Alphonse, Count of Poitiers
Alphonse was the Count of Poitou from 1225 and Count of Toulouse from 1249. As count of Toulouse, he also governed the Marquisate of Provence.
Alphonse, as Count of Toulouse, recognised the autonomy of the 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.
Arms of Alphonse on a 13th-century harness pendant, found in West Berkshire, England.
Louis VIII, nicknamed The Lion, was King of France from 1223 to 1226. As prince, he invaded England on 21 May 1216 and was excommunicated by a papal legate on 29 May 1216. On 2 June 1216, Louis was proclaimed "King of England" by rebellious barons in London, though never crowned. He soon seized half the English kingdom but was eventually defeated by the English and after the Treaty of Lambeth, was paid 10,000 marks, pledged never to invade England again, and was absolved of his excommunication.
15th-century miniature of Louis VIII at the Siege of Avignon, c. 10 June – 9 September 1226
Painting by Henri Lehmann, 1837
Arrival of Louis of France in England (from the Chronica Majora, Matthew Paris, c. 1236–1259)
Coronation of Louis VIII and Blanche of Castile at Reims in 1223, miniature from the Grandes Chroniques de France, c. 1332–1350 (Bibliothèque nationale)