Blanche of Navarre, Queen of France
Blanche of Navarre (French: Blanche d'Évreux; c. 1331 – 5 October 1398), was a French princess and Infanta of Navarre as a member of the House of Évreux (a cadet branch of the House of Capet) and by marriage Queen of France from 29 January until 22 August 1350.
| Blanche of Navarre | |
|---|---|
Blanche de Navarre and her daughter Joan in prayer in front of Saint Louis. Watercolor from a Stained glass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Évreux. Collection of François Roger de Gaignières, Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, 17th century. | |
| Queen consort of France | |
| Tenure | 29 January 1350 – 22 August 1350 |
| Born | 1331 |
| Died | 1398 (aged 66–67) Neaufles-Saint-Martin, Normandy, France |
| Burial | Basilica of St Denis Saint-Denis, France |
| Spouse |
Philip VI of France
(m. 1350; died 1350) |
| Issue | Joan of France |
| House | Évreux |
| Father | Philip III of Navarre |
| Mother | Joan II of Navarre |
Blanche d'Évreux was intended to become the bride of John, Duke of Normandy, heir of the throne of France — whose first wife had just died of the Black Death— but eventually married his father, King Philip VI of France. Only a few months after their wedding, the French king died prematurely and Blanche found herself a widow.
After giving birth in 1351 to a posthumous daughter, Blanche refused to remarry King Peter of Castile and retired to the large dower lands that were granted by her late husband. Despite her widowhood, she played an essential role in 1354 by attempting to reconcile her brother King Charles II of Navarre with King John II of France. In 1389, she organized the coronation of Isabeau of Bavaria, the wife of King Charles VI of France.