Biography of King Louis VIII of France 1187-1226

Paternal Family Tree: Capet

Maternal Family Tree: Matilda Chateau Du Loir Countess Maine

On 28th April 1180 [his father] King Philip II of France (age 14) and [his mother] Isabelle Flanders Queen Consort France (age 10) were married. She by marriage Queen Consort of France. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Baldwin Flanders V Count Hainault (age 30) and [his grandmother] Margaret Metz Countess Hainault and Flanders. He the son of [his grandfather] Louis VII King Franks (age 60) and [his grandmother] Adèle Blois. They were half third cousins. He a great x 2 grandson of King William "Conqueror" I of England.

On 5th September 1187 King Louis VIII of France was born to [his father] King Philip II of France (age 22) and [his mother] Isabelle Flanders Queen Consort France (age 17). He a great x 3 grandson of King William "Conqueror" I of England.

On 14th March 1190 twin boys Robert Capet and Philip Capet were born to [his father] King Philip II of France (age 24) and [his mother] Isabelle Flanders Queen Consort France (age 19). The eldest Robert died the same day, the youngest Philip died three days later. Their mother Isabelle Flanders Queen Consort France died from childbirth the day after the birth.

On 15th August 1193 [his father] King Philip II of France (age 27) and [his step-mother] Ingeborg Estridsen Queen Consort France (age 19) were married. She by marriage Queen Consort of France. She the daughter of Valdemar "Great" I King of Denmark. He the son of [his grandfather] Louis VII King Franks and [his grandmother] Adèle Blois.

Around November 1193 [his father] King Philip II of France (age 28) and [his step-mother] Ingeborg Estridsen Queen Consort France (age 19) marriage annulled on the spurious grounds of her consanguinity with his first wife [his mother] Isabelle Flanders Queen Consort France. She was kept, more or less, a prisoner for the remainder of her life being held in difference French castles.

Around July 1195 [his father] King Philip II of France (age 29) proposed Eleanor "Fair Maid of Britanny" 4th Countess of Richmond (age 11) marry his son King Louis VIII of France (age 7) as part of peace negotiations with King Richard "Lionheart" I of England (age 37).

On 7th May 1196 [his father] King Philip II of France (age 30) and [his step-mother] Agnes of Merania Queen Consort France were married. She by marriage Queen Consort of France. She the daughter of Berthold Andechs Duke Merania and Agnes Rochlitz. He the son of [his grandfather] Louis VII King Franks and [his grandmother] Adèle Blois.

23rd May 1200 King Louis VIII of France (age 12) and Blanche Ivrea Queen Consort France (age 12) were married. She the daughter of Alfonso VIII King Castile (age 44) and Eleanor Plantagenet Queen Consort Castile (age 38). He the son of King Philip II of France (age 34) and Isabelle Flanders Queen Consort France. They were third cousins. He a great x 3 grandson of King William "Conqueror" I of England. She a granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.

On 24th August 1200 King John of England (age 33) and Isabella of Angoulême Queen Consort England (age 12) were married. She had been engaged to Hugh IX of Lusignan IV Count of La Marche (age 37) who subsequently appealed to [his father] King Philip II of France (age 35), their feudal overlord, who used the position to justify a war against John. The difference in their ages was 21 years. She the daughter of Aymer Angoulême I Count Angoulême (age 40) and Alice Courtenay Countess Angoulême. He the son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen Consort Franks and England (age 78). They were fourth cousin once removed.

In 1206 Alfonso "Fat" II King Portugal (age 20) and [his sister-in-law] Urraca Ivrea Queen Consort Portugal (age 18) were married. She the daughter of [his father-in-law] Alfonso VIII King Castile (age 50) and [his mother-in-law] Eleanor Plantagenet Queen Consort Castile (age 44). He the son of Sancho "Populator" I King Portugal (age 51) and Dulce Barcelona Queen Consort Portugal. They were second cousin once removed. She a granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.

On 9th September 1209 [his son] Philip Capet was born to King Louis VIII of France (age 22) and [his wife] Blanche Ivrea Queen Consort France (age 21). He a great grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. He died aged eight in 1218.

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The Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke. Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson. Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback.

On 26th March 1211 Sancho "Populator" I King Portugal (age 56) died. His son Alfonso (age 25) succeeded II King Portugal. [his sister-in-law] Urraca Ivrea Queen Consort Portugal (age 23) by marriage Queen Consort Portugal.

On 26th January 1213 twins [his son] Alphonse Capet and [his son] John Capet were born to King Louis VIII of France (age 25) and [his wife] Blanche Ivrea Queen Consort France (age 24). Both died the same day. He a great grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.

On 25th April 1214 [his son] King Louis IX of France was born to King Louis VIII of France (age 26) and [his wife] Blanche Ivrea Queen Consort France (age 26). He a great grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. He married 27th May 1234 his half third cousin Margaret Provence Queen Consort France, daughter of Raymond Berenguer Provence IV Count Provence and Beatrice Savoy Countess Provence, and had issue.

On 5th October 1214 [his father-in-law] Alfonso VIII King Castile (age 58) died. He was buried at Abbey of Santa Maria la Real de Huelgas [Map]. His son [his brother-in-law] Henry (age 10) succeeded I King Castile.

In 1215 [his brother-in-law] Henry I King Castile (age 10) and Mafalda Burgundy Queen Consort Castile (age 19) were married. She by marriage Queen Consort Castile. She the daughter of Sancho "Populator" I King Portugal and Dulce Barcelona Queen Consort Portugal. He the son of [his father-in-law] Alfonso VIII King Castile and [his mother-in-law] Eleanor Plantagenet Queen Consort Castile. They were second cousin once removed. He a grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.

In 1216 [his brother-in-law] Henry I King Castile (age 11) and Sancha Ivrea Queen Consort Castile (age 25) were married. She by marriage Queen Consort Castile. She the daughter of Alfonso IX King Leon (age 44) and Theresa of Portugal Queen Consort Leon (age 40). He the son of [his father-in-law] Alfonso VIII King Castile and [his mother-in-law] Eleanor Plantagenet Queen Consort Castile. They were second cousins. He a grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.

In 1216 Orford Castle, Suffolk [Map] was captured by Prince Louis of France (age 28) who had invaded England in 1216 at the invitation of the English barons who were disillusioned with King John (age 49).

On 25th September 1216 [his son] Robert Capet Count of Artois was born to King Louis VIII of France (age 29) and [his wife] Blanche Ivrea Queen Consort France (age 28). He a great grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. He married 14th June 1237 his third cousin Matilda Reginar Countess Saint Pol, daughter of Henry Reginar II Duke Brabant and Marie Swabia Duchess Brabant, and had issue.

On 6th June 1217 [his brother-in-law] Henry I King Castile (age 13) was killed by a tile falling of a roof. He was buried at Abbey of Santa Maria la Real de Huelgas [Map]. His sister [his sister-in-law] Berengaria (age 38) succeeded I Queen Castile.

Battle of Sandwich aka Dover

On 24th August 1217 Hubert de Burgh Count Mortain 1st Earl Kent (age 47) commanded the King's forces at Sandwich, Kent [Map] during the Battle of Sandwich aka Dover. French re-enforcements had left Calais to join with the future Prince Louis's (age 29) forces who were in short supply following the Second Battle of Lincoln. Hubert Burgh's men routed the French ships. The battle marked the end of Prince Louis's invasion with the Treaty of Kingston aka Lambeth being signed shortly afterwards.

On 31st August 1217 [his sister-in-law] Berengaria Ivrea I Queen Castile (age 38) abdicated I King Castile. Her son Ferdinand (age 18) succeeded III King Castile.

Treaty of Kingston aka Lambeth

In September 1217 Treaty of Kingston aka Lambeth was agreed by King Louis VIII of France (age 29) in which he renounced his claim to the English throne, gave an amnesty to English rebels and acknowledged the Channel Islands as being part of the Kingdom of England.

Before July 1218 [his son] Philip Capet (age 8) died.

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The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall describes the reigns of Kings Henry II, Richard I, John and Henry III, providing a wealth of information about their lives and the events of the time. Ralph's work is detailed, comprehensive and objective. We have augmented Ralph's text with extracts from other contemporary chroniclers to enrich the reader's experience. Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback.

On 3rd November 1220 [his sister-in-law] Urraca Ivrea Queen Consort Portugal (age 33) died.

On 11th November 1220 [his son] Alphonse Capet Count Poitou II Count Toulose was born to King Louis VIII of France (age 33) and [his wife] Blanche Ivrea Queen Consort France (age 32) at Poissy, Yvelines. He a great grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. He married 1237 his second cousin Joan Rouerge, daughter of Raymond Rouerge VII Count Toulose and Sancha Barcelona Countess Toulose.

On 14th July 1223 [his father] King Philip II of France (age 57) died. His son Louis (age 35) succeeded VIII King France: Capet. [his wife] Blanche Ivrea Queen Consort France (age 35) by marriage Queen Consort of France.

On 6th August 1223 King Louis VIII of France (age 35) and [his wife] Blanche Ivrea Queen Consort France (age 35) were crowned at Reims Cathedral.

On 8th November 1226 King Louis VIII of France (age 39) died. His son Louis (age 12) succeeded IX King France: Capet.

On 21st March 1227 [his son] King Charles Capet of Sicily was born to King Louis VIII of France and [his former wife] Blanche Ivrea Queen Consort France (age 39). He a great grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. He married (1) 31st January 1246 his half third cousin Beatrice Provence Queen Consort Sicily, daughter of Raymond Berenguer Provence IV Count Provence and Beatrice Savoy Countess Provence, and had issue (2) November 1268 his third cousin twice removed Margaret Burgundy Queen Consort Sicily.

On 27th November 1252 [his former wife] Blanche Ivrea Queen Consort France (age 64) died.

[his son] Philip Capet was born to King Louis VIII of France and Blanche Ivrea Queen Consort France. He a great grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.

All About History Books

The Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough, a canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: "In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed." Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback.

[his daughter] Isabel Capet was born to King Louis VIII of France and Blanche Ivrea Queen Consort France. She a great granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.

[his son] John Capet was born to King Louis VIII of France and Blanche Ivrea Queen Consort France. He a great grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.

[his son] Etienne Capet was born to King Louis VIII of France and Blanche Ivrea Queen Consort France. He a great grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.

[his son] Philip Dagobert Capet was born to King Louis VIII of France and Blanche Ivrea Queen Consort France. He a great grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.