Mary of Navarre

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Maria of Navarre (French also Marie d'Évreux ; * around 1326; † April 29, 1347 in Valencia ) was by birth an Infanta of Navarre and the first wife of Peter IV of Aragón from 1338 to 1347 Queen of Aragon .

Life

Mary of Navarre was the second daughter of King Philip III. von Navarre and his wife Johanna and a granddaughter of the French king Louis X. Her parents had established the house of Évreux as the new ruling dynasty of the Kingdom of Navarre and wanted to improve their relations with their neighboring Iberian empires. In 1333 they negotiated the engagement of Maria's older sister Johanna to the Aragonese heir to the throne Peter (IV.), But the latter preferred Maria. A contract for the marriage of Peter and Maria was drawn up and signed by Maria's father on January 6, 1336 in his castle at Anet . The contract contained, among other things, the clause that in the event that Maria's mother Johanna died without leaving any surviving sons, Maria or her children would have the right of succession in Navarre. As stated in a document dated April 23, 1338, Mary's sister Johanna renounced her rights to the Navarre crown in favor of Mary and became a nun in Longchamp Abbey .

After the death of his father Alfonso IV on January 24, 1336, Peter IV became the new King of Aragon. He celebrated his wedding to Maria on July 25, 1338 in Alagón or Saragossa . Despite difficulties in paying the dowry , Peter's relations with his wife's parents remained very good. As a morning gift , Maria received the cities of Jaca , Tarragona and Teruel from her husband . In 1338 she made her solemn entry into Barcelona , the capital of Aragon.

The pious and docile Mary bore four children to her husband:

  • Konstanze (* around 1343; † July 1363) ⚭ 1361 King Friedrich III. of Sicily
  • Johanna (7 November 1344; † 1385) ⚭ 1373 Johann von Aragon, Count of Ampurias
  • Maria (around 1345/46; † June 1348)
  • Peter (* / † April 1347)

Because Maria had no male offspring during the first nine years of their marriage, Peter IV tried to secure the succession of his eldest daughter Konstanze, but this plan met with resistance from his brother, Count Jacob I of Urgell, and the Cortes of Aragón. On April 23, 1347, Maria gave birth to her first son, Peter, who died after a few hours. Maria also died on the following April 29th as a result of complications after giving birth. Contrary to the wish expressed in her will to be buried in the Cistercian abbey Monestir de Santa Maria de Poblet , she received her final resting place in the monastery of San Vincente in Valencia. As early as November 1347, Peter IV had a second marriage with Eleonore, a daughter of the Portuguese King Alfons IV.

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personal data
SURNAME Mary of Navarre
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Marie d'Évreux (French)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Queen of Aragon
DATE OF BIRTH around 1326
DATE OF DEATH April 29, 1347
Place of death Valencia