Blanche of Brittany

Blanche of Brittany
Portrait of Blanche of Britanny
Born	1271
Died	1327 (aged 55–56)
Noble family	Dreux
Spouse	Philip of Artois
Issue	Margaret, Countess of Évreux Robert III of Artois Isabella of Artois Joan, Countess of Foix Othon of Artois Marie, Margravine of Namur Catherine of Artois
Father	John II, Duke of Brittany
Mother	Beatrice of England

Blanche of Brittany (1271–1327) was a daughter of John II, Duke of Brittany, and his wife Beatrice of England. She is also known as Blanche de Dreux. Through her mother she was the granddaughter of King Henry III of England and Eleanor of Provence.

Marriage and issue

Blanche was married in Paris sometime after November 1281 to Philip of Artois, who was the son of Robert II of Artois and Amice de Courtenay. The couple had seven children, they were:

• Margaret of Artois (1285–1311), married in 1301 Louis, Count of Évreux
• Robert III of Artois (1287–1342), married in 1318 Joan of Valois
• Isabella (1288–1344), a nun at Poissy
• Joan of Artois (1289 – aft. 1350), married in 1301 in Senlis, Gaston I, Count of Foix
• Othon of Artois (died 2 November 1291)
• Marie of Artois (1291 – 22 January 1365, Wijnendaele), Lady of Merode, married in 1309 in Paris John I, Marquis of Namur. She was the mother of Blanche of Namur.
• Catherine of Artois (1296–1368, Normandy), married John II of Ponthieu, Count of Aumale and had issue, a daughter Joan of Ponthieu

Blanche's husband served under his father at the Battle of Furnes, where he was wounded. He never recovered, and died of the effects over a year later. His premature death led to a legal battle later, when Artois was left to his sister Mahaut of Artois rather than his son Robert. Robert was never the proper Count of Artois, on Mahaut's death Artois passed to her daughter, Joan II, Countess of Burgundy.

Blanche's daughter Margaret was the mother of Philip III of Navarre who was married to Joan II of Navarre. Her sister, Marie was married to Guy IV, Count of Saint-Pol.

Blanche died on 19 March 1327 at the Chateau de Bois-de-Vincennes, and was buried in the now-demolished church of the Couvent des Jacobins in Paris.

Ancestry

• Ancestors of Blanche of Brittany
• 8. Peter I, Duke of Brittany
• 4. John I, Duke of Brittany
• 9. Alix of Thouars
• 2. John II, Duke of Brittany
• 10. Theobald I of Navarre
• 5. Blanche of Navarre
• 11. Agnes of Beaujeu
• 1. Blanche of Brittany
• 12. John of England
• 6. Henry III of England
• 13. Isabella of Angoulême
• 3. Beatrice of England
• 14. Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence
• 7. Eleanor of Provence
• 15. Beatrice of Savoy

See also

• List of rulers of Brittany
• Artois

Bibliography

• Crane, Mark; Raiswell, Richard; Reeves, Margaret, eds. (2004). Shell Games: Studies in Scams, Frauds, and Deceits (1300-1650). Centre for Reformation and Renaissance Studies.
• Morvan, Frederic (2009). La Chevalerie bretonne et la formation de l'armee ducale, 1260-1341 (in French). Presses Universitaires de Rennes.