While on their way to
Flanders, Ferdinand and Joan were captured by Joan's first cousin
Louis, eldest son of
Philip II of France and Joan's aunt
Isabella. Louis' aim was to acquire his dead mother's dowry, a large piece of Flemish territory including
Artois, which Joan's father had taken back by force after Isabella's death.
Released after this concession, Joan and Ferdinand soon joined the old allies of her father, King
John of England and Emperor
Otto IV, in an alliance against France. They were decisively defeated at
Bouvines in July 1214, where Ferdinand was taken prisoner.[1]
Ferdinand was to remain in French hands for the next 12 years, while Joan ruled alone. He was released in 1226, by the French
regent,
Blanche of Castile, after the accession of her son
Louis IX of France.[2]
Ferdinand died in
Noyon on 27 July 1233.[3] His and Joan's only child, a daughter named Maria, died childless, and their counties eventually passed to Joan's younger sister,
Margaret II.
* also an infante of Castile and León, Aragon, Sicily and Naples,§ also an infante of Spain and an archduke of Austria,# also an infante of Spain,‡ also an imperial prince of Brazil,¶ also a prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duke in Saxony,◙ also a prince of Braganza,¤ title removed in 1920 as their parents' marriage was deemed undynastic,ƒ claimant infante