Editing Alphonse, Count of Poitiers (section)

==Birth and early life==
Born at [[Poissy]], Alphonse was a son of King [[Louis VIII of France]] and [[Blanche of Castile]].{{sfn|Richard|1983|p=xxiv}} He was a younger brother of King [[Louis IX of France]] and an older brother of Count [[Charles I of Anjou]]. In 1229, his mother, who was [[regent]] of [[Kingdom of France|France]], forced the [[Treaty of Paris (1229)|Treaty of Paris]] on Count [[Raymond VII of Toulouse]] after his rebellion.{{sfn|Jackson|1999|p=64}} It stipulated that a brother of King Louis was to marry [[Joan of Toulouse|Joan]], daughter of Raymond VII of Toulouse, and so in 1237 Alphonse married her.{{sfn|Fawtier|1960|p=123}} Since she was Raymond's only child, they became rulers of [[Toulouse]] at Raymond's death in 1249.{{sfn|Jordan|1999|p=299}}[[File:Alphonse de Poitiers 01.jpg|thumb|Alphonse, as Count of Toulouse, recognised the autonomy of the [[Medieval commune|commune]] of the town of [[Agen]]. In this illustration he takes an oath before the consuls with his right hand on the town ordinances, while sitting on a pedestal. The consul administering the oath is forced to go on his knees, symbolising Alphonse's lordship and the town's loyalty.]]

[[File:Medieval harness pendant (FindID 977289).jpg|thumb|Arms of Alphonse on a 13th-century harness pendant, found in [[West Berkshire]], England.]]

By the terms of his father's will Alphonse received an ''[[appanage]]'' of [[Poitou]] and [[Rulers of Auvergne|Auvergne]].{{sfn|Wood|1966|p=23}} To enforce this Louis IX won the [[battle of Taillebourg]] in the [[Saintonge War]] together with Alphonse against a revolt allied with King [[Henry III of England]], who also participated in the battle.{{sfn|Wolfe|2009|p=41}}