what shesincerely believed to be a holy war against the heretical Cathari, a sectfounded on the belief that good and evil had two separate creators, whichwas flourishing throughout southern France. Her husband, who became LouisVIII in 1223, took part in a crusade against the Cathari but suffered afatal attack of dysentery upon returning to the north of France in 1226.In accordance with her husband's will, Blanche became both guardian ofthe 12-year-old Louis and regent of France. She zealously pressed to haveLouis crowned immediately, and the coronation took place at Reims threeweeks after Louis VIII's death.

Her most pressing problem was to deal with a rebellion of the greatbarons, organized by Philip Hurepel, the illegitimate son of King PhilipII Augustus, and supported by King Henry III of England. In the face ofsuch adversity, Blanche showed herself by turns a delicate diplomat, aclever negotiator, and a strong leader. Dressed in white, on a whitepalfrey draped in the same colour, she rode into battle at the head ofher troops. After an attempted abduction of the young king, Blanche didnot hesitate to replace rebel noble associates with commoners if shethought it necessary. She also created local militias. Blanche wasgradually able to subdue the revolt, establish a new truce with England,and, in 1229, pacify the south of France by signing the Treaty of Pariswith Raymond VII, count of Toulouse. France then entered an era ofdomestic stability, which saw the construction of many cathedralsthroughout the country.

On only one occasion did Blanche fail to exhibit diplomatic conduct. In1229 a dispute between an innkeeper and some students took place in theLatin Quarter in Paris. The police were summoned, and the students werebeaten and thrown into the Seine; such intervention in the Latin Quarter,however, was contrary to the prerogatives granted to the university, andthe faculty and students threatened to strike if the university'sprivileges were not respected. Badly advised, Blanche held firm, but theuniversity closed its doors, and the faculty and students left Paris forthe provinces and abroad. It was to take four years and the interventionof the pope before the university would return to Paris with newprerogatives, this time granted by Blanche herself.

Although Louis IX came of age on April 25, 1236, Blanche remained at hisside as his most loyal and steadfast supporter. She lacked tact, however,with regard to her son's private life. Although Blanche herself hadselected Margaret of Provence to be Louis's wife, she treated Margaretwith considerable severity. In 1244, after Louis recovered from a seriousillness, he and his wife, much against Blanche's wishes, made a vow to goon a crusade against the Muslims. They embarked in 1248, and once againthe kingdom was entrusted to Blanche. Informed of Louis's defeat atAl-Mansurah, Egypt, and his subsequent imprisonment, Blanche herself wentto seek his ransom and that of the French army. She petitioned herparents, her allies, and the pope for funds and supplies, but interest inthe crusade had dwindled.

Although weakened by a heart ailment, Blanche did not neglect herobligations as a regent. Continuing to preside over council meetings, shesigned laws and watched over the poor of Paris. When some of the poorwere mistreated by the cathedral chapter, she herself rode, as formerly,to open the gates to their prison. On her way to the Abbey of the Lys,one of her favourite retreats, Blanche suffered an attack of the heartailment that was to take her life. She was returned to the palace of theLouvre, dressed in a nun's habit, and laid on a bed of hay. There, afterbegging forgiveness of all and having received the last sacraments, shedied. She was buried at Maubuisson Abbey and her heart taken to the Abbeyof the Lys. Louis IX was in Jaffa when he learned of his mother's death.The news distressed him greatly, for he was aware that he had lost notonly an incomparable parent but also the strongest supporter of hiskingship.