Blanche of France (1253–1323) was a daughter 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...

 and Margaret of Provence, and sister of King Philip III of France

Philip III of France

Philip III , called the Bold , was the King of France, succeeding his father, Louis IX, and reigning from 1270 to 1285. He was a member of the House of Capet.-Biography:...

 and Queen Isabella of Navarre

Isabelle of France (1241–1271)

Isabella of France was a daughter Louis IX of France and Margaret of Provence. She was married to Theobald II of Navarre, eldest son of Theobald I of Navarre and Margaret of Navarre on 6 April 1255...

.

Biography

Blanche was born in 1253 in Jaffa

Jaffa

Jaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world. Jaffa was incorporated with Tel Aviv creating the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical story of the prophet Jonah.-Etymology:...

, during the Seventh Crusade

Seventh Crusade

The Seventh Crusade was a crusade led by Louis IX of France from 1248 to 1254. Approximately 800,000 bezants were paid in ransom for King Louis who, along with thousands of his troops, was captured and defeated by the Egyptian army led by the Ayyubid Sultan Turanshah supported by the Bahariyya...

 led by her father, Louis IX.

In November 1268, she married Ferdinand de la Cerda, Infante of Castile

Ferdinand de la Cerda, Infante of Castile

Don Ferdinand de la Cerda was the Crown Prince of Castile, eldest son of King Alfonso X of Castile and Violant of Aragon. His nickname, de la Cerda, means "of the bristle" in Spanish, a reference to being born with a strand of thick hair running down his chest.In November 1268 he married Princess...

, eldest son of Alfonso X of Castile

Alfonso X of Castile

Alfonso X was a Castilian monarch who ruled as the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1252 until his death...

 and Violant of Aragon

Violant of Aragon

Violant or Violante of Aragon, also known as Yolanda of Aragon , was Queen consort of Castile and León from 1252 to 1284 as the wife of King Alfonso X.- Life :...

, they had two sons:

• Alfonso (1270–1324), who married Mahaut, daughter of John I of Brienne, Count of Eu
  John I of Brienne, Count of Eu
  John I of Brienne 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 1270....
  
  . They had four sons and three daughters.
• Ferdinand
  Ferdinand de la Cerda (1275–1322)
  Fernando de la Cerda was the younger son of Ferdinand de la Cerda, Infante of Castile and his wife Blanche of France. His paternal grandparents were Alfonso X of Castile and Violant of Aragon. His maternal grandparents were Louis IX of France and Marguerite of Provence...
  
   (1275–1322), who married Juana Núñez de Lara
  Juana Núñez de Lara
  Juana Núñez de Lara was a daughter of Juan Núñez de Lara “el Mayor” and his wife Teresa Diaz de Haro of the lordship of Biscaye. Juana is also known as la Palomilla or Lady of Lara.-Marriages:...
  
  , called "la Palomilla", Lady of Lara & Herrera, daughter of Juan Núñez de Lara “el Mayor” and Teresa Álvarez de Azagra. They had one son and three daughters. One daughter, Blanca de La Cerda y Lara
  Blanca de La Cerda y Lara
  Blanca Fernanda de la Cerda y Lara was a Spanish noblewoman.She was the daughter of Fernando de la Cerda and Juana Núñez de Lara, called "la Palomilla"....
  
  , was the mother-in-law of King Henry II of Castile.

Ferdinand predeceased his father in 1275 at Ciudad Real

Ciudad Real

Ciudad Real is a city in Castile-La Mancha, Spain, with a population of c. 74,000. It is the capital of the province of Ciudad Real. It has a stop on the AVE high-speed rail line and has begun to grow as a long-distance commuter suburb of Madrid, located 115 miles to the north. A high capacity...

. Blanche and Ferdinand's sons did not inherit the throne of their grandfather, since their uncle, the second son, Sancho

Sancho IV of Castile

Sancho IV the Brave was the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1284 to his death. He was the second son of Alfonso X and Yolanda, daughter of James I of Aragon.-Biography:...

, enforced his claim, even by rebelling. Blanche's brother Philip warned Sancho that he would invade Castile

Kingdom of Castile

Kingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. It emerged as a political autonomous entity in the 9th century. It was called County of Castile and was held in vassalage from the Kingdom of León. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region...

 on behalf of his two nephews.

Blanche left Castile never to return. Her sons were sent to live with their grandmother Violant of Aragon

Violant of Aragon

Violant or Violante of Aragon, also known as Yolanda of Aragon , was Queen consort of Castile and León from 1252 to 1284 as the wife of King Alfonso X.- Life :...

 who had them sent to the fortress of Játiva so they would be safe from Sancho.

Blanche died at the Monastère des Clarisses de l’Ave Maria

Cordeliers Convent

The Cordeliers Convent was a convent in Paris, France.It gave its name to the Club of the Cordeliers, which held its first meetings there during the French Revolution....

, in Paris, in 1323.

Ancestry