Blanche of Navarre, Queen of France

This article is about the 14th century princess. For the Golden Girls character, see Blanche Devereaux.

Blanche of Navarre
Blanche with her daughter and Saint Louis
Queen consort of France
Tenure	29 January 1349 – 22 August 1350

Born	1330
Died	1398 (aged 67–68) Neaufles-Saint-Martin, Normandy, France
Burial	Basilica of St Denis Saint-Denis, France
Spouse	Philip VI of France
Issue	Joan of France
House	Évreux
Father	Philip III of Navarre
Mother	Joan II of Navarre
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Blanche of Navarre (French: Blanche d'Évreux; 1330 – 5 October 1398) was Queen of France as the wife of King Philip VI.^[1] She was the second child and daughter of Queen Joan II of Navarre and King Philip III of Navarre.^[2] She belonged to the House of Évreux, a cadet branch of the House of Capet, and married into the House of Valois, another cadet branch of the House of Capet.

Life

At first, the Kings of Navarre wanted to achieve an alliance with Castile by having Blanche marry Peter, eldest son and heir of King Alfonso XI. However, Blanche was eventually betrothed to Prince John of France. As the most beautiful princess of her time — she was nicknamed the "Beautiful Wisdom" (Belle Sagesse)— Blanche captivated the recently widowed King Philip VI of France, father of her intended husband and almost forty years her senior. Their marriage on 29 January 1349 at Brie-Comte-Robert^[2] alienated his son and many nobles from the king.^[3]

The union was short-lived: King Philip VI died one year later, on 22 August 1350, according to some chroniclers of exhaustion from constantly fulfilling his conjugal duties. Pregnant at that time, Blanche gave birth a daughter, Joan (also named Blanche), in May 1351. After her husband's death, the Dowager Queen retired to Neaufles-Saint-Martin near Gisors in Normandy. Soon after, the now King Peter I of Castile asked her hand in marriage, but she refused the offer, saying: "The Queens of France never remarried" (Les reines de France ne se remarient point). She appeared in the French court on rare occasions, especially during the solemn entry of Isabeau of Bavaria in Paris, which was organized by her. Blanche also played a political role as a mediator between her brother King Charles II of Navarre and France.

In 1371, her only daughter Joan was engaged with John, eldest son and heir of King Peter IV of Aragon; however, she died during the journey to Aragon for her marriage on 16 September 1371 in Béziers.^[4]

Death

Blanche died on 5 October 1398 at Neaufles-Saint-Martin. She is buried next to her daughter in the Basilica of St Denis, the necropolis of the Kings of France, north of Paris.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Blanche of Navarre, Queen of France

16. Louis IX of France (-30)

8. Philip III of France (=24)

17. Margaret of Provence (=31)

4. Louis d'Évreux

18. Henry III, Duke of Brabant

9. Maria of Brabant

19. Alice of Burgundy

2. Philip III of Navarre

20. Robert II of Artois

10. Philip of Artois

21. Amicie de Courtenay

5. Margaret of Artois

22. John II, Duke of Brittany

11. Blanche of Brittany

23. Beatrice of England

1. Blanche of Navarre

24. Philip III of France (=8)

12. Philip IV of France

25. Isabella of Aragon

6. Louis X of France

26. Henry I of Navarre

13. Joan I of Navarre

27. Blanche of Artois

3. Joan II of Navarre

28. Hugh IV, Duke of Burgundy

14. Robert II, Duke of Burgundy

29. Yolande of Dreux

7. Margaret of Burgundy

30. Louis IX of France (=16)

15. Agnes of France

31. Margaret of Provence (=17)

References

↑ Patrick Van Kerrebrouck, Les Capetiens 987-1328, Villeneuve d'Ascq, 2000,184.
1 2 Marguerite Keane, Material Culture and Queenship in 14th-century France: The Testament of Blanche of Navarre (1331-1398), (Brill, 2016), 43-44.
↑ Mortimer, Ian (2008). The Perfect King The Life of Edward III, Father of the English Nation. Vintage. p. 276.
↑ Marguerite Keane, Material Culture and Queenship in 14th-century France: The Testament of Blanche of Navarre (1331-1398), 2-3.

External links

Blanche of Navarre, Queen of France at Find a Grave

French royalty
Blanche of Navarre, Queen of France House of Évreux Cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty Born: 1330 Died: 1398
Preceded by Joan of Burgundy	Queen consort of France 1349–1350	Succeeded by Joanna I of Auvergne

Queens and Empresses of France

Adelaide of Aquitaine Rozala of Italy Bertha of Burgundy Constance of Arles Matilda of Frisia Anne of Kiev Bertha of Holland Bertrade de Montfort Adelaide of Maurienne Eleanor of Aquitaine Constance of Castile Adèle of Champagne Isabella of Hainault Ingeborg of Denmark Agnes of Merania Blanche of Castile Margaret of Provence Isabella of Aragon Maria of Brabant Joan I of Navarre Margaret of Burgundy Clementia of Hungary Joan II of Burgundy Blanche of Burgundy Marie of Luxembourg Jeanne d'Évreux Joan the Lame Blanche of Navarre Joan I of Auvergne Joanna of Bourbon Isabeau of Bavaria Marie of Anjou Charlotte of Savoy Anne of Brittany Joan of France Mary Tudor Claude of France Eleanor of Austria Catherine de' Medici Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots Elisabeth of Austria Louise of Lorraine Margaret of Valois Marie de' Medici Anne of Austria Maria Theresa of Spain Marie Leszczyńska Marie Antoinette of Austria Marie Joséphine of Savoy* Joséphine de Beauharnais Marie Louise of Austria Marie Thérèse of France* Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily Eugénie de Montijo

*disputed

Authority control	WorldCat Identities VIAF: 8181236 LCCN: n2011047119 GND: 118663720 BNF: cb16259818t (data)

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