Blanche of Castile

Born 4 March 1188, Blanche of Castile married Louis VIII and became Queen of France. When he died in 1226, their son Louis IX was still a child, and she stepped in as regent until 1234, navigating a kingdom that didn't expect a woman to hold it. She did it again two decades later: when Louis IX left for distant campaigns in 1248, she ran France in his absence until her death on 27 November 1252. Twice she was the steady hand when the crown needed one.