Blanche, Queen of Bohemia and Hungary

## Blanche of France

Queen of Hungary, Bohemia, and Croatia

Maria of Hungary

Andrew II of Bohemia and Hungary

**Blanche of France** (C. December 1126 - 1169) or known as **Joanna of the Franks** was the only wife of Ladislaus II of Hungary. By marriage she was Queen Consort of Hungary, Bohemia, and Croatia, her husband was one of the most powerful men in europe for controlling most of the balkans making Blanche also Queen Consort of Bulgaria, Slovenia, Serbia, Slovakia, Czechia, Albania and Macedonia, and she was also Grand Duchess Consort of Bosnia. Blanche being the daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine, she had a claim on her mothers rich Duchy, she also was also very beautiful and graceful. The King of Hungary, Ladislaus of Hungary took Blanche as a wife and married her on December 28, 1139, and a few days after she was crowned Queen of Hungary. Blanche was also a well known crusader, she crusaded alongside her siblings and children. When she died in 1169, her husband was so devastated he never remarried though he was offered Margaret of Sweden. Blanche's legacy was of that of a cruel reckless woman to her enemies, but a caring woman and a good natured woman to her family.

## Early Life

### Childhood

Blanche was born in December in 1126, her exact birth date in unknown due to no birth records. Blanche was the third child of Louis VII of the Franks and Eleanor of Aquitaine, who was duchess of Aquitaine in her own right. Blanche had 2 other siblings, Alix, and Louis. Eleanor and Blanche's father had a very difficult relationship, Louis VIII was an abusive father who cared about himself. Blanche's younger sister Marie was born a year after Blanche. Blanche was taught math and history, at a young age of 4 her father died of sickness. Blanche's mother did not cry. Blanche's 6 year old brother Louis became king.

### Life in England

After her father's death, her mother remarried an English king named Henry II, Henry loved Blanche like a daughter and ensured she had good education. Henry II wanted the best for Blanche, while her parents were on crusade, her governess Margaret of Lancaster taught her how to crusade, despite the fact Blanche was still 8. Blanche was very close to her sisters Isabella and Constance and the 3 shared a governess. Blanche mastered the English language, and got 600 pounds a year from her step-father. After her parents came back, Blanche and her sister Alix were trained in crusading. Alix now 12 years old wen't crusading with Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II, while 10 year old Blanche practiced writing.

### Becoming a Crusader

Blanche's older brother Louis who was now 12 started crusading in Turkey, Blanche never liked violence and war like crusading and reconquering the Holy land's from the Ottoman Empire, but when she was almost 12, her step-father started training her. By the time Blanche was 12, she was already on the battle field in Syria. Blanche wen't with her step-father Henry II. She then started getting used to the savage life of a crusader. Her younger sister Marie joined in on crusading a year after. After the 3rd Crusade, they wen't back to England.

## Marriage

Blanche was a popular bride, she was offered to the King of Sweden, but Blanche disliked him and hated his home lands, Blanche met Ladislaus II of Hungary, who was also known as "Ladislaus the Great". Blanche and Ladislaus shared witt, and they also shared the same back-stories of abusive/Mentally ill fathers, he was 17/18, and she was 13. Ladislaus was also King of Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Bohemia, Slovakia, Albania, Czechia, Macedonia, and most of what is now Bulgaria, he was also Grand Duke of Bosnia. Blanche and Ladislaus were a celebrated couple. There was one thing Ladislaus and Blanche had in common, they were both crusaders. Ladislaus participated in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd crusade, and he never had been imprisoned by the Ottomans.

## 4th Crusade

Not long after Blanche's coronation, the Pope announced the 4th crusade. Blanche who was pregnant wen't in the crusade with a lot of armor to protect her baby. Ladislaus reccomended his wife go to Venice because it is not as dangerous as the rest of the crusader states, Blanche met her 14 year old half-brother Henry the Young King, in Venice. Henry was terrified when he saw Blanche pregnant in a crusade, and put her own a boat back to Bohemia. Blanche was happy to save her child from a war. 6 weeks into the crusade, a son named Géza was born. The birth was celebrated with 28 cannon shots, and a fountain filled with beer.

## Fight over northern Bulgaria

Ladislaus was already a wealthy and popular king, but he wanted more, Blanche helped her husband invade some of western Bulgaria, but Ladislaus wanted all of it, he asked the Pope if he was allowed to invade Bulgaria without having to go crusading. The Pope agreed and Ladislaus took over most of Northern Bulgaria, the Ottoman's were furious. They threatened to invade every christian kingdom. But the Pope already was planning to call another crusade, Blanche was already raising her 7 year old daughter named Judith, and 10 year old son, she did not need to go on another bloody and savage crusade, Blanche wen't with her husband to Turkey to stop the Ottoman's from going to Bulgaria, the Ottoman's reinvaded some land in northern Bulgaria before being brutally slaughtered by Ladislaus. Blanche took her daughter Judith to Hungary and placed the Hungarian Arch-Bishop in charge of Judith, Géza was placed in a school in Croatia to learn sword fighting.

### 5th Crusade

Eleanor of Aquitaine arrived in Hungary to send an army to protect Judith. Blanche told her mother Judith was protected, but Eleanor was a very concerned mother all the time. Blanche arrived in Jaffa with her husband and crusaded against the Ottomans, after she slaughtered the Ottomans there, she sent an army to crusade in Bulgaria. Now she needed to go to Antioch to save her brother's lands, so Blanche sen't 3819 troops to Antioch. After the lust and blood of the 5th Crusade, Blanche prayed and hoped for no more crusades, but she was wrong, very wrong.

## Feud with Joan I of Navarre

Blanche had always despised her sister-in-law whom her brother Louis married, her name was Joan I, who as Queen of Navarre in her own right. Blanche saw Joan as a vain show-off undeserving of the title "Queen Consort of France." Joan I, saw Blanche an arragont woman, who only cared about herself (Even though it was not true.) Blanche once pulled Joan's hair and smacked her on the face, Joan in response, pushed Blanche down the stairs while she was drinking tea. Blanche and Joan eventually calmed down and finally became some-what of good friends.

## 6th Crusade

After Blanche came back to Bohemia after celebrating her daughter Judith's birthday in Hungary, she got a letter from her sister Constance of England, she told Blanche that the 6th Crusade was being announced in 1 month. Blanche's husband gathered there armies and Blanche's son Géza was now at the age to start crusading, Géza and his wife Irena of Sulzbach were set on horses alone to Romania, Irena was terrified, Géza wanted to be loved by the people, but he did not think this was the right way to go. Blanche again wen't with her husband, to Hungary, Judith was brought to Búda which was the capital of Hungary, Blanche kicked out invaders, and wen't to Greece to help her younger sister Agnes of France. Meanwhile Géza was victorious in the battle of Battle Of Drent, Géza won the battle and stole some land in northern Turkey for himself. The place he conquered was called Drent, but he renamed it to Irena Maria, after his wife Irena.

## Daughter becomes a Crusader

When Blanche's daughter Judith turned 12, she was now an official crusader. Judith was sen't to her 14 year old brother to began training. Judith was very ruthless when crossed, she had the temper and courage of a crusader. Judith wore a golden suit of armor, with a dress, with metal boots. That year Judith was bethrothed to the King of Poland. Judith then was waiting to become a crusader in her fathers army.

## 7th Crusade

Blanche was well aware the next crusades was coming, Blanche wen't back to Hungary with Ladislaus, Géza, Irena, and Judith, the Ottoman's dream was to take over Hungary, but Blanche kicked them out, the Ottoman's were pushed back to Turkey. Blanche then made a plan, Blanche would go with the Count of Maine to Jerusalem, and her husband would go with Irena and Géza. And sense Judith was fierce, and reckless at just 15, she was led to send an army by herself to Croatia. Blanche knew the Count of Maine very well, the 2 shared military ideas all the time. That year Blanche's daughter Maria turned 12, Blanche personally did not think Maria was strong enough to crusade like Judith, much to Maria's disapointment. To make up for it, while Blanche was suppose to be in Turkey, she and the Count of Maine decided to marry Maria to the king of Denmark. Maria became a wife and was the only child of Blanche and Ladislaus to not go crusading. When Maine and Blanche reached Turkey they were greeted with an rude suprise, a general stabbed the Count of Maine and ran off, Maine died leaving his 13 year old son who has never been crusading to become Simon II, Count of Maine, Blanche was granted the regent of Maine after she adopted Simon of Maine. Blanche taught Simon how to crusade, Simon became very interested in this topic and read books on past crusades, when he was ready he and Blanche set sail for Romania, Simon nearly fell of a bridge, before being grabbed by Blanche who scolded him, even though they were in battle. After the crusade, Blanche's mother Eleanor of Aquitaine died of fever, this was the worst year for Blanche, she had to say fairwell to her daughter also because she was marrying the King of Poland. She married Simon of Maine to Blanche's half-niece, Joanna of Naples.

## Death

Blanche participated in all the crusades leading to the 11th one, she eventually got to tired of war and retired to Albania, when the 13th crusade was about to happen, she fell so ill, she died the next morning, her husband was devastated and never remarried. Blanche was burried in Hungary in Búda. Her husband died 1 year later.