Blanche of Navarre, Countess of Champagne
- For other persons of this name see Blanca of Navarre (disambiguation).
Blanche de Navarre (1170s-1229) was Countess-consort of Champagne, then Regent of Champagne, and finally also regent of her native kingdom of Navarre.
Family
She was the youngest daughter of Sancho VI of Navarre (d. 1194) and Sancha of Castile. Her maternal grandparents were Alfonso VII of Castile and Berenguela of Barcelona. Her eldest brother Sancho VII of Navarre succeeded their father as king of Navarre, and was the last male descendant of the first dynasty of Kings of Navarre, the Pamplona dynasty, dying childless. Her brother Ramiro of Navarre was Bishop of Pamplona, and her elder sister Berengaria of Navarre married Richard I of England and Aquitaine, the northern neighbour of their kingdom.
Life
Blanca married Count Theobald III of Champagne, who died young in 1201, leaving her pregnant. When she gave birth to a son, he immediately became count Theobald IV of Champagne (1201-53). Blanca ruled the county as regent until Theobald turned 21 in 1222. The regency was plagued by a number of difficulties. Blanca's brother-in-law, count Henry II had left behind a great deal of debt, which had not been paid off when Theobald III died.
Furthermore, their son Theobald IV's right to the succession of Champagne was challenged by Henry's daughter Philippa and her husband, Erard I of Brienne, Count of Ramerupt and one of the more powerful Champagne nobles. The conflict with the Briennes broke into open warfare in 1215, in what became known as the Champagne War of Succession, and was not resolved until after Theobald came of age in 1222. At that time Theobald and Blanca bought out their rights for a substantial monetary payment. Blanca had also arranged the dowry of Henry II's elder daughter Alice of Champagne, when she married the young Hugh I of Cyprus. In the 1230s, in order to settle with Alice, Theobald IV had to sell his overlordship over the counties of Blois, Sancerre, and Chateaudun to Louis IX of France.
Blanca also took over administration of the kingdom of Navarre when her brother Sancho VII went into retirement ("El Encerrado"). Blanca died in 1229, her brother in retirement remaining as King of Navarre and her son Theobald continuing as Count of Champagne. Their eldest sister, Berengaria of Navarre, Queen of England, died without issue in 1232, leaving Sancho as the sole surviving child of Sancho VI. When he died in 1234, Blanca's son Theobald IV of Champagne was recognised as the next King of Navarre. Theobald had married twice during Blanca's lifetime, but had not succeeded in producing children by the time of her death. However, he later had children by his third wife.