John II, Duke of Lorraine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids John II |
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| Duke of Calabria | |
| Reign | 1435–1470 |
| Predecessor | René of Anjou |
| Successor | Nicholas I, Duke of Lorraine |
| Duke of Lorraine | |
| Reign | 1453–1470 |
| Predecessor | Isabella and René of Anjou |
| Successor | Nicholas I, Duke of Lorraine |
| Prince of Girona (Claimant) | |
| Reign | 1466–1470 |
| Predecessor | Charles, Prince of Viana |
| Successor | Ferdinand II of Aragon |
| Born | 2 August 1426 Nancy |
| Died | 16 December 1470 (aged 44) Barcelona |
| Spouse | Marie de Bourbon |
| Issue | Isabelle Jean René Marie Nicholas I, Duke of Lorraine John Albert Jeanne d'Abancourt Marguerite Daughter |
| House | Anjou |
| Father | René, King of Naples |
| Mother | Isabella, Duchess of Lorraine |
John II of Anjou (born August 2, 1426, in Nancy – died December 16, 1470, in Barcelona) was an important duke in European history. He was the Duke of Lorraine from 1453 until his death. John was the son of René of Anjou and Isabella, Duchess of Lorraine. He was married to Marie de Bourbon.
Becoming a Duke
John became the Duke of Lorraine after his mother, Duchess Isabella, passed away. This happened while his father, René of Anjou, was still alive. His father was also a Duke of Lorraine and claimed the title of king of Naples.
As the expected future ruler of Naples, John was known as the Duke of Calabria. He spent a lot of his time trying to help his family, the Angevins, get back control of Naples.
In 1460, John won a big battle against Ferdinand, the king of Naples, at Nola. However, he couldn't stop other rulers from helping Ferdinand. John faced defeats in other battles, like at Troia in 1462 and Ischia in 1465.
In 1466, people in Catalonia chose John's father to be their King of Aragon. Because of this, John was given the title of Prince of Girona, as he was next in line for that throne. He traveled to Catalonia to support his family's claims. Sadly, he died there in Barcelona, possibly due to poison.
Family Life
In 1444, John married Marie de Bourbon (1428–1448). Marie was the daughter of Charles I, Duke of Bourbon. Her family, the House of Bourbon, was very powerful. Marie was the only Duchess consort of Lorraine from the House of Valois-Anjou family line.
Their marriage agreement was signed in April 1437. However, the wedding ceremony happened around 1444 when Marie was older.
Marie and John had five children together:
- Isabelle (born and died in 1445)
- Jean (1445–1471)
- René (born and died in 1446)
- Marie (born and died in 1447)
- Nicholas (1448–1473)
Marie passed away on July 7, 1448, after giving birth to their last child, Nicholas. Nicholas was their only child who survived to adulthood. Marie was buried in Meurthe-et-Moselle, France.
John also had several children outside of his marriage:
- John (died 1504), who became the Count of Briey.
- Albert, who was known as seigneur d'Essey.
- Jeanne d'Abancourt.
- A daughter named Marguerite.
- Another daughter.
See also
