Philip II of Taranto of the Angevin house

Capetian House of Anjou

The Capetian House of Anjou, also known as the House of Anjou-Sicily and House of Anjou-Naples, was a royal house and cadet branch of the direct House of Capet. Founded by Charles I of Sicily, a son of Louis VIII of France, the Capetian king first ruled the Kingdom of Sicily during the 13th century...

, was Prince of Achaea

Principality of Achaea

The Principality of Achaea or of the Morea was one of the three vassal states of the Latin Empire which replaced the Byzantine Empire after the capture of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade. It became a vassal of the Kingdom of Thessalonica, along with the Duchy of Athens, until Thessalonica...

 and Taranto

Principality of Taranto

The Principality of Taranto was a state in southern Italy created in 1088 for Bohemond I, eldest son of Robert Guiscard, as part of the peace between him and his younger brother Roger Borsa after a dispute over the succession to the Duchy of Apulia....

, and titular Emperor of Constantinople

Latin Empire

The Latin Empire or Latin Empire of Constantinople is the name given by historians to the feudal Crusader state founded by the leaders of the Fourth Crusade on lands captured from the Byzantine Empire. It was established after the capture of Constantinople in 1204 and lasted until 1261...

 (as Philip III) from 1364 to his death in 1374.

He was the son of Prince Philip I of Taranto

Philip I of Taranto

Philip I of Taranto : of the Angevin house, was titular Emperor of Constantinople , despot of Epirus, King of Albania, Prince of Achaea and Taranto, and Lord of Durazzo....

 and Empress Catherine II of Valois

Catherine II of Valois, Princess of Achaea

Catherine of Valois was titular Empress of Constantinople from 1308 to her death as Catherine II, Princess consort of Achaea from 1332 to 1341, and Governor of Cephalonia from 1341 to her death.-Life:...

. His paternal grandparents were King 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

Maria Arpad of Hungary

Mary of Hungary , of the Árpád dynasty, was Queen consort of the Kingdom of Naples. She was a daughter of Stephen V of Hungary and his wife Elizabeth the Cuman.-Family:Mary's mother followed the Shamanist religion, like other Cumans...

. His maternal grandparents were Count Charles of Valois

Charles of Valois

Charles of Valois was the fourth son of Philip III of France and Isabella of Aragon. His mother was a daughter of James I of Aragon and Yolande of Hungary. He was a member of the House of Capet and founded the House of Valois...

 and his second wife, Empress Catherine I of Courtenay

Catherine I of Courtenay

Catherine I of Courtenay was Titular Empress of Constantinople from 1283 to her death in 1307. In 1301, she became the second wife of Charles of Valois, by whom she had one son and three daughters; the eldest of these, Catherine II of Valois, Princess of Achaea succeeded her as titular...

.

Upon the execution of his cousin Charles, Duke of Durazzo

Charles, Duke of Durazzo

Charles of Durazzo was a Neapolitan nobleman, the eldest son of John, Duke of Durazzo and Agnes de Périgord.He succeeded his father as Duke of Durazzo and Count of Gravina in 1336....

, in 1348, he succeeded as King of Albania

Kingdom of Albania

The Kingdom of Albania, or Regnum Albaniae, was established by Charles of Anjou in the Albanian territory he conquered from the Despotate of Epirus in 1271. He took the title of "King of Albania" in February 1272. The kingdom extended from the region of Durrës south along the coast to Butrint...

. In April, 1355 he married Maria of Calabria

Maria of Calabria

Maria of Calabria was the first Empress consort of Philip II of Taranto, titular Latin Emperor of Constantinople.-Family:...

, daughter of Charles, Duke of Calabria

Charles, Duke of Calabria

Charles, Duke of Calabria was the son of King Robert of Naples and Yolanda of Aragon.-Biography:Born in Naples, he became Duke of Calabria in 1309 on his father's accession, and was created Vicar-General of the Kingdom of Sicily...

, and Mary of Valois. This made him the brother-in-law of Queen Joan I of Naples

Joan I of Naples

Joan I , born Joanna of Anjou, was Queen of Naples from 1343 until her death. She was also Countess of Provence and Forcalquier, Queen consort of Majorca and titular Queen of Jerusalem and Sicily 1343–82, and Princess of Achaea 1373/5–81....

.

In 1364, he succeeded as titular Emperor of Constantinople

Latin Empire

The Latin Empire or Latin Empire of Constantinople is the name given by historians to the feudal Crusader state founded by the leaders of the Fourth Crusade on lands captured from the Byzantine Empire. It was established after the capture of Constantinople in 1204 and lasted until 1261...

, and Prince of Achaea

Principality of Achaea

The Principality of Achaea or of the Morea was one of the three vassal states of the Latin Empire which replaced the Byzantine Empire after the capture of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade. It became a vassal of the Kingdom of Thessalonica, along with the Duchy of Athens, until Thessalonica...

 and Taranto

Taranto

Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto and is an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base....

 on the death of his older brother, Robert

Robert of Taranto

Robert II of Taranto , of the Angevin family, Prince of Taranto , King of Albania , Prince of Achaea , Titular Emperor of Constantinople ....

.

His wife Maria died in 1366. On 20 October 1370 Philip took as his second wife Elizabeth of Slavonia, daughter of Stephen of Hungary

Stephen, Duke of Slavonia

Stephen, Duke of Slavonia was a Hungarian Angevin prince who served as governor of Transylvania, Slavonia, Dalmatia and Croatia during the reign of his brother, King Louis I of Hungary. -Family:...

, former heiress presumptive to the throne of Hungary. In 1373, he resigned his rights to the Principality of Achaea to Queen Joan I of Naples

Joan I of Naples

Joan I , born Joanna of Anjou, was Queen of Naples from 1343 until her death. She was also Countess of Provence and Forcalquier, Queen consort of Majorca and titular Queen of Jerusalem and Sicily 1343–82, and Princess of Achaea 1373/5–81....

. He died on 25 November 1374 in Taranto.

All his children had died young. His heir was his sister's son James of Baux

James of Baux

James of Baux , Duke of Andria, was the last titular Latin Emperor of Constantinople from 1374 to 1383 and Prince of Achaea from 1382 to 1383....

, Duke of Andria.

Family

By his first wife, Maria of Calabria

Maria of Calabria

Maria of Calabria was the first Empress consort of Philip II of Taranto, titular Latin Emperor of Constantinople.-Family:...

, Philip had five children:

• Philip (1356)
• Charles (1358)
• Philip (1360)
• a child, (1362)
• a child, (1366)

By his second wife, Elisabeth of Slavonia

Elisabeth of Slavonia

Elizabeth of Slavonia was the second Empress consort of Philip II of Taranto, titular Latin Emperor of Constantinople.-Heiress of the Crown of Hungary:...

, Philip had:

• Philip (1371)