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)