Navarrese Civil War (1451–1455)
Encyclopedia
The Navarrese Civil War of 1451–1455 pitted John II of the Kingdom of Navarre
against his son and heir-apparent, Charles IV.
When the war started, John II had been King of Navarre since 1425 through his first wife, Blanche I of Navarre
, who had married him in 1420. By the marriage pact of 1419, John and Blanche's eldest son was to succeed to Navarre on Blanche's death. When Blanche died in 1441, John retained the government of her lands and dispossessed his own eldest son, Charles (born 1421), who was made Prince of Viana
in 1423. John tried to assuage his son with the lieutenancy of Navarre, but his son's French upbringing and French allies, the Beaumonteses, brought the two into conflict. John was supported by the Agramonteses.
From 1451 to 1455 they were engaged in open warfare in Navarre. Charles was defeated at the Battle of Aybar in 1452, captured, and released; and John tried to disinherit him by illegally naming his daughter Eleanor
, who was married to Gaston IV of Foix, his successor. In 1451 John's new wife, Juana Enríquez
, gave birth to a son, Ferdinand
. In 1452 Charles fled his father first to France, where vainly sought allies, and later to the court of his uncle, John's elder brother, Alfonso V
at Naples
. Charles was popular in Spain and John was increasingly unpopular as he refused to recognise Charles as his "first born", probably planning to make Ferdinand his heir. The Navarrese Civil War presaged the Catalonian Civil War
of 1462–72, in which John's ill-treatment of Charles was a precipitating event.
Kingdom of Navarre
The Kingdom of Navarre , originally the Kingdom of Pamplona, was a European kingdom which occupied lands on either side of the Pyrenees alongside the Atlantic Ocean....
against his son and heir-apparent, Charles IV.
When the war started, John II had been King of Navarre since 1425 through his first wife, 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...
, who had married him in 1420. By the marriage pact of 1419, John and Blanche's eldest son was to succeed to Navarre on Blanche's death. When Blanche died in 1441, John retained the government of her lands and dispossessed his own eldest son, Charles (born 1421), who was made Prince of Viana
Prince of Viana
The Prince of Viana is one of the titles of the heir of the Crown of Spain. Other associated titles originate from the rest of the kingdoms that formed Spain: Prince of Asturias, Prince of Girona, Duke of Montblanc, Count of Cervera and Lord of Balaguer....
in 1423. John tried to assuage his son with the lieutenancy of Navarre, but his son's French upbringing and French allies, the Beaumonteses, brought the two into conflict. John was supported by the Agramonteses.
From 1451 to 1455 they were engaged in open warfare in Navarre. Charles was defeated at the Battle of Aybar in 1452, captured, and released; and John tried to disinherit him by illegally naming his daughter Eleanor
Eleanor of Navarre
Eleanor of Aragon , Regent and the queen regnant of Navarre in 1479...
, who was married to Gaston IV of Foix, his successor. In 1451 John's new wife, Juana Enríquez
Juana Enríquez
Juana Enriquez de Córdoba, 5th Lady of Casarrubios del Monte , was a Castilian noblewoman who became Queen of the Kingdoms of the Crown of Aragon.-Biography:...
, gave birth to a son, Ferdinand
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...
. In 1452 Charles fled his father first to France, where vainly sought allies, and later to the court of his uncle, John's elder brother, Alfonso V
Alfonso V of Aragon
Alfonso the Magnanimous KG was the King of Aragon , Valencia , Majorca, Sardinia and Corsica , and Sicily and Count of Barcelona from 1416 and King of Naples from 1442 until his death...
at Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
. Charles was popular in Spain and John was increasingly unpopular as he refused to recognise Charles as his "first born", probably planning to make Ferdinand his heir. The Navarrese Civil War presaged the Catalonian Civil War
Catalonian Civil War
The Catalonian Civil War, also called the War against John II, was a civil war in the Principality of Catalonia between 1462 and 1472. The two factions, the royalists who supported John II of Aragon and the Catalan constitutionalists , disputed the extent of royal rights in Catalonia...
of 1462–72, in which John's ill-treatment of Charles was a precipitating event.