Blanche of Artois
Encyclopedia
Blanche of Artois was the queen consort of Navarre
; after her husband Henry I of Navarre
's death, she served as regent from 1274 to 1284 on behalf of her daughter, Joan I
. Besides Navarre, she ruled the counties of Brie
, Champagne
, Troyes
et Meaux
.
In 1276, she became Countess of Lancaster
by marrying into the English royal family.
She was the daughter of Count Robert I
of Artois
and Matilda of Brabant
.
and Blanche of Castile
, and her maternal grandparents were Henry II, Duke of Brabant
and Marie of Hohenstaufen
, daughter of Philip of Swabia
.
(ruled 1270–1274) who died in 1274. This marriage was politically advantageous for Navarre, Blanche having been the niece of King Louis IX of France
. Together they had two children:
(1245–1296), in 1276, an English prince who was a younger son of Henry III
and Eleanor of Provence
. Edmund was also a widower, his young wife having died the same year as Blanche's husband.
Edmund and Blanche had four children:
Henry's eldest daughter, Blanche
, would be named after her.
Navarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
; after her husband Henry I of Navarre
Henry I of Navarre
Henry I the Fat was the Count of Champagne and Brie and King of Navarre from 1270...
's death, she served as regent from 1274 to 1284 on behalf of her daughter, Joan I
Joan I of Navarre
Joan I , the daughter of king Henry I of Navarre and Blanche of Artois, reigned as queen regnant of Navarre and also served as queen consort of France.-Life:...
. Besides Navarre, she ruled the counties of Brie
Brie
Brie is a historic region of France most famous for its dairy products, especially Brie cheese. It was once divided into two sections ruled by different feudal lords: the western Brie française, corresponding roughly to the modern department of Seine-et-Marne in the Île-de-France region; the...
, Champagne
Champagne (province)
The Champagne wine region is a historic province within the Champagne administrative province in the northeast of France. The area is best known for the production of the sparkling white wine that bears the region's name...
, Troyes
Troyes
Troyes is a commune and the capital of the Aube department in north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about southeast of Paris. Many half-timbered houses survive in the old town...
et Meaux
Meaux
Meaux is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located east-northeast from the center of Paris. Meaux is a sub-prefecture of the department and the seat of an arondissement...
.
In 1276, she became Countess of Lancaster
Earl of Lancaster
The title of Earl of Lancaster was created in the Peerage of England in 1267, merging in the crown in 1399. See also Duke of Lancaster.-Earls of Lancaster :...
by marrying into the English royal family.
She was the daughter of Count Robert I
Robert I of Artois
Robert I , called the Good, was the first Count of Artois, the fifth son of Louis VIII of France and Blanche of Castile.-Life:...
of Artois
Artois
Artois is a former province of northern France. Its territory has an area of around 4000 km² and a population of about one million. Its principal cities are Arras , Saint-Omer, Lens and Béthune.-Location:...
and Matilda of Brabant
Matilda of Brabant
Matilda of Brabant was the eldest daughter of Henry II, Duke of Brabant and his first wife Marie of Hohenstaufen.-Marriages and children:...
.
Family
Blanche's paternal grandparents were Louis VIII of FranceLouis VIII of France
Louis VIII the Lion reigned as King of France from 1223 to 1226. He was a member of the House of Capet. Louis VIII was born in Paris, France, the son of Philip II Augustus and Isabelle of Hainaut. He was also Count of Artois, inheriting the county from his mother, from 1190–1226...
and Blanche of Castile
Blanche of Castile
Blanche of Castile , was a Queen consort of France as the wife of Louis VIII. She acted as regent twice during the reign of her son, Louis IX....
, and her maternal grandparents were Henry II, Duke of Brabant
Henry II, Duke of Brabant
Henry II of Brabant was Duke of Brabant and Lothier after the death of his father Henry I in 1235...
and Marie of Hohenstaufen
Marie of Hohenstaufen
Marie of Hohenstaufen was a member of the powerful Hohenstaufen dynasty of German kings which lasted from 1138 to 1254. She is also known to history as Maria of Swabia....
, daughter of Philip of Swabia
Philip of Swabia
Philip of Swabia was king of Germany and duke of Swabia, the rival of the emperor Otto IV.-Biography:Philip was the fifth and youngest son of Emperor Frederick I and Beatrice I, Countess of Burgundy, daughter of Renaud III, count of Burgundy, and brother of the emperor Henry VI...
.
First marriage
Blanche married Henry I of NavarreHenry I of Navarre
Henry I the Fat was the Count of Champagne and Brie and King of Navarre from 1270...
(ruled 1270–1274) who died in 1274. This marriage was politically advantageous for Navarre, Blanche having been the niece of King Louis IX of France
Louis IX of France
Louis IX , commonly Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death. He was also styled Louis II, Count of Artois from 1226 to 1237. Born at Poissy, near Paris, he was an eighth-generation descendant of Hugh Capet, and thus a member of the House of Capet, and the son of Louis VIII and...
. Together they had two children:
- Theobald - d. 1270 fell from a battlement at the castle of Estella
- Joan I of NavarreJoan I of NavarreJoan I , the daughter of king Henry I of Navarre and Blanche of Artois, reigned as queen regnant of Navarre and also served as queen consort of France.-Life:...
, who became Queen regnantQueen regnantA queen regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right, in contrast to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigning king. An empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right over an empire....
of Navarre and Queen consortQueen consortA queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of France
Second marriage
After Henry's death, Blanche married Edmund CrouchbackEdmund Crouchback, 1st Earl of Lancaster
Edmund of Crouchback, 1st Earl of Leicester and Lancaster , was the second surviving son of King Henry III of England and Eleanor of Provence. In his childhood he had a claim on the Kingdom of Sicily. His nickname refers to his participation in the Ninth Crusade.-Childhood:Edmund was born in London...
(1245–1296), in 1276, an English prince who was a younger son of Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
and Eleanor of Provence
Eleanor of Provence
Eleanor of Provence was Queen consort of England as the spouse of King Henry III of England from 1236 until his death in 1272....
. Edmund was also a widower, his young wife having died the same year as Blanche's husband.
Edmund and Blanche had four children:
- Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster (1278 – 22 Mar 1322)
- Henry, 3rd Earl of LancasterHenry, 3rd Earl of LancasterHenry , 3rd Earl of Leicester and Lancaster was an English nobleman, one of the principals behind the deposition of Edward II of England.-Family and lineage:...
(1281 – 22 September 1345) - John, Lord of Beaufort (c. 1282–1327)
- Mary (c. 1284 – c. 1289)
Henry's eldest daughter, Blanche
Blanche of Lancaster, Baroness Wake of Liddell
Blanche of Lancaster, Baroness Wake of Liddell was an English noblewoman. She was the eldest daughter of Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster and Maud Chaworth. Blanche was named after her grandmother, Blanche of Artois, who had ruled Navarre as regent.- Life :In 1316, she married Thomas Wake, 2nd Baron...
, would be named after her.