1226–1234: Blanche of Castile's Regency

In 1226, Louis IX is a child. The immediate question is not “who is king?” but “how to govern?”. The regency of Blanche of Castile is a test of resilience for the kingdom built by Philip Augustus and Louis VIII.

---

🕯️ Securing the Succession

Before his death, Louis VIII sought to lock down the transfer of power: barons and prelates were made to promise homage and the rapid coronation of his son. The regency thus opened with a simple idea: avoid the power vacuum that, in a feudal world, invites ambition.

The coronation of the young Louis IX was organised very quickly. This haste was not a mistake — it was a strategy, ensuring the king was recognised as “fully” king before princes could attempt to seize control.

---

🧩 Ruling Without an Adult King: “Guardianship and Tutelage”

A regency must accomplish the essentials:

• have royal authority recognised;
• contain princely ambitions;
• ensure revenues and justice;
• protect dynastic succession.

The delicate point was legal and political: no clear rule stated who governed when the king was too young. The solution nevertheless imposed itself: the guardianship passed to Blanche of Castile and was legitimised by an act in which prelates affirmed that Louis VIII had placed “the kingdom and his children” under the queen’s bail until Louis came of age.

---

⚔️ Baronial Revolts: Concessions and the Royal Host

The regency then had to withstand the barons. The opponents contested not so much the king as the queen’s hold on power and that of her entourage. The government alternated between:

• concessions (rents, castles, releases, truces);
• alliances through marriages;
• and military campaigns when coalitions hardened.

The notable fact is that, despite the minority, royal power did not collapse: it negotiated, mobilised, and ultimately imposed peace.

---

👥 Councillors: End of a Generation, Recomposition around Sens

In the early years, Blanche relied on experienced councillors inherited from previous reigns. But they gradually disappeared: some died, others withdrew. The support of close prelates (notably around the archbishopric of Sens) became central to the political management of the regency.

---

🧠 Key Points to Remember

• The regency combines law, money, alliances, and force.
• It proves that Capetian royalty can hold against the great lords, even during a minority.