Catherine of Navarre
Encyclopedia
Catherine (1468 – 12 February 1517) was Queen of Navarre (1483–1517), duchess of Gandia
, Montblanc
, and Peñafiel, countess of Foix
, Bigorre
, and Ribagorza, and viscountess of Béarn
.
, Prince of Viana
, and Magdalena of Valois
, the sister of Louis XI
. She was thus granddaughter of Eleanor of Navarre
.
In 1483 the death of her brother Francis Phoebus made her queen under the regency of her mother. Her uncle John of Foix, appealing to the Salic Law
, which had never been applied in Navarre, claimed the throne and ignited a civil war
(1483–1492) that reignited the old Beaumontese-Agromontese conflict. In 1484, Catherine married John of Albret
, duke of Gause
. Her mother acted as her regent until 1494, when she was taken hostage by the king of Castile.
In 1504, the death of her mother as the hostage of Ferdinand the Catholic, Catherine's granduncle, in Medina del Campo
provoked new wars between the Navarrese and the count of Lerín
(1506–1508).
The political alliance between the houses of Valois and Foix
led to marriage negotiations between Catherine and Louis XII
. It was suggested that Henry
, prince of Viana, first son and heir presumptive of Catherine, marry a daughter of the French king. These were the negotiations which led Ferdinand the Catholic to send the Duke of Alba
to conquer Pamplona
in 1512. On 25 July 1512, Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba
, occupied Pamplona. The royal family fled to refuge in France
.
On 23 March 1513, the Cortes
of Navarre, reunited in Pamplona, proclaimed Ferdinand King of Navarre. Since then, Upper Navarre has been an integral part of Spain
.
All subsequent attempts by Catherine and John III to reassemble their kingdom were futile. From 1513 to her death in 1517, Catherine was Queen in Basse-Navarre
, or Lower Navarre, north of the Pyrenees
, alone.
were parents to thirteen children:
Gandia
Gandia is a city and municipality in the Valencian Community, Eastern Spain on the Mediterranean. Gandia is located on the Costa del Azahar, 65 km south of Valencia and 96 km north of Alicante....
, Montblanc
Montblanc
Montblanc may refer to:* Montblanc , a German manufacturer of writing instruments, watches and accessories* Montblanc, Hérault, a commune of the Hérault département, in France...
, and Peñafiel, countess of Foix
Counts of Foix
The counts of Foix ruled the independent County of Foix, in what is now southern France, during the Middle Ages. Later they extended their power to almost the entire Pyrenees mountain range, moving their court to Pau, in Béarn, until eventually the last count of Foix acceded to the French throne as...
, Bigorre
Bigorre
Bigorre is region in southwest France, historically an independent county and later a French province, located in the upper watershed of the Adour, on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees, part of the larger region known as Gascony...
, and Ribagorza, and viscountess of Béarn
Béarn
Béarn is one of the traditional provinces of France, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in southwest France. Along with the three Basque provinces of Soule, Lower Navarre, and Labourd, the principality of Bidache, as well as small parts of Gascony, it forms in the...
.
Biography
Catherine was the younger daughter of Gaston of FoixGaston of Foix, Prince of Viana
Gaston, Prince of Viana, also called Gaston de Foix , was the son of Gaston IV of Foix and Eleanor of Navarre, and was the heir of both. As a Prince of Navarre, he was called Prince of Viana....
, Prince of Viana
Viana, Spain
Viana is a town and municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain. Cesare Borgia is buried there. Francisco Gonzalez de Ibarra, a missionary active in Southern California between 1820 and 1840 was a native of Viana, born there in 1782.**...
, and Magdalena of Valois
Magdalena of Valois
Magdalena of Valois, also called Madeleine de France , was a daughter of Charles VII of France and Marie of Anjou, and acted as regent for her children, Francis I and Catherine I, who were successively monarchs of Navarre.Magdalena was betrothed to Ladislaus the Posthumous however he died suddenly...
, the sister of Louis XI
Louis XI of France
Louis XI , called the Prudent , was the King of France from 1461 to 1483. He was the son of Charles VII of France and Mary of Anjou, a member of the House of Valois....
. She was thus granddaughter of Eleanor of Navarre
Eleanor of Navarre
Eleanor of Aragon , Regent and the queen regnant of Navarre in 1479...
.
In 1483 the death of her brother Francis Phoebus made her queen under the regency of her mother. Her uncle John of Foix, appealing to the Salic Law
Salic law
Salic law was a body of traditional law codified for governing the Salian Franks in the early Middle Ages during the reign of King Clovis I in the 6th century...
, which had never been applied in Navarre, claimed the throne and ignited a civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
(1483–1492) that reignited the old Beaumontese-Agromontese conflict. In 1484, Catherine married John of Albret
John III of Navarre
John III , also known as Jean d'Albret, was jure uxoris, King consort of the Queen regnant Catherine of Navarre.He was a son of Alain I of Albret, Lord of Albret, and his wife, Frances of Châtillon-Limoges.-King of Navarre:...
, duke of Gause
Gause
-People:*Georgii Gause, Russian biologist*Jesse Gause, early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement*Paul Gause, American college basketball player*Rufus Hollis Gause, US theologian-Schools in the United States:...
. Her mother acted as her regent until 1494, when she was taken hostage by the king of Castile.
In 1504, the death of her mother as the hostage of Ferdinand the Catholic, Catherine's granduncle, in Medina del Campo
Medina del Campo
Medina del Campo is a town located in the middle of the Spanish Meseta Central, in the province of Valladolid, Castile-Leon autonomous region, 45 km from Valladolid. It is the capital of a farming area, far away from the great economic centres.-History:...
provoked new wars between the Navarrese and the count of Lerín
Lerín
Lerín is a town and municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain.-External links:*...
(1506–1508).
The political alliance between the houses of Valois and Foix
Foix
Foix is a commune, the capital of the Ariège department in southwestern France. It is the least populous administrative centre of a department in all of France, although it is only very slightly smaller than Privas...
led to marriage negotiations between Catherine and Louis XII
Louis XII of France
Louis proved to be a popular king. At the end of his reign the crown deficit was no greater than it had been when he succeeded Charles VIII in 1498, despite several expensive military campaigns in Italy. His fiscal reforms of 1504 and 1508 tightened and improved procedures for the collection of taxes...
. It was suggested that Henry
Henry II of Navarre
Henry II was the eldest son of John III of Navarre and Catherine I of Navarre, sister and heiress of Francis Phoebus, King of Navarre; he was born at Sangüesa.-King of Navarre:...
, prince of Viana, first son and heir presumptive of Catherine, marry a daughter of the French king. These were the negotiations which led Ferdinand the Catholic to send the Duke of Alba
Alba
Alba is the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland. It is cognate to Alba in Irish and Nalbin in Manx, the two other Goidelic Insular Celtic languages, as well as similar words in the Brythonic Insular Celtic languages of Cornish and Welsh also meaning Scotland.- Etymology :The term first appears in...
to conquer Pamplona
Pamplona
Pamplona is the historial capital city of Navarre, in Spain, and of the former kingdom of Navarre.The city is famous worldwide for the San Fermín festival, from July 6 to 14, in which the running of the bulls is one of the main attractions...
in 1512. On 25 July 1512, Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba
Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba
Don Fernando Álvarez de Toledo y Pimentel, 3rd Duke of Alba was a Spanish general and governor of the Spanish Netherlands , nicknamed "the Iron Duke" in the Low Countries because of his harsh and cruel rule there and his role in the execution of his political opponents and the massacre of several...
, occupied Pamplona. The royal family fled to refuge in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
On 23 March 1513, the Cortes
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
of Navarre, reunited in Pamplona, proclaimed Ferdinand King of Navarre. Since then, Upper Navarre has been an integral part of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
All subsequent attempts by Catherine and John III to reassemble their kingdom were futile. From 1513 to her death in 1517, Catherine was Queen in Basse-Navarre
Lower Navarre
Lower Navarre is a part of the present day Pyrénées Atlantiques département of France. Along with Navarre of Spain, it was once ruled by the Kings of Navarre. Lower Navarre was historically one of the kingdoms of Navarre. Its capital were Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and Saint-Palais...
, or Lower Navarre, north of the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
, alone.
Children
She and John III of NavarreJohn III of Navarre
John III , also known as Jean d'Albret, was jure uxoris, King consort of the Queen regnant Catherine of Navarre.He was a son of Alain I of Albret, Lord of Albret, and his wife, Frances of Châtillon-Limoges.-King of Navarre:...
were parents to thirteen children:
- Anne of Navarre (19 May 1492 - 15 August 1532).
- Magdalena of Navarre (29 March 1494 - May, 1504).
- Catherine of Navarre (1495 - November, 1532). Abbess of the Trinity at CaenCaenCaen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
. - Joan of Navarre (15 June 1496 - last mentioned in November, 1496).
- Quiteria of Navarre (1499 - September/October, 1536). Abbess at MontivilliersMontivilliersMontivilliers is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A large light industrial and farming town by the banks of the river Lézarde in the Pays de Caux, situated just north of Le Havre, at the junction of the D489, D52, D926 and D31...
. - A stillborn son in 1500.
- Andrew Phoebus of Navarre (14 October 1501 - 17 April 1503).
- Henry II of NavarreHenry II of NavarreHenry II was the eldest son of John III of Navarre and Catherine I of Navarre, sister and heiress of Francis Phoebus, King of Navarre; he was born at Sangüesa.-King of Navarre:...
(18 April 1503 - 25 May 1555). - Buenaventura of Navarre (14 July 1505 - 1510/1511).
- Martin of Navarre (c. 1506 - last mentioned in 1512).
- Francis of Navarre (1508 - last mentioned in 1512).
- Charles of Navarre (12 December 1510 - September, 1528). Took part in the Siege of Naples during the War of the League of CognacWar of the League of CognacThe War of the League of Cognac was fought between the Habsburg dominions of Charles V—primarily Spain and the Holy Roman Empire—and the League of Cognac, an alliance including France, Pope Clement VII, the Republic of Venice, England, the Duchy of Milan and Republic of Florence.- Prelude :Shocked...
but was captured. Died while still held as a prisoner of warPrisoner of warA prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
. - Isabella of Navarre (1513/1514 - last mentioned in 1555). Married Rene I, Viscount of Rohan.
Ancestors
| Catherine of Navarre | Father: Gaston of Foix, Prince of Viana Gaston of Foix, Prince of Viana Gaston, Prince of Viana, also called Gaston de Foix , was the son of Gaston IV of Foix and Eleanor of Navarre, and was the heir of both. As a Prince of Navarre, he was called Prince of Viana.... |
Paternal Grandfather: Gaston IV of Foix |
Paternal Great-grandfather: John I, Count of Foix John I, Count of Foix John I, Count of Foix also known as Jean de Foix-Grailly was Count of Foix from 1428 until his death in 1436. He succeeded his mother Isabella, Countess of Foix... |
| Paternal Great-grandmother: Joan of Albret |
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| Paternal Grandmother: Eleanor of Navarre Eleanor of Navarre Eleanor of Aragon , Regent and the queen regnant of Navarre in 1479... |
Paternal Great-grandfather: John II of Aragon John II of Aragon John II the Faithless, also known as the Great was the King of Aragon from 1458 until 1479, and jure uxoris King of Navarre from 1425 until his death. He was the son of Ferdinand I and his wife Eleanor of Alburquerque... |
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| Paternal Great-grandmother: Blanche I of Navarre Blanche I of Navarre Blanche I was Queen of Navarre from 1425 to 1441. She became queen regnant upon the death of her father King Charles III of Navarre... |
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| Mother: Magdalena of Valois Magdalena of Valois Magdalena of Valois, also called Madeleine de France , was a daughter of Charles VII of France and Marie of Anjou, and acted as regent for her children, Francis I and Catherine I, who were successively monarchs of Navarre.Magdalena was betrothed to Ladislaus the Posthumous however he died suddenly... |
Maternal Grandfather: Charles VII of France Charles VII of France Charles VII , called the Victorious or the Well-Served , was King of France from 1422 to his death, though he was initially opposed by Henry VI of England, whose Regent, the Duke of Bedford, ruled much of France including the capital, Paris... |
Maternal Great-grandfather: Charles VI of France Charles VI of France Charles VI , called the Beloved and the Mad , was the King of France from 1380 to 1422, as a member of the House of Valois. His bouts with madness, which seem to have begun in 1392, led to quarrels among the French royal family, which were exploited by the neighbouring powers of England and Burgundy... |
|
| Maternal Great-grandmother: Isabeau of Bavaria Isabeau of Bavaria Isabeau of Bavaria was Queen consort of France as spouse of King Charles VI of France, a member of the Valois Dynasty... |
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| Maternal Grandmother: Marie of Anjou Marie of Anjou Marie of Anjou was the Queen consort of King Charles VII of France from 1422 to 1461. Her mother, Yolande of Aragon, played a leading role in the last phase of the Hundred Years' War.-Family:... |
Maternal Great-grandfather: Louis II of Naples Louis II of Naples Louis II of Anjou was the rival of Ladislaus as King of Naples. He was a member of the House of Valois-Anjou.-Biography:... |
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| Maternal Great-grandmother: Yolande of Aragon Yolande of Aragon Yolande of Aragon, , was a throne claimant and titular queen regnant of Aragon, titular queen consort of Naples, Duchess of Anjou, Countess of Provence, and regent of Provence during the minority of her son... |