Blanche of France (French: ''Blanche de France'') (1253–1323) was a daughter of King
Louis IX of France
Louis IX (25 April 1214 – 25 August 1270), also known as Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death in 1270. He is widely recognized as the most distinguished of the Direct Capetians. Following the death of his father, Louis VI ...
and
Margaret of Provence.
Biography
Blanche was born in 1253 in
Jaffa
Jaffa (, ; , ), also called Japho, Joppa or Joppe in English, is an ancient Levantine Sea, Levantine port city which is part of Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel, located in its southern part. The city sits atop a naturally elevated outcrop on ...
,
County of Jaffa and Ascalon during the
Seventh Crusade
The Seventh Crusade (1248–1254) was the first of the two Crusades led by Louis IX of France. Also known as the Crusade of Louis IX to the Holy Land, it aimed to reclaim the Holy Land by attacking Egypt, the main seat of Muslim power in the Nea ...
led by her father, Louis IX of France.
In November 1269, she married
Ferdinand de la Cerda, Infante of Castile, eldest son of
Alfonso X of Castile
Alfonso X (also known as the Wise, ; 23 November 1221 – 4 April 1284) was King of Castile, Kingdom of León, León and Kingdom of Galicia, Galicia from 1 June 1252 until his death in 1284. During the April 1257 Imperial election, election of 1 ...
and
Violant of Aragon. They had:
*
Alfonso
Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century (Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula. I ...
(1270–1333), who married Mahaut, daughter of
John I of Brienne, Count of Eu
John I of Brienne (born 1246 died 12 June 1294) was the son of Alphonso of Brienne and Marie de Lusigan. His mother was the heiress of Eu, Seine-Maritime, and he succeeded his father as Count of Eu in 1260. (both The Chronique des comtes d’E ...
. They had four sons and three daughters.
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Ferdinand
Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "courage" or "ready, prepared" related to Old High German "to risk, ventu ...
(1275–1322), who married
Juana Núñez de Lara, called "la Palomilla", Lady of Lara and Herrera, daughter of
Juan Núñez I de Lara and Teresa Álvarez de Azagra. They had one son and three daughters. One daughter,
Blanca de La Cerda y Lara, was the mother-in-law of King
Henry II of Castile
Henry II (13 January 1334 – 29 May 1379), called Henry of Trastámara or the Fratricidal (''el Fratricida''), was the first List of Castilian monarchs, King of Castile and List of Leonese monarchs, León from the House of Trastámara. He became ...
.
Ferdinand predeceased his father in 1275 at
Ciudad Real
Ciudad Real (, ) is a municipality of Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile–La Mancha, capital of the province of Ciudad Real. It is the 5th most populated municipality in the region.
It was founded as Villa Real in 1255 as a ro ...
. Blanche and Ferdinand's sons did not inherit the throne of their grandfather, since their uncle, the second son,
Sancho, enforced his claim, even by rebelling. Blanche's brother Philip warned Sancho that he would invade
Castile on behalf of his two nephews.
Blanche left Castile never to return. Her sons were sent to live with their grandmother
Violant of Aragon who had them sent to the fortress of
Xàtiva
Xàtiva (; ) is a town in eastern Spain, in the province of Valencia, on the right (western) bank of the river Albaida and at the junction of the Valencia, Spain, Valencia–Murcia and Valencia Albacete railways. It is located 25 km ...
so they would be safe from Sancho.
Blanche died at the
''Monastère des Clarisses de l’Ave Maria'', in Paris, in 1323.
References
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:France, Blanche of, Infanta of Castile
1253 births
1323 deaths
13th-century Spanish women
13th-century French women
14th-century French women
Blanche
French princesses
Castilian infantas
13th-century Castilians
Daughters of kings
Children of Louis IX of France