Blanche of Castile

This is a most welcome book. Queen Blanche of Castile (1188–1252) was the indomitable mother of the Saint-King Louis IX of France (r. 1226–70). An active and valued partner to her husband Louis VIII, she twice served as regent of France, and her power and influence over king and kingdom were constant and profound. Despite this remarkable career and her important place in the history of the Capetian dynasty, Blanche has received surprisingly little scholarly attention. This lack has been keenly felt, not least because of the centrality of Louis’ reign to the political and cultural history of later medieval France. Written in clear and engaging prose, Lindy Grant’s book addresses this omission admirably. A substantial Introduction begins by outlining the historiographical stakes for the history of women and power and the growth of bureaucratic, professional government. Here, and throughout the book, Grant argues against the thesis that the rise of ‘administrative kingship’ marginalised women by reducing their opportunities for power through familial and informal avenues. As she astutely observes, the kinds of ‘soft power’ often associated particularly with women were in fact methods used by all elites, regardless of gender. The Introduction also discusses the ample, if fragmentary, sources for the study, including Blanche’s household accounts on which the book draws extensively, outlines the plan of the book and explains how it fits together

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