Charles III, Duke of Lorraine
 |
| Charles III | |
|---|---|
| Duke of Lorraine | |
 Charles III, copper engraving by Dominicus Custos, 1600/02 | |
| Born | 18 February 1543 Ducal Palace of Nancy |
| Died | 14 May 1608 (aged 66) |
| Spouse | Claude of France |
| Issue | Henry II, Duke of Lorraine Christina, Grand Duchess of Tuscany Charles, Cardinal of Lorraine Antoinette, Duchess of Jülich-Cleves-Berg Francis II, Duke of Lorraine Catherine, Abbess of Remiremont Elisabeth, Electress of Bavaria |
| House | Lorraine |
| Father | Francis I, Duke of Lorraine |
| Mother | Christina of Denmark |
Charles III (18 February 1543 – May 14, 1608), known as the Great, was Duke of Lorraine from 1545 until his death.
History
He was the eldest surviving son of Francis I, Duke of Lorraine, and Christina of Denmark. His mother served as the regent during his minority.
During his childhood, his aged great-grandmother, Philippa of Gelderland, died in 1547, leaving her inheritance to the young Charles.
His dynasty claimed the Kingdom of Jerusalem and used also the title of Duke of Calabria as symbol of their claims to the Kingdom of Naples. Additionally, they had a claim to the Duchy of Gelderland, inherited from Charles of Egmont, Duke of Gelderland.
Family
He married Claude of Valois, princess of France, daughter of king Henry II and Catherine de' Medici. He had the following children:
- Henry II, Duke of Lorraine (1563–1624) married Margerita Gonzaga
- Christine (1565–1637), married Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
- Charles (1567–1607), Cardinal of Lorraine and Bishop of Metz (1578–1607), Bishop of Strasbourg (1604–1607)
- Antoinette (1568–1610), married John William, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg.
- Anne (1569–1576)
- Francis II, Duke of Lorraine (1572–1632) married Christina of Salm
- Catherine (1573 † 1648), Abess de Remiremont
- Elisabeth Renata (1574–1635), married Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria
- Claude, 1575-1576.
Ancestors
| Charles III, Duke of Lorraine | Father: Francis I, Duke of Lorraine |
Paternal Grandfather: Antoine, Duke of Lorraine |
Paternal Great-grandfather: René II, Duke of Lorraine |
| Paternal Great-grandmother: Phillipa of Guelders | |||
| Paternal Grandmother: Renée of Bourbon-Montpensier |
Paternal Great-grandfather: Gilbert, Count of Montpensier | ||
| Paternal Great-grandmother: Chiara Gonzaga | |||
| Mother: Christina of Denmark |
Maternal Grandfather: Christian II of Denmark |
Maternal Great-grandfather: John of Denmark | |
| Maternal Great-grandmother: Christina of Saxony | |||
| Maternal Grandmother: Isabella of Austria |
Maternal Great-grandfather: Philip I of Castile | ||
| Maternal Great-grandmother: Joanna of Castile |
See also
