BLANCHE OF CASTILE wife of Louis VIII. of France, third daughter of Alphonso VIII., king of Castile, and of Eleanor of England, daughter of Henry II., was born at Valen cia. In consequence of a treaty between Philip Augustus and John of England, she was betrothed to the former's son, Louis, and was brought to France, in the spring of 1200, by John's mother, Eleanor. On May 22, 1200, the treaty was finally signed, John ceding with his niece the fiefs of Issoudun and Gravy, together with those that Andre de Chavigny, lord of Chateauroux, held in Berry, of the English crown. The marriage was celebrated the next day, at Portmort, on the right bank of the Seine, in John's domains, as those of Philip lay under an interdict.
Blanche first displayed her great qualities in 1216, when Louis, who on the death of John claimed the English crown in her right, invaded England, only to find a united nation against him. Philip Augustus refused to help his son, and Blanche was his sole support. The queen established herself at Calais and organized two fleets, one of which was commanded by Eustace the Monk, and an army under Robert of Courtenay ; but all her resolution and energy were in vain. Although it would seem that her masterful temper ex ercised a sensible influence upon her husband's gentler character, her role during his reign (1223-26) is not well known. Upon his death he left Blanche regent and guardian of his children. Of her 12 or 13 children, six had died, and Louis, the heir—afterwards Saint Louis—was but 12 years old. Blanche had to bear the whole burden of affairs alone, to break up a league of the barons (1226), and to repel the attack of the king of England (123o). But her energy and firmness overcame all dangers. She gained over one of the confederate nobles, Thibaut, comte de Champagne, protected him from the attacks of his former allies, and when he inherited the throne of Navarre, obtained from him the counties of Blois, Chartres and Saucerre. By judicious marriage treaties she secured to the royal house Toulouse and Provence. Saint Louis owed his realm to his mother, but he himself always remained somewhat under the spell of her imperious personality. After he came of age (1236) her influence upon him may still be traced. In 1248 she again became regent, during Louis IX.'s absence on the cru sade, a project which she had strongly opposed. In the disasters which followed she maintained peace, while draining the land of men and money to aid her son in the East. She fell ill at Melun in Nov. 1252, and was taken to Paris, but lived only a few days.
Besides the works of Joinville and William of Nangis, see Elie Berger, "Histoire de Blanche de Castille, reine de France," in Biblio theque des ecoles francaises d'Athenes et de Rome, vol. lxx. Le Nain de Tillemont, "Vie de Saint Louis," ed. by J. de Gaulle for the Societe de l'histoire de France (1847-51) ; and Paulin Paris, "Nouvelles recherches sur les moeurs de la reine Blanche et de Thibaud," in Cabinet historique (1858) .