Magdalena of Valois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Magdalena of Valois |
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| Princess of Viana | |
Madeleine of France, as betrothed of Ladislaus the Posthumous, ca 1457
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| Born | 1 December 1443 Tours |
| Died | 21 January 1495 (aged 51) Pamplona |
| Burial | Pamplona Cathedral |
| Spouse | Gaston of Foix, Prince of Viana |
| Issue | Francis Phoebus, King of Navarre Catherine, Queen of Navarre |
| House | Valois |
| Father | Charles VII, King of France |
| Mother | Marie of Anjou |
Madeleine of France, also known as Magdalena of Valois (born December 1, 1443 – died January 21, 1495), was a French princess. She became the Princess of Viana when she married Gaston of Foix.
Madeleine was a very important person in the history of Navarre. She served as the regent of Navarre from 1479 to 1494. This means she ruled the country for her two young children, who both later became monarchs of Navarre: Francis I and Catherine I.
Contents
Early Life and First Engagement
Madeleine was born in Tours, France, on December 1, 1443. She was a younger daughter of Charles VII of France, who was the King of France, and Marie of Anjou.
When she was a teenager, Madeleine was planned to marry Ladislaus the Posthumous. He was a very important ruler in Central Europe. However, Ladislaus sadly died suddenly in Prague in 1457, just before their wedding. For a long time, people thought he might have been poisoned. But in the 20th century, scientists discovered that he actually died from a disease called leukemia. People in the 1400s didn't know about this illness.
Marriage and Family
Instead of Ladislaus, Madeleine married Gaston, Prince of Viana. Gaston was the son and heir of Gaston IV of Foix and Eleanor of Navarre. Their wedding took place in 1461 in Saint-Jean-d'Angély, France.
Madeleine and Gaston had two children:
- Francis Phoebus (born 1466 – died 1483), who later became the King of Navarre.
- Catherine (born 1470 – died 1517), who became the Queen of Navarre. She married John of Albret in 1484.
Madeleine's husband, Gaston, died in 1470. This was before his own father, Gaston IV, passed away. So, when Gaston IV died in 1472, his lands and titles went to Madeleine's son, Francis Phoebus.
In 1479, Francis Phoebus became the heir to the throne of Navarre. This happened after the death of his great-grandfather, John II of Aragon and Navarre. John II left Navarre to Madeleine's mother-in-law, Eleanor. Eleanor was queen for only a few weeks before she also died.
When Francis Phoebus became king, he was still very young. So, his mother, Madeleine, became the regent. This meant she ruled Navarre on his behalf. She continued to be regent until Francis Phoebus died in 1483, when he was only 17 years old.
After Francis Phoebus's death, Madeleine continued her role as regent, but this time for her daughter, Catherine. She ruled for Catherine until 1494. During this time, Madeleine had to deal with challenges from her brother-in-law, John of Foix. He believed he should be the King of Navarre because he was the closest male relative after Francis Phoebus.
Later Years and End of Regency
In 1483, Madeleine arranged for her daughter Catherine to marry a French nobleman. This was suggested by the King of France. Madeleine did not want Catherine to marry the heir to the throne of Castile and Aragon. She hoped that an alliance with France would help protect Navarre from being taken over by Castile and Aragon.
The marriage contract for Catherine was signed in 1484, and the wedding took place in 1486. Madeleine continued to be regent even after Catherine's marriage and after Catherine had her own child in 1491. She even continued to rule after Catherine was officially crowned queen in 1494. Records show that Madeleine was still signing important documents and was mentioned first as regent, even though her daughter and son-in-law were adults.
Madeleine's time as regent ended in 1494 when she was taken hostage by Ferdinand II of Aragon. After this, her daughter Catherine and son-in-law officially took over as the active rulers of Navarre. Madeleine died the following year in Pamplona. Her death led to new conflicts over who should rule Navarre.
Madeleine's family line became very important for the French throne later on. Her descendant, Henry III of Navarre, eventually became the King of France in 1589. This brought the descendants of earlier French kings, Charles VI and Charles VII, back to the French throne.
Images for kids
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Madeleine of France, as betrothed of Ladislaus the Posthumous, around 1457.
See also
In Spanish: Magdalena de Francia para niños
