The Crusader's Children

The marriage between Berengaria of Navarre and Richard I of England began on a high note. Married in Pamplona in 1191, the couple were set for a glorious future as King and Queen of England, Duke and Duchess of Normandy, Anjou and Aquitaine, along with various other titles. And, as luck would have it, the new Queen became pregnant immediately. This did, however, put a hold on certain plans. Initially, Berengaria was meant to join her husband on his crusade, but her condition meant that instead she would follow with his mother early the next year, bringing their child with her. Thus, she stayed at her father's court, with her mother-in-law as her guest.

Eleanor of Aquitaine spent this time not as her daughter-in-law's friend, but actually traveled after a month in Pamplona to visit her eldest daughter, Marie of France, Dowager Countess and Regent of Champagne. Staying as a guest of her daughter's until October, she returned to Pamplona to find a much more heavily pregnant Berengaria. It would not be until early January, generally agreed upon to be between the 7th and 10th of the month, that Philippa Plantagenet was born. The Princess of England (or Princess of the English as she would pen herself even after her marriage) was a tiny child an easy birth. Thus, the trio of royal woman began a long journey to Cyprus, which Richard had taken during the crusade.

Eventually arriving to her husband, Berengaria present her daughter with much pride. Despite the need for a son, her daughter stood as proof of her fertility, a necessary element of any royal marriage. Evidently himself proud of their daughter, Philippa was to be Richard's favourite child. Despite their shared pride, the Princess moved from the Queen's household to her grandmother's, who would leave Cyprus a mere 3 weeks after arriving to act as Regent for her son in his continental holdings. It seems likely that this swift exit may have been at Berengaria's request, as she would purposefully not stay in areas Eleanor was for a further 5 years.

A second child, a son, followed in 1193, as the couple began a much slower than expected return trip from Jerusalem (where they had moved to at that point), back to Europe. Named Geoffrey, the Prince became his father's heir and his mother's favourite, despite her other children. However, the act of having an infant in his army seems to have turned the King of his heir and the two would never be close. However, the extended period with his mother seems to have done the exact opposite for her. An exciting adventure for the couple at the time was the attempted kidnapping by Leopold V, Duke of Austria. However, despite actually falling victim to the attackers, the Queen managed to talk them out of the situation and thus they arrived to Château de Gisors, where Richard began his defense of Normandy from the King of France.

Berengaria spent much of her time at requesting that Queen Dowager Eleanor of Aquitaine return her daughter to her, which would not occur until May of 1194. With her children at hand, Berengaria began what would be her main mission as a political figure, the peacemaker. She would, in 1195, manage to orchestrate a betrothal between Philippa Plantagenet and Louis Capet, heir to France. Philippa would thus leave Normandy for France and joined her future husband. It was this year that Berengaria found herself pregnant for the final time, giving birth in May of 1196 to twin daughters. Named Isabeau* and Joan Plantagenet, Joan would only live until 1197, before dying of a severe case of the measles.

In his reconquest of Vexin, Richard I of England ultimately met his doom. Managing to take much of the county back, the King of England was wounding in June of 1197, leading to his return to his Queen. Eleanor of Aquitaine was said to have demanded to been in his rooms as his wound festered before his death, but ultimately the Regency of Geoffrey I of England, Duke of Normandy and Anjou was left in the hands of Berengaria, who invited her mother-in-law to finally join her as she began to take control of her son's destiny.

The regency would last until 1211, when at age 18 Geoffrey I of England would take control of his court and counties. His uncle, John of England, and his nephew, Arthur of Brittany, had both attempted throughout the years to claim his throne and his sister had even been, in 1206, the figurehead of an invasion claiming he was a bastard and thus she was the rightful Queen of England and Duchess of Normandy and Aquitaine (although not Anjou, which had been granted to the French as dowry for Philippa). The death of John in 1201 had been a blow to Eleanor of Aquitaine, losing her final son.

Geoffrey married, at the suggestion of his grandmother prior to her death, Mafalda of Castile in 1206. The marriage seems to have grown into something of a love match and they would have 2 children before the Queen's death in 1211 due to an unspecified illness**. However, his next marriage was the best political decision of his life. In 1212, having had the woman in question under captivity following her brother's defeat in battle in 1206, the widower King Geoffrey married Eleanor of Brittany***, claiming the Duchy of Brittany as her dowry. Beginning what would be a 15 year conquest of Brittany, Geoffrey and Eleanor left England in the hands of his mother, who would raise his children and have the one's born to Eleanor brought to her during the times of war.

*Isabeau is generally referred to by historians as Isabelle, however, it is seen in historical documents her name was most commonly spelled with the "beau" ending syllable rather than "belle". She herself referred to her name as "Isabeau", thus negating much of what should be the argument.

**Mafalda's illness is a point of contention with many historians. Many claim childbed fever after an unrecorded 3rd pregnancy was the cause, however many not that the earlier pregnancies were both highly recorded by her husband and it seems odd that the third would not be. Others have noted her death came during a particularly cold winter and, mixed with her general ill health, this may have led to her death. Some have gone as far as to claim a jealous Berengaria of Navarre may have had her killed, or possibly Geoffrey's second wife. However, many agree that, due to lack of evidence, it was most likely just just illness.

***Eleanor and Geoffrey seem to have made the best of a bad situation. Despite their prior relationship and the fact her new husband was responsible for the death of her brother, the Queen seems to have adapted well and the couple would have 6 pregnancies, of which 3 children survived. She also, after being able to return to the English court, seems to have had a hood relationship with her stepchildren. However, she would be buried in a seperate tome from her husband, who joined his first wife in a tome in Westminster.

Richard I of England (b.1157: d.1197) m. Berengaria of Navarre (c.1170) (a)

1a) Philippa Plantagenet (b.1192: d.1239) m. Louis VIII of France (b.1187: d.1226) (a)

2a) Geoffrey I of England (b.1193) m. Mafalda of Castile (b.1191: d.1211) (a), Eleanor of Brittany (b.1184: d.1241) (b)

1a) Alys Plantagenet (b.1209)

2a) Henry III of England (b.1210)

3b) Matilda Plantagenet (b.1213: d.1222)

4b) Margaret Plantagenet (b.1216: d.1218)

5b) John Plantagenet (b.1218: d.1218)

6b) Edward Plantagenet, Duke of Brittany (b.1221)

7b) Blanche Plantagenet (b.1223)

8b) William Plantagenet, Duke of Aquitaine (b.1227)​

3a) Isabeau Plantagenet (b.1196: d.1267) m. Theobald I of Navarre (b.1201: d.1253) (a)

4a) Joan Plantagenet (b.1196: d.1197)​
 
Philippa Plantagenet, meanwhile, lived a minor life as Queen of France. Married to the heir to the throne on her 12th birthday, the beautiful young girl found herself deeply unhappy with her surroundings. Married to a boy much more mature than her, she faced scandalous rumours that she had had 3 affairs before she was 15 and at age 17, after she had actually begun her period, the delicate girl was said to have had a love child with cousin Arthur of Brittany, before he had gone to war with her brother and died at his hand. Despite these incessant slanderous stories, all the knew the young woman referred to her as sweet, kind and beautiful, although not wise like her mother had been. Her lack of wisdom actually led to a war between France and England, after she signed several documents put forth under the pretext they were simply for her upcoming coronation. However, they were actually agreeing to act as Queen of England over her brother, a decision she found out about 5 years later. It seems the girl's education had been left to the wayside first by her grandmother, then her mother and finally the French Royal family. Despite this issue, the Princess was popular at court and within her married family, particularly the Princess Marie of France, the possibly illegitimate daughter of Philip II of France.

Her first child was born in 1210, at age 19. A son, the boy was named Philip after his grandfather. Philippa seems to have taken the birth badly and was bedridden for 6 months, only returning to her full position in May of 1211, almost 12 months after the birth. By then her husband had taken a mistress, a girl servant named Marie. Marie la Maîtresse, as she is referred to in many textbooks, seems to have been a former maid of Agnes of Merania or the daughter of one such maid, based on Philippa's famous comment "the king doesn't take whores, but he does take their maids..." after being questioned as to if her husband had been unfaithful. However, no such vile came to the 20 year old Princess at that time, instead she seems to have managed to focus on the triumph of her son. Another would follow in 1212, named Louis, less arduous a birth than Philip. With two sons, Philippa found herself with some power, and thus managed to arrange the marriage of her yet unmarried sister to Theobald IV of Champagne, which took place the next year. Greeting the sister she had never actually seen (Isabeau had been born after Philippa had arrived in France), Philippa was stunned to find a young woman much better educated than she. Isabeau had learnt not only to read and write, but had conversed with many writers and philosophers her mother had brought to court. Thus, at her arrival, the future Queen of France was put in a position of being shown up, particularly after the new Countess of Champagne began to buy elaborate costumes that Philippa had, at that point, not bothered with.

Her third child was born in 1215, the same year her younger son died due to drowning. A daughter this time, the Princess of France named her mother and thus became Bérengère of France. The Princess was joined the next year by a brother, named John of France. The birth of these children coincided with her sisters first 3 children, twin daughters in 1215 (Marie and Beatrice of Champage) and a son in 1217 (named Theobald). Much older than her husband, Isabeau Plantagenet seems to have forced the issue of consummation to the point where, after their second son Henry was born in 1220 (after a sister in 1219, named Isabeau), the couple ended their sexual relationship and Theobald would instead begin life with a string of mistresses. This sexual distance may have also come from Isabeau's famous club foot, which she took great pains to hide but all knew about. Supposedly, the sight of it disgusted her husband so much that, when she attempted to renew their sexual relationship later, he ran from their room after seeing it. However, this is most likely fiction. What is most definitely not fiction is that the couple seems to have ended all sexual contact and acted more as business partners than husband and wife. Isabeau even underwent her own affair in 1228, giving birth to a daughter named Alys, whom she referred to as "...mine own orphan..." in letters. The scandal of this led to Theobald briefly abandoning her up until 1230, where they resumed their partnership. Whatever their personal issues, both were devoted to their children and ensured they were educated as well as possible.

In contrast, the marriage between Philippa and Louis grew only more passionate as time went on. Rather than the sweet submissiveness that had defined her at the beginning of their relationship, the Princess seems to have begun taking umbrage with her husband's affairs and may have poisoned a mistress in 1218, although the lady in question was over 45 and thought to be ill. However, whatever issues they had, they continued to produce children, shown by: Alphonse (b.1217), Blanche (b.1218), a stillborn boy possibly named Henry (c.1220), Marie (b.1221), Adela (b.1224) and Charles (b.1226). It was at Adela's birth, almost to the hour, that Philippa would rise to the throne. Aged 32, the Princess of France and self titles Princess of the English became Queen of France with her husband as King of France, following her father-in-law's death. Thus, she was finally where she had been told she was going from childhood.

Facing her sister's jealousy, Philippa kindly offered her many gifts and even proposed a betrothal between her son Alphonse and Isabeau's daughter Beatrice of Champagne. While the betrothal was taken, with the understanding her son would receive a county and title, Isabeau was an obviously jealous and managed to out manouver the potential marriage between Hugh IV, Duke of Burgundy and Philippa's daughter Bérengère by offering, with her husband's consent, a much larger dowry. Thus, in 1226, Marie of Champagne married the Duke of Burgundy. Enraged, Louis VIII of France vowed revenge, only to find himself dead of dysentery soon after. Thus, any war was prevented but the sisters were extremely unhappy with each other.

The Princess Marie of France was placed in a nunnery in 1230, after certain physical deformities became pronounced enough for the Queen Dowager to discard her from the marriage market. However, she still had 5 children to match with other royals. In 1227, shortly after her husband's death, Philippa raised her younger sons to the titles: Count of Artois, Count of Poitou and Auvergne and Count of Anjou. Following her third son's marriage to Beatrice of Champagne in 1231, John of France, Count of Artois married Joan, Countess of Toulouse in 1234. Then came her daughters. While her first choice for her eldest daughter had fallen through, Bérengère of France was a definite prize on the marriage market. Eventually she found a place as the 2nd bride of James I of Aragon in 1230, giving him 3 daughters and a son. The next to marry was the Princess Blanche, who in 1235 married Hugh XI of Lusignan, with whom she had 3 sons. Finally the youngest Princess Adela of France was married Hugh XI of Lusignan, with whom she had 1 surviving son.

Philippa would die in 1241, after seeing her eldest son married to Margaret of Provence, who had given him the first of 7 surviving children with Isabelle of France. She died beloved of her immediate family but still feuding with her sister, who held onto the rivalry with her own funeral arrangments over 2 decades later. Philippa would be buried in Normandy, as she had requested. Away from the family she had created in France, in death she showed her loyalty to the family she had left behind. Her children would all at some point or another reference their mother in positive manners and at least 3 grandchildren were named after her.
 
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