Beatrice of Sicily (1326–1365)
Encyclopedia
Beatrice of Sicily was a Sicilian princess, daughter of Peter II of Sicily
and his wife Elisabeth of Carinthia
. She was born into the House of Aragon
.
, Euphemia, Constance (both regents of Sicily) Eleanor
, wife of Peter II of Aragon
, Louis of Sicily
and Blanche, Countess of Ampurias.
Beatrice's paternal grandparents were Frederick III of Sicily
and Eleanor of Anjou
, daughter of Charles II of Naples
and Maria of Hungary; maternal grandparents were Otto III of Carinthia
and his wife Euphemia of Legnica, daughter of Henry V, Duke of Legnica
and Elisabeth of Kalisz.
, where Beatrice was likely born.
In 1345, Beatrice married Rupert, Count Palatine of the Rhine from the House of Wittelsbach. They needed a papal dispensation in order to marry. Rupert supported his uncle Prince Elector Rupert I actively with the Government of the Palatinate and was constantly on the move. Beatrice's mother-in-law Irmengard of Oettingen
lived as a nun in the convent at Worms
. Beatrice spent a lot of time here whilst her husband was away.
Beatrice and Rupert had the following children:
Beatrice died in 1365, even before the death of her husband's uncle Rupert I. At the death of his uncle in 1390, Rupert succeeded as Elector, Beatrice had been dead for twenty-five years by then. She was buried in the Cistercian monastery of Schönau near Heidelberg
. The House of Wittelsbach founded the Collegiate Church in memory for Beatrice.
Peter II of Sicily
Peter II was crowned King of Sicily in 1321 and gained full sovereignty when his father died in 1337....
and his wife Elisabeth of Carinthia
Elisabeth of Carinthia
Elisabeth or Elizabeth was the daughter of Otto III of Carinthia by his wife Euphemia of Silesia-Liegnitz. She was born in Gorizia.-Family:...
. She was born into the House of Aragon
House of Aragon
The House of Aragon is the name given several royal houses that ruled the County, the Kingdom or the Crown of Aragon.Some historiansGuillermo Fatás y Guillermo Redondo, Alberto Montaner Frutos, Faustino Menéndez Pidal de Navascués...
.
Family
Beatrice was the third of eight children, all of them living to adulthood apart from one sister, Violente. Beatrice's siblings included: Frederick III the SimpleFrederick III the Simple
Frederick III , called the Simple, was King of Sicily from 1355 to 1377. He was the second son of Peter II of Sicily and Elisabeth of Carinthia. He succeeded his brother Louis...
, Euphemia, Constance (both regents of Sicily) Eleanor
Eleanor of Sicily
Eleanor of Sicily was Queen Consort of Aragon . She was the daughter of Peter II of Sicily and Elisabeth of Carinthia. She was the third wife of Peter IV of Aragon.- Early life and family :...
, wife of Peter II of Aragon
Peter II of Aragon
Peter II the Catholic was the King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona from 1196 to 1213.He was the son of Alfonso II of Aragon and Sancha of Castile...
, Louis of Sicily
Louis of Sicily
Louis the Child was King of Sicily from 1342 to 1355.Born in Catania, he was the son of Peter II, whom he succeeded at the age of five, and his mother was Elisabeth of Carinthia. His reign began under the joint regency of his uncle John, Duke of Randazzo, and his mother.He lived at Randazzo...
and Blanche, Countess of Ampurias.
Beatrice's paternal grandparents were Frederick III of Sicily
Frederick III of Sicily
Frederick II was the regent and subsequently King of Sicily from 1295 until his death. He was the third son of Peter III of Aragon and served in the War of the Sicilian Vespers on behalf of his father and brothers, Alfonso and James...
and Eleanor of Anjou
Eleanor of Anjou
Eleanor of Naples was the Queen consort of Frederick III of Sicily. She was a member of the Capetian House of Anjou by birth.-Family:She was the third daughter of Charles II of Naples and Mary of Hungary....
, daughter of Charles II of Naples
Charles II of Naples
Charles II, known as "the Lame" was King of Naples, King of Albania, Prince of Salerno, Prince of Achaea and Count of Anjou.-Biography:...
and Maria of Hungary; maternal grandparents were Otto III of Carinthia
Otto III of Carinthia
Otto III of Carinthia was a member of the Meinhardiner family. He was Duke of Carinthia from 1295 to 1310. He was also Count of Gorizia and Vienna...
and his wife Euphemia of Legnica, daughter of Henry V, Duke of Legnica
Henry V, Duke of Legnica
Henry V the Fat was a Duke of Jawor from 1273, of Legnica from 1278 and also Duke of Wroclaw from 1290....
and Elisabeth of Kalisz.
Life
Beatrice's parents resided in PalermoPalermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
, where Beatrice was likely born.
In 1345, Beatrice married Rupert, Count Palatine of the Rhine from the House of Wittelsbach. They needed a papal dispensation in order to marry. Rupert supported his uncle Prince Elector Rupert I actively with the Government of the Palatinate and was constantly on the move. Beatrice's mother-in-law Irmengard of Oettingen
Irmengard of Oettingen
Irmengard of Oettingen was a princess of the Counts von Oettingen by birth, and by marriage, Countess Palatine of the Rhine and, as a widow, a Dominican nun.- Countess Palatine :...
lived as a nun in the convent at Worms
Worms, Germany
Worms is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Rhine River. At the end of 2004, it had 85,829 inhabitants.Established by the Celts, who called it Borbetomagus, Worms today remains embattled with the cities Trier and Cologne over the title of "Oldest City in Germany." Worms is the only...
. Beatrice spent a lot of time here whilst her husband was away.
Beatrice and Rupert had the following children:
- Anna (1346 – 30 November 1415), married in 1363 to Duke Wilhelm VII of Jülich and BergDuchy of JülichThe Duchy of Jülich comprised a state within the Holy Roman Empire from the 11th to the 18th centuries. The duchy lay left of the Rhine river between the Electorate of Cologne in the east and the Duchy of Limburg in the west. It had territories on both sides of the river Rur, around its capital...
. - Friedrich (1347 – ca. 1395).
- Johann (1349 – ca. 1395).
- Mechthild (b. 1350), married to Landgrave Sigost of Leuchtenberg.
- Elisabeth (ca. 1351 – 1360).
- King Rupert of GermanyRupert of GermanyRupert of Germany from the House of Wittelsbach was Elector Palatine from 1398 and German King from 1400 until his death...
(1352 – 1410). - Adolf (1355 – 1 May 1358).
Beatrice died in 1365, even before the death of her husband's uncle Rupert I. At the death of his uncle in 1390, Rupert succeeded as Elector, Beatrice had been dead for twenty-five years by then. She was buried in the Cistercian monastery of Schönau near Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
. The House of Wittelsbach founded the Collegiate Church in memory for Beatrice.