Blanche of CastileQueen of France and very nearly of England, Blanche of Castile was a beautiful, fascinating woman and a wise and able ruler whose personality and political power dominated Western Europe in the first half of the thirteenth century. She was the granddaughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine and the mother of France's only canonized king, Louis IX, and it was her efforts that led to the great victory over England at the Battle of Bouvines. Her husband, Louis VIII died after three years on the throne, leaving Blanche as regent during her sons minority from 1226 until 1234. Due to her shrewd combination of diplomacy, beating her enemies to the punch, and her influence on Louis IX, kept a whole France for him to inherit on her death. |
Contents
Prologue | 9 |
BLANCHES HERITAGE | 47 |
THE REALM OF THE FLEURDELIS | 90 |
Copyright | |
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abbey Alphonse Alphonse of Poitiers Anjou Archbishop army Artois Avignon barons Bishop Blanche and Louis Blanche's Brittany brother burghers called Carcassonne castle Champagne Christian chronicler Chronique Church Cistercian coronation Count of Toulouse court of France cross crowned crusaders daughter Eleanor Emperor English excommunicated father Ferdinand Flanders Frederick French National Archives Friars gone hand Henry Holy Land Holy Roman Hugh Isabella Joan of Toulouse Johanna John Lackland Joinville King John King Louis King of England King of France King Philip King's kingdom knew knights Lady later learned letter livres lords Louis and Blanche Louis VIII Louis's Lusignan Margaret Matthew Paris messengers monks mother never Normandy palace papal legate peace Peter Mauclerc Philip Hurepel Plantagenet Poitiers Poitou Pope Innocent III Provence Queen realm Robert royal Saint Saracens sent siege Sire suzerain taken Theobald throne told took town truce vassals wedding wife William Marshal