Constance of Castile

For other people named Constance of Castile, see Constance of Castile (disambiguation).

Constance of Castile
Queen consort of France
Tenure	1154–1160
Spouse	Louis VII of France
Issue
Margaret, Queen of Hungary Alys, Countess of the Vexin
House	House of Capet
Father	Alfonso VII of León and Castile
Mother	Berenguela of Barcelona
Born	1141
Died	4 October 1160 (aged 18–19)

Constance of Castile (1141 – 4 October 1160) was the second wife of Louis VII, King of France, following his divorce from Eleanor of Aquitaine. She was a daughter of Alphonse VII, King of Galicia, León and Castile, and Berenguela of Barcelona. Her maternal grandparents were Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona and his third wife Douce I, Countess of Provence.

The official reason for her husband's divorce from Eleanor of Aquitaine had been that he was too close a relative of Eleanor for the marriage to be legal by Church standards; however, he was even more closely related to Constance.

Constance died giving birth to her second child. Desperate for a son, her husband remarried a mere five weeks after her death.

Constance was buried in the Basilica of Saint-Denis, France.

Children

Constance bore her husband two children:

1. Margaret of France, 1158–1197, who married first Henry the Young King of England, and then Béla III of Hungary, leaving no living children.
2. Alys of France, 1160–1220, who was betrothed (but never married) to Richard I of England, and later married to William IV of Ponthieu.

References

• Meade, Marion, Eleanor of Aquitaine

Constance of Castile, wife of Louis VII of France, Basilique Saint-Denis.

French royalty
Preceded by Eleanor of Aquitaine	Queen of France 1154–1160	Succeeded by Adele of Champagne