John II
Duke of Calabria
Reign1435–1470
PredecessorRené of Anjou
SuccessorNicholas I, Duke of Lorraine
Duke of Lorraine
Reign1453–1470
PredecessorIsabella, Duchess of Lorraine
SuccessorNicholas I, Duke of Lorraine
Prince of Girona (Claimant)
Reign1466–1470
PredecessorCharles, Prince of Viana
SuccessorFerdinand II of Aragon
Born2 August 1426
Nancy
Died16 December 1470(1470-12-16) (aged 44)
Barcelona
SpouseMarie de Bourbon
IssueIsabelle
Jean
René
Marie
Nicholas I, Duke of Lorraine
John
Albert
Jeanne d'Abancourt
Marguerite
Daughter
House Anjou
FatherRené, King of Naples
MotherIsabella, Duchess of Lorraine

John II of Anjou (Nancy, August 2, 1426[1] December 16, 1470, Barcelona) was Duke of Lorraine from 1453 to his death. He was the son of René of Anjou and Isabella, Duchess of Lorraine.[2] He was married to Marie de Bourbon, daughter of Charles I, Duke of Bourbon.

Duchy

John inherited the duchy from his mother, Duchess Isabelle, during the life of his father, Duke René of Anjou, also Duke of Lorraine and titular king of Naples. As heir-apparent of Naples, he was styled the Duke of Calabria and spent most of his time engaging in plots for the Angevin recovery of Naples. In 1460, he decisively defeated the king of Naples Ferdinand at Nola,[3] but was unable to prevent others from coming to his aid. He was defeated at Troia in 1462[4] and at Ischia in 1465. In 1466, the Catalans chose his father as King of Aragon, and he was created Prince of Girona, as heir-apparent. He went into Catalonia to press the family's claims, but died, supposedly by poison, in Barcelona.

Personal

Marie and her husband John

In 1444, he married Marie de Bourbon (1428–1448),[2] daughter of Charles I, Duke of Bourbon and Agnes of Burgundy, Duchess of Bourbon (and granddaughter to John the Fearless, and niece to Philip the Good, both Dukes of Burgundy and enemies and allies to her father). Marie was from the House of Bourbon and was the only Duchess consort of Lorraine from the reign of Valois-Anjou. The marriage contract was signed in April 1437, however, the ceremony took place around 1444 when she was older and would be able to consummate the marriage.

Jean d'Anjou, medal by Francesco Laurana

Marie and John had the following issue:

  1. Isabelle (14451445)
  2. Jean (14451471),
  3. René (14461446)
  4. Marie (14471447)
  5. Nicholas (14481473)[2]

Marie died giving birth to her last and only surviving child Nicholas; she died on July 7, 1448, and was buried at Meurthe-et-Moselle Lorraine, France.

John also had several illegitimate children:

  • John (d. 1504), Count of Briey, married Nancy St. Georges
  • Albert, seigneur d'Essey
  • Jeanne d'Abancourt, married Achille, Bastard of Beauveu
  • a daughter named Marguerite
  • another daughter, married Jean d'Ecosse

See also

References

Sources

  • Kekewich, Margaret L. (2008). The Good King: René of Anjou and Fifteenth Century Europe. Palgrave Macmillan.


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