Frederick III, Duke of Lorraine facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Frederick III
SIGILLUM FREDERICI LOT[HARING]IE ET MARCH[IONIS]
Duke of Lorraine
Reign	9 February 1251 - 31 December 1303
Predecessor	Matthias II, Duke of Lorraine
Successor	Theobald II, Duke of Lorraine
Born	1240
Died	31 December 1303
Spouse	Margaret of Navarre
Issue	Theobald II, Duke of Lorraine Matthias Frederick Frederick Gerard Isabella Catherine Agnes Margaret
House	House of Lorraine
Father	Matthias II, Duke of Lorraine
Mother	Catherine of Limburg

Frederick III (also known as Ferry) was the Duke of Lorraine from 1251 until he passed away in 1303. He was born in 1240. Frederick was the only son of Matthias II and Catherine of Limburg.

When his father died, Frederick was not yet 13 years old. Because he was so young, his mother, Catherine, ruled Lorraine for him as a regent for several years. A regent is someone who governs a country when the rightful ruler is too young or unable to rule.

In 1255, Frederick married Margaret. She was the daughter of King Theobald I of Navarre and Margaret of Bourbon. Margaret's father was also the Count of Champagne. This marriage helped Lorraine become more connected to France. It also started some disagreements between French and German influences in the region.

When Margaret's niece, Joan I of Navarre, married Philip the Fair in 1284, the ties to France grew even stronger. Philip later became the King of France. The dukes of Lorraine had been loyal to the Holy Roman Emperor for a long time. However, this loyalty began to weaken in the 1200s. French influence became very strong, and Lorraine eventually became part of France much later, in 1766.

Challenges and Conflicts

During his time as duke, Frederick had some disagreements with the bishops of Metz. These conflicts became so serious that Pope Clement IV took action against him. The Pope excommunicated Frederick, which meant he was no longer allowed to be part of the Catholic Church. The Pope also put his duchy under an interdict. An interdict meant that certain church services and sacraments were forbidden in Lorraine.

In 1257, there was a big election for the King of Germany. After King William of Holland died, two people claimed to be the new king: Richard, Earl of Cornwall and Alfonso X of Castile. Frederick of Lorraine chose to support Alfonso. Alfonso was related to the powerful Hohenstaufen family through his mother. The two kings didn't fight much. After Richard died, Rudolf of Habsburg was elected king in 1273. Alfonso then gave up his claim, and the kingdom became united again.

His Family

Frederick and his wife Margaret had several children together. Their most important child was their son, Theobald.

• Theobald (1263–1312), who became the next Duke of Lorraine after his father.
• Matthias (died 1282)
• Frederick (died 1299), who became a bishop.
• Frederick (died c. 1320)
• Gerard (known 1317)
• Isabelle (died 1335)
• Catherine
• Agnes
• Margaret

See also

• Dukes of Lorraine family tree