A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country/Alice
ALICE, Queen of France, Wife of Louis VII. surnamed the Young, third Daughter of Thibaut the Great, Count of Champagne, &c. Died 1206.
This princess receiving a careful education in the magnificent court of her father, and possessing the natural qualifications of beauty, good-nature, wit, and a fondness for poetry, in which consisted great part of the literature of that age, was much extolled for those advantages; and, independent of allying himself with Thibaut, whom he had found a powerful enemy, and thus detaching him from the interest of the English, already too potent in France, Louis the VIIth, on the death of his second wife, in 1160, saw none equal to Alice in personal charms and character; and accordingly demanded her of her father, who, with his family and nobles, repaired immediately to the court of France, where, soon after, the nuptials were celebrated with great magnificence; and, to cement the union more strongly, two daughters of the king by his first wife, were married also to the two elder sons of the count.
Four years afterwards, in 1165, she had a son, afterwards Philip-Augustus, to the great joy of Lewis, and the nation in general. Tenderly beloved by her husband, whose ill health rendered him unequal to the duties of his station, Alice not only assisted him in conducting the affairs of the nation, but superintended, with affectionate zeal, the education of her son, who afterwards became one of the greatest of the French monarchs. Lewis died in 1180, having appointed Alice to the regency; but the young prince being married to Isabella, of Hainault, niece to the earl of Flanders, the authority was balanced between them, and produced frequent disputes. Philip, at last having sided with the earl, Alice and her brothers were obliged to leave the court. She had recourse to Henry II. of England, who scrupled not to take part with the mother of one that was continually spiriting his sons to acts of rebellion against him. Philip marched against his mother, his uncles, and their protector; but Henry was unwilling to give him battle, and negotiations began, in which the two kings mutually menaced and persuaded. Henry, at last, notwithstanding the advice of the earl of Flanders, reconciled Philip to his mother and her brothers. He also agreed to pay her sept-livres Parisis, (five shillings and tenpence English) per day, for her maintenance; and to give up her dower, with the exception only of the fortified places.
This intelligence being established between them, Alice began again to take an active part in the government; and her son was so well satisfied with her conduct, that, in 1190, on going to the Holy Land, he confided, by the advice of his barons, the education of his son, and the regency of the kingdom, to Alice and her brother, the cardinal archbishop of Rheims.
During the absence of the king, some ecclesiastical disturbances happened, which were carried before the pope. The prerogative of Philip was concerned; and the letters of Alice to Rome concerning it, were full of force and grandeur. She remonstrated upon the enormity of taking advantage of an absence caused by such a motive; and demanded, that things should at least be left in the same situation, till the return of her son. By this firmness she obtained her point.
Philip returned in 1192; and history takes no other notice of Alice afterwards, than to mention some religious foundations. She died at Paris, and was buried at the abbey de Pontigny, founded by her father.