OTD 6 July 1387 Blanche I of Navarre

On  6 July 1387, Blanche (also called Blanca) I of Navarre was born in Pamplona,
then the capital of the Kingdom of Navarre.

The Kingdom of Navarre was a basque-based kingdom located on the western
side of the Pyrenees alongside the Atlantic Ocean between France and Spain.

Family

Blanche I of Navarre was the second eldest daughter of King Charles III of Navarra
and infanta Eleanor of Castile.

Blanche became heir to the throne of Navarre, when her elder sister, Joan died in
1413.

Blanche and her family were members from the house of Évreux.
This noble family came originally from France and they were a cadet branch 
of the Capetan dynasty. 

They florished in the 14th and 15th century and ended by the death of 
Blanche I of Navarre. 

coat of Arms of the Counts of Évreux

Love and Marriage 1


Blanche I of Navarre married Martin the Younger, King of Sicily and
Prince of Aragon on 21 May 1402 by proxy in Catania. Blanche
traveled to meet Martin and they were married in person on
26 December 1402. The bride was then around 15 years old and the
groom 28. Martin died on 25 July 1409. The couple had one son
who lived from 1406 till 1407.


Duty

From October 1404 till August 1405, Blanche served as regent of
Sicily during the absence of her spouse in Aragon.

From August 1408 till July 1409, Blanche served as regent of
Sicily again when her husband was in Sardinia.

After the death of her husband, her father-in-law became king of Sicily.
He allowed Blanche to continue as regent of Sicily. She was a popular
regent there as she was seen as a symbol of Sicilian independence against
Aragon. However when Sicily was annexed to Aragon in November 1415,
Blanche lost her regency power. She traveled back to Navarre.

On 28 October 1415 Blanche returned to Navarre where she was sworn in
as heir to the throne in Olite and she was given allegiance by the lords.

Love and Marriage 2

On 6 November 1419, Blanche of Navarre married her second husband,
John duke of Peñafiel. The couple would have 4 children.

Duty 2

King Charles III of Navarre died on 8 September 1425 and Blanche
succeeded him as Queen regnant of Navarre. John became King of
Navarre in her right. He ruled as John II and the couple were
crowned together in Pamplona on 15 May 1429.

Pamplona in the 1860's

Death

Blanche I of Navarre died in Santa Maria la Real de Nieva on 1 April 1441.
After her death, John kept the government of Navarre in his own hands.

Blanche was buried in Nuestra Señora de la Soterraña in the place she died.

Source pictures: Wikipedia