Blanche of England (spring 1392 - May 22, 1409) - daughter of the English king Henry IV and his first wife, Maria de Bogun , wife of Ludwig III, Elector of the Palatinate . She died at the age of seventeen, leaving her only son, Ruprecht, who died at the age of nineteen. The famous relic of the 14th century - the crown of Princess Blanche , which was part of her dowry, is associated with the name of Blanca.
| Blanca English | |
|---|---|
| English Blanche of england | |
| Birth | spring 1392 Peterborough Cathedral , Northamptonshire |
| Death | May 22, 1409 Agno , Alsace |
| Burial place | Neustadt an der Weinstrasse |
| Kind | Lancaster |
| Birth name | Blanche of lancaster |
| Father | Henry IV (king of England) |
| Mother | Maria de Bogun |
| Spouse | Ludwig III (Elector of the Palatinate) |
| Children | Ruprecht (1406-1426) |
Origin
Blanca was born at Peterborough Cathedral in Northamptonshire and was the fifth of six surviving children of the future King Henry IV and his first wife, Maria de Bohun. At the time of Blanca’s birth, her father wore the titles Earl of Derby , Earl of Northampton and Earl of Hereford , and was also the heir to the Duchy of Lancaster . Blanca was named after her paternal grandmother, Blanca of Lancaster , who died at the age of twenty-three.
Blanca's mother died on June 4, 1394 in Petersboro shortly after the birth of her last daughter, Philippa of England . In 1402, Henry re-married, marrying Jeanne of Navarre , widow of the Duke of Brittany, Jean V. This marriage was childless.
Marriage
After ascending the throne in 1399, Henry sought to form alliances with European rulers in order to consolidate his position. At the same time, the German king Ruprecht III , who also came to power after the deposition of his predecessor, was looking for allies. It was decided to marry between the eldest surviving son of Ruprecht, Ludwig , and the eldest daughter of Henry, Blanca.
The marriage agreement was signed on March 7, 1401 in London, the bride's dowry was about 40,000 nobles . The marriage between the twenty-four-year-old Ludwig and the ten-year-old Blanca took place on July 6, 1402 in Cologne Cathedral . Despite the political nature, the marriage was happy. Four years later, on June 22, 1406, Blanca gave birth to a son, who was named Ruprecht, in honor of his grandfather.
In 1409, while pregnant with a second child, Blanca of England died of a fever at the age of seventeen. She was buried in St. Mary's Church in Neustadt an der Weinstrass .
Her only child born died at the age of nineteen, leaving no offspring. Ludwig in 1417 married a second time, to Matilda of Savoy, from whom he had five children, all of whom survived.
Literature
- Walther Holtzmann: Die englische Heirat Pfalzgraf Ludwigs III. , in: Zeitschrift für die Geschichte des Oberrheins No 43 (1930), pp. 1–22.
- Princess Blanca Crown at the Munich Residence