Henry II was the eldest son of John III of Navarre

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:...

 (died 1516) and Catherine I of Navarre

Catherine of Navarre

Catherine was Queen of Navarre , duchess of Gandia, Montblanc, and Peñafiel, countess of Foix, Bigorre, and Ribagorza, and viscountess of Béarn.- Biography :...

, sister and heiress of Francis Phoebus, King of Navarre

Navarre

Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...

; he was born at Sangüesa.

King of Navarre

When Catherine died in exile in 1517, Henry was proclaimed king of Navarre. The title was also
claimed by Ferdinand II of Aragon

Ferdinand II of Aragon

Ferdinand the Catholic was King of Aragon , Sicily , Naples , Valencia, Sardinia, and Navarre, Count of Barcelona, jure uxoris King of Castile and then regent of that country also from 1508 to his death, in the name of...

, who had invaded the realm in 1512. Under the protection of King François I of France

Francis I of France

Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...

, he assumed the title of King of Navarre and was lavishly crowned in Lescar

Lescar

Lescar is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.Lescar is the site of the Roman city known variously as Benearnum, Beneharnum or Civitas Benarnensium. This was the original capital, and origin of the name, of the ancient province of Béarn.In 841, Benearnum was...

, despite Ferdinand's claim being continued by his grandson Charles I

Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor

Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...

.

After ineffectual conferences at Noyon

Noyon

Noyon is a commune in the Oise department in northern France.It lies on the Oise Canal, 100 km north of Paris.-History:...

 in 1516 and at Montpellier

Montpellier

-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....

 in 1518, an active effort was made in 1521 to establish him in de facto sovereignty. The French and Navarrese invaded Spanish Navarre, but were ultimately expelled by Charles after the Battle of Noain

Battle of Noáin

The Battle of Noáin or the Battle of Esquiroz, fought on June 30 1521 was the only mayor battle in the Spanish conquest of Iberian Navarre. It was a decisive victory for the Spanish against the invading Franco-Navarrese army.- Prelude :...

 (June 1521).

In 1525, Henry was taken prisoner at the Battle of Pavia

Battle of Pavia

The Battle of Pavia, fought on the morning of 24 February 1525, was the decisive engagement of the Italian War of 1521–26.A Spanish-Imperial army under the nominal command of Charles de Lannoy attacked the French army under the personal command of Francis I of France in the great hunting preserve...

, but he contrived to escape under a guise and in 1526, married Marguerite

Marguerite de Navarre

Marguerite de Navarre , also known as Marguerite of Angoulême and Margaret of Navarre, was the queen consort of Henry II of Navarre...

, sister of King François I and widow of Charles, Duke of Alençon. By her, he was the father of Jeanne d'Albret, and was consequently the grandfather of Henry IV of France

Henry IV of France

Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....

. Henry, who had some strong sympathy with the Huguenots, died at Pau on 25 May 1555.

Marriage

In 1526, he married Marguerite de Valois who became known as Marguerite de Navarre

Marguerite de Navarre

Marguerite de Navarre , also known as Marguerite of Angoulême and Margaret of Navarre, was the queen consort of Henry II of Navarre...

 (11 April 1492- 21 December 1549) and had issue:

1. Jeanne III of Navarre
   Jeanne III of Navarre
   Jeanne d'Albret , also known as Jeanne III or Joan III, was the queen regnant of Navarre from 1555 to 1572. She married Antoine de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme, and was the mother of Henry of Bourbon, who became King of Navarre and of France as Henry IV, the first Bourbon king...
   
    (16 November 1528–9 June 1572)
2. Jean (7 July 1530- 25 December 1530)

Ancestors

Henry's ancestors in four generations