Henry II of Navarre

Henry II
Portrait by unknown French artist
King of Navarre
Reign	12 February 1517 – 25 May 1555
Predecessor	Catherine
Successor	Jeanne III
Born	(1503-04-18)18 April 1503 Sangüesa
Died	25 May 1555(1555-05-25) (aged 52) Hagetmau
Spouse	Margaret of Angouleme
Issue	Jeanne III
House	Albret
Father	John III of Navarre
Mother	Catherine of Navarre
Religion	Roman Catholic, although strongly sympathized with Calvinists throughout his life

Henry II (18 April 1503 – 25 May 1555), nicknamed Sangüesino because he was born at Sangüesa, was the King of Navarre from 1517, although his kingdom had been reduced to a small territory north of the Pyrenees by the Spanish conquest of 1512. Henry succeeded his mother, Queen Catherine, upon her death. His father was her husband and co-ruler, King John III, who died in 1516.

King of Navarre

After the latest failed reconquest attempt of Navarre in 1516, John III died, followed by Catherine I's demise in her independent dependencies of Béarn (1517). Heir apparent Henry was proclaimed King of Navarre, and was lavishly crowned in Lescar. The title was also claimed by Ferdinand II of Aragon, who had invaded the realm in 1512 and usurped the title, and the claim was continued by his grandson Charles V. Henry II enjoyed the protection of Francis I of France.

After ineffectual conferences at Noyon in 1516 and at Montpellier in 1518, an active effort was made in 1521 to establish him in de facto sovereignty in Pamplona and occupied territory. A French and Navarrese expedition made another attempt at reconquering occupied Navarre, but were ultimately repelled by Charles after the Battle of Noain (June 1521).

Henry in contemporary miniature

In 1525, Henry was taken prisoner at the Battle of Pavia, but he contrived to escape under a guise and in 1526, married Margaret, sister of King Francis I and widow of Charles, Duke of Alençon. In 1530, after the Treaty of Cambrai between Castile and France, Charles V evacuated the northernmost county (merindad) of Navarre, Lower Navarre, allowing Henry to seize it. The Pyrenean border between Lower and Upper Navarre now constitutes the Franco-Spanish border in this sector.

Henry had some strong sympathy with the Huguenots, and was fluent in both French and Spanish, according to the seigneur de Brantôme. He died at Hagetmau on 25 May 1555.

Marriage

In 1526, he married Margaret of Angoulême who became known as Marguerite de Navarre (11 April 1492 – 21 December 1549) and had issue:

1. Jeanne III of Navarre (16 November 1528 – 9 June 1572), mother of Henry IV of France
2. John (7 July 1530 – 25 December 1530)

Ancestry

Ancestors of Henry II of Navarre

16. Charles II, Lord of Albret 8. Jean I, Lord of Albret 17. Anne of Armagnac 4. Alain I, Lord of Albret 18. Alain IX, Viscount of Rohan 9. Catherine de Rohan 19. Marguerite de Dreux 2. John III of Navarre 20. Jean I de Châtillon 10. Guillaume de Châtillon 21. Marguerite de Clisson 5. Françoise de Châtillon 22. Bertrand V, Count of Auvergne 11. Isabelle de La Tour d'Auvergne 23. Jacquette du Peschin 1. Henry II of Navarre 24. John I, Count of Foix 12. Gaston IV, Count of Foix 25. Jeanne d'Albret 6. Gaston, Prince of Viana 26. John II of Aragon 13. Eleanor of Navarre 27. Blanche I of Navarre 3. Catherine of Navarre 28. Charles VI of France 14. Charles VII of France 29. Isabeau of Bavaria 7. Madeleine of Valois 30. Louis II of Naples 15. Marie of Anjou 31. Yolande of Aragon

Sources

• Cholakian, Patricia Francis; Cholakian, Rouben Charles (2006). Marguerite de Navarre: Mother of the Renaissance. Columbia University Press. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Commire, Anne (2000). Women in World History. Vol. Volume 10. {{cite book}}: |volume= has extra text (help); Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Hillgarth, J. N. (2000). The Mirror of Spain, 1500–1700: The Formation of a Myth. University of Michigan. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Stephenson, Barbara (2017). The Power and Patronage of Marguerite de Navarre. Routledge. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Tucker, Spencer C., ed. (2011). A Global Chronology of Conflict:From the Ancient World to the Modern Middle East. Vol. Vol. II. ABC-CLIO. {{cite book}}: |volume= has extra text (help); Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Vernier, Richard (2008). Lord of the Pyrenees: Gaston Fébus, Count of Foix (1331-1391). The Boydell Press. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)