Alix, Countess of Blois

## Alix of France

Queen of Jerusalem

Fulk I of Jerusalem

(Died 1150)

Margaret I, Countess of Blois

With Fulk I of Jerusalem:

Fulk II of Jerusalem

Marie II, Countess of Ascalon

**Alix of France** (C. 1124 - 1151) was the eldest child of Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Louis VII of France. Eleanor was disliked by her father, but loved dearly by her mother. Alix's father died when Alix was only 6, her mother remarried the King of England who was Henry II. Alix spent most of her early life in Kent, being raised alone by William, 6th Earl of Kent, and his wife Joan of Abercorn. After her mother wen't crusading, Eleanor feared another crusade would happen, Eleanor was right. She wasted no time teaching her young daughter how to crusade, to make an alliance with the County of Blois, Alix was married to Charles I of Blois. When Alix turned 13 in 1138 in the third crusade, Alix left her husband who was suffering from fever, in Bois with there 1 month year old son Charles in Blois, Alix acompanied her parents on a crusade to Jerusalem. Alix came home to London unharmed, in 1142, her husband Charles died leaving Alix a widower with 2 kids. For the next 3 years Alix remained unmarried, until Fulk I became king of Jerusalem. Alix allied herself with Fulk, and married him 3 days later. The pair had 2 children. Alix died or yellow fever in 1151.

## Early Life

### Childhood in France

Alix was born some date in 1124, as the eldest child of Louis VII of France, and Eleanor of Aquitaine. She was a great mistake to her abusive and harsh father who wanted a son, but her mother Eleanor loved Alix dearly. Alix's younger brother Louis of France was born a year after Alix. Alix was known for her personal charm and beauty she inherited from her mother. Her father died when she was only 6 and her sisters wen't to England, because Alix's mother married Henry II of England.

### Life in England

When she moved to England in 1129, she was greeted with the Earl of Kent, and the Countess of Kent. There she was raised with Edmund Woodstock, who was the future Earl of Kent. Alix often visited her sisters who were raised by Margaret of Lancaster, her sisters were, Blanche, Marie, and Agnes. Her half-sisters were, Constance, Isabella, and Eleanor of England. Alix did have 2 other half-brothers Henry the Young, and Prince Richard, but she did not get along with them. She described life in Kent as peaceful, though she had a hard relationship with Prudence of Kent who was the future Baroness of La Grande. When Alix was 10, her mother wen't crusading in Jerusalem, when the crusade was over, she feared more crusades were coming, Eleanor of Aquitaine was right and wasted no time teaching Alix how to crusade, when Alix was 11, she was about to become the age to start crusading.

### 3rd Crusade

Alix was 12, the age was orginally 15, but to many 15 year olds were dying, so they lowered the age. Alix did not go with her parents, she wen't with her guardian the Earl of Kent to the Holy Lands, there they crusaded and killed 50 ottoman warriors. But 60 of Alix's armymen were killed, so Alix lead a brutal siege to Armenia, where 4 of the Sultan's wives were brutally murdered. After the victory, Alix wen't to Jaffa which was the bloodiest crusader state. The count of Jaffa was rightfully Konrad IV, but many ottomans also wanted Jaffa, so they led siege to Jaffa, Alix crushed the siege accidently killing some of her troops and wen't home. There she married the Count of Blois who was 2 years old.

## 4th Crusade

The 4th Crusade was coming soon, even optimists knew that there was no hope. Alix left her sick husband, and 2 children at home while she traveled to Normandy. William of Kent was murdered by an Ottoman spy, so Alix's step-father Henry took Alix to Hungary instead. Henry and Alix were nearly ship-wrecked to Venice, but managed to make it to Hungary where Henry was stabbed in the Arm with a dagger and nearly died, but managed to survive the impossible. Alix was almost set on fire by an Ottoman General, before her father set the General on fire with a torch. This bloody crusade ended in the treaty of Jaffa, but the war did not actually end, it was just when the Sultan and the euro forces stopped killing people, there were still knights and troops and fierce Ottoman warriors still killing each other.

## Dowager Countess of Blois

Alix and her husband were no where near close, Alix only managed to have a son and a daughter with her husband. Eleanor of Aquitaine advised Alix to have a second marriage plan if the Count died. There was many options in the marriage market, when the Count died of Fever caused by the cold, Alix forgot about her mothers advice before, Alix had many powerful enemies and was forced to send her daughter Margaret to Eleanor of Aquitaine. Alix crushed a rebellion but spent much of the countries money, which made her very unpopular, so she appointed a very popular Arch-Bishop in charge of her son, and Alix fled to Brittany were she met her half-sister Constance. Constance told her sister to marry a crusader King of the Holy lands, Alix on the 4th crusade wen't looking for a husband.

## 4th Crusade treaty

Alix's mother took Alix to Jerusalem to find any well known noble/king as Alix's new husband. The Count of Bar had proposed to Alix, but she rejected it, much to Eleanor of Aquitaine's disapointment. Alix met a crusader who was heir to the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the son of King Konrad, his name was Fulk. Fulk was born in Athens, but lived in Jerusalem. Fulk and Alix began getting close and crusading with each other, Fulk married Alix being the first Crusader heir apparent of Jerusalem to marry a French Princess. After that Alix was pregnant with there first child, so Fulk not wanting more crusading ended the crusade with the treaty of Jerusalem, which forced the Ottoman Empire out. King Konrad died of illness related to yellow fever, Alix and Fulk were crowned King and Queen of Jerusalem.

## 5th Crusade

When Alix's son Charles II of Blois turned 12, Alix did not wan't him to ever go crusading, she feared he would die and never be found, so she locked her daughter Margaret and her son Charles in a Palace in Brittany, Charles did go crusading when Alix was forced to let him when he was 15, but Margaret never wen't crusading in her whole life, but Alix expected her children with Fulk to go crusading to carry the wrath of the crusader kings of Jerusalem. Alix did not do as much in the 5th crusade, she watched and governed her husband's kingdom as he set for Antioch. Alix was a fairly popular Queen. When Alix's son finally got the right to crusade, Charles wanted Alix to go with him to Turkey, but Alix wanted to govern her husband's kingdom as it was easier then going on a killing spree. When the 5th Crusade ended, Alix wrote to her mother Eleanor of Aquitaine, that she would like to stop crusading. This outraged her crusader mother who talked sense into Alix. Alix never told Eleanor that again.

## 6th Crusade and death

A year after the 5th Crusade, her husband was stabbed in the chest with a dagger, Alix's son with Fulk, Fulk II succeeded Fulk I. Fulk II was only 10 so Alix became his regent, Alix was also very sick, and to sick to reign, she was in her early 30's which was a common age to die at, at the time. Alix instead made the regency council for Fulk II. Alix sent armies to Athens, but she stayed in her house and did not fight, Alix died in her sleep. She had only fought a real crusade in the 3rd and 4th.