Book Review: Blanche of Castile
Hello 2026! We’re back with a new book review, and I’m no longer sick - thank god. What a terrible way to end last year, it meant that reading got put aside as I tried to get better. But onto the book, now this one is going to be a little bit special, why? I guess you could call it nepotism or bias because this book was written by my aunt, Dr Lindy Grant - highly respected Medievalist, professor emeritus at The Courtauld, fellow of the Royal Society of Antiquities and was the president of the British Archaeological Association, to name but a few of her accomplishments, of which there are many.
Blanche of Castile was quite a woman in a time when women were seen to be just a smidge above the devil in society. Mysogeny was rife, and if you were a woman in power, you had to deal with many men not taking you seriously. Blanche, however, had quite the family background; she was the granddaughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine and niece to Richard Lion Heart, both of whom had a hand in her marriage to the future Louis VII when she was only twelve years old. She had served as Queen Regent twice, the first time during her son's minority and the second when her son decided to take up the cross and go on crusade around 1248. She was a keen negotiator and rather adept at diplomacy and politics, a skill that came in handy during her regency. Naturally, when she died, everything fell apart.
A lot of the research into her life has relied upon accounts from those around her, of which there are far too few, the life of her husband, her children, particularly Isabella and Louis IX, both of whom were canonised into sainthood, and surviving household accounts. Expenditure can tell you a lot about the dynamics in the Royal Household. She frequently donated money to the church, the Cistercians being her favopurite and gave alms to the poor. It got to a point where her husband Louis, had to curb her alms spending as she was doing too much. Blanche also loved entertainment and culture. When she arrived in France, Philip Augustus hated minstrels and the troubadors and never had them at court. By the time Blanche had become Queen and birthed several children, the court was flourishing and was the intellectual centre of Europe.
What I do know about researching the life of a medieval queen is that it can take years, and I was witness to that. Books take a while, especially biographies of women who are generally overlooked or who are only known for the achievements of their husbands and children and not for their own. My aunt provided a very handy family tree as there are quite a lot of players in Capetian court circles, and it was usefult of keep track of all the chess pieces. Blanche may have started out as a pawn in the grand game of European diplomacy and politics. But, considering that France was thrown into turmoil after her death, is testimony to her own strength and power. I hope my aunt forgives me for taking so long to read her book, but it was very well researched and gives an insight into just how good an academic scholar she is.