Blanche of Anjou

Blanche of Anjou
Queen consort of Aragon
Tenure	1295–1310
Coronation	1296 (Zaragoza)
Spouse	James II of Aragon
Among Others Issue
Alfonso IV of Aragon Maria of Aragon Isabella, Queen of Germany James, Crown Prince of Aragon Constance, Duchess of Penafiel Peter, Count of Prades Violante, Lady of Segorbe
House	Capetian House of Anjou
Father	Charles II of Naples
Mother	Maria of Hungary
Born	1280
Died	14 October 1310 Barcelona
Burial	Santa Croce

Blanche of Anjou (1280 – 14 October 1310 in Barcelona) was the second Queen consort of James II of Aragon. She was a member of the Capetian House of Anjou, she is also known as Blanche of Naples

Family

Blanche was the second daughter of Charles II of Naples and Maria of Hungary. Blanche had thirteen siblings they included: Charles Martel of Anjou, Louis of Toulouse, Philip I, Prince of Taranto, Eleanor, Queen of Sicily and Margaret, Countess of Anjou and Maine.

Blanche's paternal grandparents were Charles I of Sicily and Beatrice of Provence, daughter of Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence and Beatrice of Savoy. Her maternal grandparents were Stephen V of Hungary and his wife, Elisabeth, who was daughter of Zayhan of Kuni, a chief of the Cuman tribe and had been a pagan before her marriage.

Life

Blanche was originally betrothed in 1290 to John I, Marquess of Montferrat. Her father was helping him defend Montferrat. However, the engagement was broken off and John died in 1305.

The new Pope Boniface VIII, elected in 1294 at Naples under the auspices of King Charles, mediated between the latter and James II of Aragon, and the dishonourable Treaty of Anagni was signed: James was to marry Blanche and was promised the investiture by the pope of Sardinia and Corsica, while he was to leave the Angevin a free hand in Sicily and even to assist him if the Sicilians resisted.

On 29 October or 1 November 1295 at Vilabertran, Blanche and James were married. They had ten children:

• James (Jaume) (b. 29 September 1296 – d. Tarragona, July 1334). James renounced his right to the throne in 1319 to become a monk. He refused to consummate his marriage to Eleanor of Castile, who later become the second wife of his brother Alfonso.

• Alfonso IV of Aragon (1299 – 24 January 1336). He became the King of Aragon in 1327 and ruled until his death. He married twice: first to Teresa d'Entença and then to Eleanor of Castile after his first wife died.

• Maria (b. 1299 – d. as a nun in Sijena, 1316). She married Infante Peter of Castile, son of Sancho IV of Castile.

• Constance (Constança) (b. Valencia, 1 April 1300 – d. Castillo de Garcia Munoz, 19 September 1327). Constance married Juan Manuel, Prince of Villena, nephew of Alfonso X of Castile.

• John (Juan) (b. 1304 – d. Pobo, Zaragoza, 19 August 1334). John became the first Archbishop of Toledo and Tarragona in 1318, and Patriarch of Alexandria in 1328.

• Isabella (b. 1305 – d. Styria, 12 July 1330), she married Frederick I of Austria.

• Peter (Pere) (b. 1305 – d. Pisa, 4 November 1381), Count of Ribagorça and Prades. Peter married Jeanne, daughter of Gaston I of Foix, father of Eleanor, Queen of Cyprus.

• Blanca (b. 1307 – d. Barcelona, 1348), Prioress of Sixena.

• Ramon Berenguer (b. August 1308 – d. a priest at Barcelona, 1366), Count of Empúries and Baron of Ejerica.. Ramon married firstly Blanca, daughter of Philip I of Taranto, and secondly Maria, daughter of Jaime of Aragon.

• Violante (b. Barcelona, October 1310 – d. Pedrola, 19 July 1353). She first married Philip, Despot of Romania, son of Philip I of Taranto. Her second marriage was to Lope de Luna, Lord of Segorbe.

Blanche died on the 14 October 1310, her death was probably linked to the birth of her daughter Violante, who was born in October 1310. Blanche was buried at Santes Creus.

Ancestry

Blanche of Anjou Capetian House of Anjou Cadet branch of the House of Capet Born: circa 1280 Died: 14 October 1310
Royal titles
Preceded by Isabella of Castile	Queen consort of Sicily 1295–1296	Succeeded by Eleanor of Anjou
	Queen consort of Aragon 1295–1310	Succeeded by Maria of Lusignan
	Countess consort of Barcelona, Girona, Osona and Besalú 1295–1310
	Queen consort of Valencia 1295–1310
New Creation	Queen consort of Sardinia and Corsica 1297–1310

Sources

• Crónica de San Juan de la Peña