John III of Navarre

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Family

He was a son of Alain I of Albret, Lord of Albret, and his wife Francoise of Châtillon-Limoges.

His paternal grandparents were Jean I of Albret and Catherine de Rohan. Catherine was a daughter of Alain IX, Viscount of Rohan and Marguerite of Brittany. Marguerite was in turn a daughter of John V, Duke of Brittany and Joanna of Navarre.

Jean I of Albret was a son of Charles II of Albret and Anne of Armagnac. Anne was a daughter of Bernard VII, Count of Armagnac and his first wife Bonne de Berry. Bonne was a daughter of John, Duke of Berry and his first wife Joanna of Armagnac. John, Duke of Berry was the third son of John II, King of France, and his second wife Bonne of Bohemia.

Charles II of Albret was a son of Marie de Sully and Charles d'Albret, Constable of France and co-commander of the French army at the Battle of Agincourt where he was killed.

King of Navarre

He became king of Navarre by virtue of his 1484 marriage to Catherine, Countess of Foix (1470-1517), Queen of Navarre since the death of her brother Francis Phoebus in 1483.

In 1512, Jean d'Albret was defeated by Ferdinand II of Aragon, whose second wife was Germaine de Foix (1490-1538), a cousin of Queen Catherine. Navarre south of the Pyrenees was annexed by the victorious Ferdinand and remained a domain of the Kings of Spain, who also bore the title of "Kings of Navarre", until 1833, when it was completely integrated into Spain.

Lower Navarre remained with John and his successors as Kings of Navarre, increasingly under French influence. After King Henry of Navarre had mounted the French throne in 1589, he and his successors styled themselves "Kings of France and Navarre" until the French Revolution merged Lower Navarre with France.

Children

He and Catherine of Navarre were parents to thirteen children:

*Ana d'Albret of Navarre (19 May, 1492 - 15 August, 1532).
*Madealena d'Albret of Navarre (29 March, 1494 - May, 1504).
*Catalina d'Albret of Navarre (1495 - November, 1532). Abbess of the Trinity at Caen.
*Juana d'Albret of Navarre (15 June, 1496 - last mentioned in November, 1496).
*Quiteria d'Albret of Navarre (1499 - September/October, 1536). Abbess at Montivilliers.
*A stillborn son in 1500.
*Andres Febo d'Albret of Navarre (14 October, 1501 - 17 April, 1503).
*Henry II of Navarre (18 April, 1503 - 25 May, 1555).
*Buenaventura d'Albret of Navarre (14 July, 1505 - 1510/1511).
*Martin d'Albret of Navarre (c. 1506 - last mentioned in 1512).
*Francisco d'Albret of Navarre (1508 - last mentioned in 1512).
*Carlos d'Albret of Navarre (12 December, 1510 - September, 1528). Took part in the Siege of Naples during the War of the League of Cognac but was captured. Died while still held as a prisoner of war.
*Isabel d'Albret of Navarre (1513/1514 - last mentioned in 1555). Married Rene I, Viscount of Rohan.

External links

* [http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/NAVARRE.htm List and genealogy of the Kings of Navarre]
* [http://fabpedigree.com/s046/f053835.htm A pedigree of him]