CASTILE, Blanche of

BLANCHE OF CASTILE (1188–1252) was Queen of France, twice regent of the kingdom and a possible composer of medieval religious song. Born in Palencia, she was the daughter of Alfonso VIII of Castile and Eleanor of England. Through her marriage to Louis VIII, she became Queen of France and later governed the kingdom during the minority and absence of her son, Louis IX.
The trouvère song Amours, où trop tard me suis pris is traditionally attributed to “Queen Blanche” and is frequently associated with Blanche of Castile. Written in Old French, it transforms the language of courtly love into a devotional address to the Virgin Mary. Both its text and melody have survived. However, the medieval source identifies its author only as la reine Blanche, and scholars continue to debate whether this designation refers specifically to Blanche of Castile. She is therefore best described as the song’s possible or traditionally identified author, rather than as a securely documented composer.