Blanche I of Navarre
Encyclopedia
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
. She was married twice, but only had surviving issue from her second husband, King John II of Aragon
, as her only son by Martin I of Sicily
died in early infancy.
. She became heiress on the death of her elder sister Joan
.
Blanche married firstly Martin the Younger, King of Sicily and Prince of Aragon
. They were married by proxy on 21 May 1402 in Catania
. Blanche travelled to meet her new husband and they were married in person on 26 December 1402. The bride was about eleven years old and the groom twenty-eight.
Martin had been in need of legitimate heirs, as he had survived his previous wife and former co-ruler, Queen Maria of Sicily, and their only son. When Martin died on 25 July 1409, he was succeeded by his own father, Martin I of Aragon
.
Blanche remained a widow for a decade. On 6 November 1419, Blance married her second husband
John
, duke of Peñafiel by proxy in Olite
, and the second son of Ferdinand I of Aragon
and Eleanor of Alburquerque
. Ferdinand had succeeded his maternal uncle Martin I
in 1412.
John travelled to meet her. On 10 June 1420, they were married in person in Pamplona
. Charles III died on 8 September 1425 and Blanche succeeded him as Queen regnant of Navarre. John became King of Navarre in her right as John II.
Blanche died in Santa María la Real de Nieva
in 1441. After her death, John kept the government of Navarre
in his own hands, from the hands of their own son Charles of Viana
, the rightful heir of the line of Navarrese kings. He would become King of Aragon and King of Sicily upon the death of his elder brother Alfonso V of Aragon
in 1458.
Blanche and John II of Aragon had four children:
Charles III of Navarre
Charles III , called the Noble, was King of Navarre from 1387 to his death and Count of Évreux from 1387 to 1404, when he exchanged it for the title Duke of Nemours...
. She was married twice, but only had surviving issue from her second husband, King 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...
, as her only son by Martin I of Sicily
Martin I of Sicily
Martin I of Sicily , called "The Younger", was King of Sicily from 1390 to 1409.Martin's father was the future King Martin I of Aragon, and his grandparents were King Peter IV of Aragon and Eleanor of Sicily. In 1389/1390/February, 1392 he married Maria of Sicily, born in 1362/1363...
died in early infancy.
Life
She was the second eldest daughter and heir of King Charles III of Navarre and infanta Eleanor of CastileEleanor of Castile (d. 1416)
Eleanor of Castile was an infanta of Castile and the Queen consort of Navarre.She was the daughter of King Henry II of Castile and his wife, Juana Manuel of Castile, from a cadet branch of the Castilian royal house...
. She became heiress on the death of her elder sister Joan
Joan, Heiress of Navarre
Joan of Navarre also known as Jeanne d'Évreux or Joanna was the eldest child of Charles III of Navarre by his wife Eleanor, daughter of Henry II of Castile....
.
Blanche married firstly Martin the Younger, King of Sicily and Prince of Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
. They were married by proxy on 21 May 1402 in Catania
Catania
Catania is an Italian city on the east coast of Sicily facing the Ionian Sea, between Messina and Syracuse. It is the capital of the homonymous province, and with 298,957 inhabitants it is the second-largest city in Sicily and the tenth in Italy.Catania is known to have a seismic history and...
. Blanche travelled to meet her new husband and they were married in person on 26 December 1402. The bride was about eleven years old and the groom twenty-eight.
Martin had been in need of legitimate heirs, as he had survived his previous wife and former co-ruler, Queen Maria of Sicily, and their only son. When Martin died on 25 July 1409, he was succeeded by his own father, Martin I of Aragon
Martin I of Aragon
Martin of Aragon , called the Elder, the Humane, the Ecclesiastic, was the King of Aragon, Valencia, Sardinia, and Corsica and Count of Barcelona from 1396 and King of Sicily from 1409...
.
Blanche remained a widow for a decade. On 6 November 1419, Blance married her second husband
John
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...
, duke of Peñafiel by proxy in Olite
Olite
Olite is a town and municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain....
, and the second son of Ferdinand I of Aragon
Ferdinand I of Aragon
Ferdinand I called of Antequera and also the Just or the Honest) was king of Aragon, Valencia, Majorca, Sardinia and Corsica and king of Sicily, duke of Athens and Neopatria, and count of Barcelona, Roussillon and Cerdanya...
and Eleanor of Alburquerque
Eleanor of Alburquerque
Eleanor, 2nd Countess of Alburquerque became Queen consort of Aragon by her marriage to Ferdinand I of Aragon. In Spanish, she is known as Leonor Urraca de Castilla, condesa de Alburquerque.- Family :...
. Ferdinand had succeeded his maternal uncle Martin I
Martin I of Aragon
Martin of Aragon , called the Elder, the Humane, the Ecclesiastic, was the King of Aragon, Valencia, Sardinia, and Corsica and Count of Barcelona from 1396 and King of Sicily from 1409...
in 1412.
John travelled to meet her. On 10 June 1420, they were married in person in 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...
. Charles III died on 8 September 1425 and Blanche succeeded him as Queen regnant of Navarre. John became King of Navarre in her right as John II.
Blanche died in Santa María la Real de Nieva
Santa María la Real de Nieva
Santa María la Real de Nieva is a municipality located in the province of Segovia, Castile and León, Spain, about 30 km northwest of Segovia town...
in 1441. After her death, John kept the government 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...
in his own hands, from the hands of their own son Charles of Viana
Charles of Viana
Charles, Prince of Viana , sometimes called Charles IV of Navarre, was the son of King John II of Aragon and Queen Blanche I of Navarre.- Background :...
, the rightful heir of the line of Navarrese kings. He would become King of Aragon and King of Sicily upon the death of his elder brother Alfonso V of Aragon
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...
in 1458.
Issue
Martin and Blanche only had one son:- Infante Martin of Aragon and Sicily (1406–1407).
Blanche and John II of Aragon had four children:
- Charles (IV) of Navarre (1421–1461)
- Joan of Aragon (1423–1425)
- Blanche (II) of NavarreBlanche II of NavarreBlanche II of Navarre , titular queen of Navarre, was the daughter of John II of Aragon and Blanche I of Navarre. She was also Princess of Asturias by marriage....
, married Henry IV of CastileHenry IV of CastileHenry IV , King of the Crown of Castile, nicknamed the Impotent , was the last of the weak late medieval kings of Castile...
. The marriage was never consummated. After 13 years of marriage, Henry sought and obtained a divorce. Blanca was sent home, where her family imprisoned her, and she was later killed by poison. - EleanorEleanor of NavarreEleanor of Aragon , Regent and the queen regnant of Navarre in 1479...
(1426–1479) Queen of Navarre (1479)