Margaret of Navarre facts for kids

Pendant showing Queen Margaret receiving a gift of relics from Bishop Reginald of Bath, around 1177

Margaret of Navarre (born around 1135 – died August 12, 1183) was the Queen of Sicily. She was married to King William I (who ruled from 1154 to 1166). After her husband died, she became the regent (a ruler who governs for a young king) for her son, William II, while he was still a child.

Queen of Sicily: Her Early Life and Role

Margaret was the daughter of King García Ramírez of Navarre and Marguerite de l'Aigle. She married William I of Sicily in 1149 when she was young. William was the fourth son of Roger II of Sicily.

During her husband's rule, Margaret was often left to manage things. King William spent a lot of his time away from the royal court. However, Margaret was seen as a strong and capable leader, perhaps even better at managing the kingdom than her husband. She often convinced him to take action when he preferred to do nothing.

She worked closely with Maio of Bari, who was a very important official in the king's government. They often teamed up to deal with people who opposed the king. During one revolt, Margaret and two of her sons were captured. Sadly, her eldest son died during this uprising.

Margaret as Regent: Leading the Kingdom

When King William I died, he wanted his oldest son to become king and his second son to receive the principality of Capua. This happened, and on the day William II was crowned, Queen Margaret announced a general pardon for everyone in the kingdom. This included rebellious nobles like Tancred, who was her husband's nephew.

As the new regent, Margaret also canceled one of her late husband's most unpopular decisions. He had made rebellious cities pay a lot of money to get back into the king's favor. Margaret stopped this practice.

Her first important task was to find a strong person to fill the empty position of admiral, as Maio had died. She chose a Muslim convert and eunuch named Peter. This choice made many high-ranking nobles and palace officials unhappy.

Challenges and Changes in Government

Queen Margaret did not trust the local nobles of Sicily. She wrote to her cousin, Rothrud, Archbishop of Rouen, asking him to send one of her French relatives to help her govern. Her cousin, Gilbert, Count of Gravina, was already in the south of Italy. He was an enemy of Peter and did not like Margaret's government.

Because of these problems between the court and the nobles, Peter left Sicily and returned to Tunisia, where he became a Muslim again. After Peter left, Margaret had to make her cousin Gilbert the leader of Apulia and Campania. She sent him to the mainland to prepare for a possible invasion by Frederick Barbarossa.

At this time, Margaret's popularity, which had been high because of her early good deeds, started to fall. People in the streets began to call her "the Spanish woman."

New Arrivals and More Problems

After Gilbert went to Apulia, Margaret's brother, Rodrigo, arrived in Palermo. Rodrigo changed his name to Henry. He would become a difficult and dangerous person for her son's rule later on. For now, Margaret sent him to Apulia with the title of Count of Montescaglioso.

Luckily for Margaret, another relative arrived around the same time. Rothrud of Rouen had sent word of Margaret's request to Stephen du Perche, another cousin. Stephen was on his way to a Crusade with many knights. He decided to stop in Palermo first. There, he was convinced to stay and was made chancellor in November 1166. Some of his knights, like Peter of Blois and Walter the Mill, became tutors for young King William II.

In 1167, Margaret tried to send money to Pope Alexander III in Rome, who was being attacked by their enemy, Emperor Barbarossa. However, later that year, she made a big mistake. She appointed Stephen to be the new archbishop of Palermo. This made not only the nobles but also the church leaders dislike the queen regent.

Her brother Henry caused more trouble by spreading false rumors about Margaret and Stephen. A large group of people started to plot against Stephen, but he was too quick, and the danger was stopped. Margaret eventually convinced Henry to leave Sicily for Spain by giving him money.

The End of Her Regency

In 1168, the problems with the rebellious nobles who opposed the French and Navarrese people at court became very serious. There were also rumors that King William had been harmed, and Stephen was forced to leave Sicily. Gilbert of Gravina was also sent away. In 1169, Peter of Blois also left.

Margaret was now left without her trusted relatives to help her son in Sicily. The government had been taken from her control. She protested her cousin Stephen's removal from the archbishop position and wrote to the pope and to Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, asking for their help to bring Stephen back. But she received no real help. Her active role as regent ended here, even though she was still legally the regent until her son became an adult in 1171.

Margaret's Legacy

Tomb of Margaret in Monreale Cathedral

Margaret lived until 1183. She left behind a Benedictine abbey (a type of monastery) at Santa Maria in Maniace and a church at San Marco d'Alunzio. She is buried in Monreale Cathedral in Palermo.

Her letters with Thomas Becket are interesting. Thomas wrote to her, thanking her for her support against King Henry II of England. There is also a golden pendant in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It has an inscription and shows Margaret and Bishop Reginald of Bath.

Historians have different views on Margaret's rule. Some earlier historians, like John Julius Norwich, thought she was not fit to govern. However, more recent historians, like Jacqueline Alio, who wrote a biography about Margaret, give her credit for ruling well during difficult times. Alio calls her "the most powerful woman in Europe for five eventful years" and "the most important woman of medieval Sicily."

Family Life

Margaret and William had four sons:

• Roger IV, Duke of Apulia, who died before his father.
• Robert, Prince of Capua, who also died before his father.
• William II of Sicily, who became king.
• Henry, Prince of Capua.

Sources

• Norwich, John Julius. The Kingdom in the Sun 1130–1194. Longman: London, 1970.

See also

In Spanish: Margarita de Navarra y Sicilia para niños