House of Blois

August 22, 2023

House of Blois

Background: This lineage came from Theobald the Elder, viscount of Tours before 908. Theobald became viscount of Blois before 922. Afterwards the House of Blois accumulated the counties of Blois, Chartres, Châteaudun, Troyes, Meaux — as successors of Herbertians — etc., then the county of Champagne, and finally the kingdom of Navarre. When Louis VII of France was greatly threatened by the vast collection of territories in the person of Henry II of England, he chose a wife from the House of Champagne (Adela of Champagne) as a counterpoise to Angevin power. The senior line of the House of Blois became extinct with the death of Joan I of Navarre, wife of Philip IV of France, in 1305. Champagne and Navarre passed to the Capetian dynasty.

King Stephen I of England, 1135–1154, was both a member of the House of Blois and the last Anglo-Norman King, being the grandson of William the Conqueror through his daughter Adela of Normandy. A branch of the family was established in Sancerre by Stephen I of Sancerre, a younger son of Theobald II, Count of Champagne. This branch became extinct at the death of Margaret of Sancerre in 1418 or 1419. The lineage derived from the Frankish nobility, had most principal members named Theobald (Thibaud, Thibault, Thibaut in French).

Ruler	Born	Reign	Death	Ruling part	Consort	Notes
Theobald I the Trickster	913	928-975	975	Blois	Luitgarde of Vermandois four children	Founder of the Blois ruling dynasty. Until 1041, the counts of Blois were also the Counts of Tours.
Odo I	950	975-996	12 March 996	Blois	Bertha of Burgundy 983 six children
Theobald II	c.985	996-1004	11 July 1004	Blois	Unmarried	Left no heirs, he was succeeded by his brother Odo.
Odo II/I	983	1004-1037	15 November 1037	Blois	Maud of Normandy 1003/4 no children Ermengarde of Auvergne c.1005 three/four children	Seized Champagne for himself, without royal approval, but kept these territories.
Odo II/I	983	1022-1037	15 November 1037	Troyes & Meaux (Champagne)
Stephen II	?	1037-1047	1047	Troyes & Meaux (Champagne)	Adele one child
Odo II	1040	1047-1066	1115	Champagne	Adelaide of Normandy c.1060 one child
Odo II	1040	1069-1115	1115	Aumale	Adelaide of Normandy c.1060 one child
Theobald III	1012	1037-1089	1089	Blois	Gersende of Maine one child Adele of Valois four children
Theobald III	1012	1066-1089	1089	Champagne	Gersende of Maine one child Adele of Valois four children
Odo III	1062	1089-1093	1093	Champagne	Unmarried	Left no children, and he was succeeded by his brother Hugh.
Stephen Henry	c.1045	1089-1102	19 May 1102	Blois	Adela of Normandy c.1080 Chartres eleven children
Hugh	1074	1093-1125	1125	Champagne	Constance of France 1094 one child Isabelle of Burgundy 1110 one child?	In 1125, after his death, his domains joined Blois.
Theobald IV/II the Great	1090	1102-1152	10 January 1152	Blois	Matilda of Carinthia 1123 ten children	He was also Count of Champagne from 1125.
Theobald IV/II the Great	1090	1125-1152	10 January 1152	Champagne	Matilda of Carinthia 1123 ten children	He was also Count of Champagne from 1125.
Stephen	c.1070	1115-1127	1127	Aumale	Hawise de Mortimer c.1100 four children	His father-in-law supported him in his claimancy for the throne of England.
William the Fat	?	1127-1179	20 August 1179	Aumale	Cicely FitzDuncan, Lady of Skipton c.1130 eleven children	He was also made Earl of York. Left his domains in Aumale to his only daughter, Hawise.
Henry I the Liberal	December 1127	1152-1181	16 March 1181	Champagne	Marie of France 1159 four children	First son of Theobald II/IV, inherited Champagne.
Theobald V the Good	1130	1152-1191	20 January 1191	Blois	Sybil of Chateaurenault no children Alix of France 1164 seven children	Second son of Theobald II/IV, inherited Blois.
Hawise	?	1179-1194	11 March 1214	Aumale	William de Mandeville, 3rd Earl of Essex c.1180 no children William de Forz c.1190 one child Baldwin of Bethune 1196 one child	Ruled together with her husbands. In 1194, Philip II of France took Aumale to royal domain.
Aumale was annexed to the Kingdom of France
Henry II	29 July 1166	1181-1190	10 September 1197	Champagne	Isabella I of Jerusalem 6 May 1192 two children	Left Champagne in Crusade and established there as king consort of Jerusalem. Left the regency to his mother.
Marie of France (regent)	1145	1190-1197	11 March 1198	Champagne	Henry I, Count of Champagne 1159 four children	Established the patched lands of Champagne as an unified territory. With the death of Henry II in Jerusalem, she passed the county to her youngest son, Theobald.
Louis I	1172	1191-1205	14 April 1205	Blois	Catherine, Countess of Clermont-en-Beauvaisis 1184 three children
Theobald III	13 May 1179	1197-1201	24 May 1201	Champagne	Blanche of Navarre 1 July 1199 Chartres one child
Blanche of Navarre (regent)	1177	1201-1222	13 March 1229	Champagne	Theobald III, Count of Champagne 1 July 1199 Chartres one child	Regent for her son. Protected him in the War of the Succession of Champagne, and also through her, he would inherit the Kingdom of Navarre.
Theobald IV/I the Troubadour	30 May 1201	1222-1234 1234-1253	8 July 1253	Champagne Champagne & Navarre	Gertrude of Dagsburg 1220 (annulled 1222) no children Agnes of Beaujeu 1222 one child Margaret of Bourbon 12 September 1232 six children	Posthumous son of Theobald III, inherited Navarre from his uncle in 1234.
Theobald VI	1190	1205-1218	16/22 April 1218	Blois	Mathilde of Alençon c.1210 no children Clemence de Roches no children	Left no heirs. He left the county to his paternal aunt, Margaret. He also left a small county around Chartres to another of his aunts, Isabelle.
Margaret	1170	1218-1230	12 July 1230	Blois	Hugh of Oisy no children Otto I, Count of Burgundy 1192 two children Walter II of Avesnes two children	Left the county to his daughter from Walter of Avesnes, Marie.
Margaret of Bourbon (regent)	1217	1253-1256	12 April 1256	Champagne	Theobald I of Navarre 12 September 1232 six children	Regent for her son.
Theobald V/II	1238	1256-1270	4 December 1270	Champagne & Navarre	Isabella of France 6 April 1255 no children	Left no children. He was succeeded by his brother.
Henry III/I	1244	1270-1274	22 July 1274	Champagne & Navarre	Blanche of Artois February 1269 Melun two children
Blanche of Artois (regent)	1248	1274-1284	2 May 1302	Champagne & Navarre	Henry I of Navarre February 1269 Melun two children Edmund Crouchback 3 February 1276 Paris three children	Regent for her daughter, Joan.
Joan I	14 January 1273	1284-1305	31 March/2 April 1305	Champagne & Navarre	Philip IV of France 16 August 1284 seven children