1.1b.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.2.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1a.1b.1b.1.1.1.1b.1.1.1c.1b.1a Louis VIII ('The Lion') Capetian , King of France* 
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| Birth |
3 Dec 1187, PARIS, FRANCE |
| Death |
8 Nov 1226, MONTPENSIER, AUVERGNE, FRANCE |
Louis VIII, by name LOUIS THE LION, or THE LION-HEART, French LOUIS LE LION, or
LOUIS COEUR-DE-LION. Capetain King of France from 1223 who spent most of his
short reign establishing royal power in Poitou and Languedoc.
On May 23, 1200, Louis marred Blanche of Castile, daughter of Alfonso VIII of
Castile, who effectively acted as regent after Louis's death. In 1212 Louis
seized Saint-Omer and Aire to prevent a powerful Flanders from being on the
flank of his county of Artois. In 1216, after the Barons rebelling against King
John of England had offered the English throne to Louis in return for his aid,
Louis went to England to aid the rebels. Initially he was successful, but
eventually he was defeated at sea and suffered defections. In 1217, when peace
was concluded at Kingston, Louis was secretly paid 10,000 marks. In 1224, now
King, he seized Poitou and, in 1226, he launched a successful crusade against
the Albigensian heretics, capturing the major fortress of Avignon before
returning toward Paris because of illness.
Louis was the first Capetain to grant appanages on a large scale and to have a
reversion clause that made alienation of royal property more difficult. Louis
also developed other particular rights for the Kingship, such as the concept
that fealty was sworn not only to the individual King but also to the Kingship.
His eldest son, Louis XI (atherward St. Louis), peacefully succeeded him while
his other sons received appanages.
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