Maria of Navarre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Maria of Navarre |
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The seal of Queen Maria
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| Queen consort of Aragon | |
| Tenure | 1338–1347 |
| Born | 1329 |
| Died | 29 April 1347 (aged 18) |
| Spouse | Peter IV of Aragon |
| Issue | Constance, Queen of Sicily Joanna, Countess of Ampurias |
| House | Évreux |
| Father | Philip III of Navarre |
| Mother | Joan II of Navarre |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Maria of Navarre (born 1329 – died 29 April 1347) was a queen. She was the first of four wives of Peter IV of Aragon. Maria was Queen of Aragon from 1338 until her death.
Early Life
Maria was born in 1329. She was the second child of Joan II of Navarre and Philip III of Navarre. Her parents became rulers of the Kingdom of Navarre a year before she was born.
They wanted to make friends with their neighbors in Spain. In 1333, they planned for Maria's older sister, Joan, to marry Peter. Peter was the future king of Aragon.
But Peter, who became king in 1336, liked Maria better. So, her sister Joan gave up her right to marry Peter. This allowed Maria to marry him instead.
Becoming Queen
The marriage agreement was signed on January 6, 1336. This happened at her father's castle in Anet. The agreement said that if Maria's mother died without sons, Maria or her children would inherit the crown of Navarre.
The wedding took place on July 25, 1337. It was held near Zaragoza. Even though there were problems with paying her dowry (money or property brought by a bride to her husband), Maria's husband and her parents got along well.
Maria received some towns from Peter as her dower (property given to a wife for her use after her husband's death). These towns were Jaca, Tarragona, and Teruel. In 1338, Queen Maria made her special entry into Barcelona. Barcelona was the capital of the Crown of Aragon.
Royal Family Life
Queen Maria was a very religious and obedient wife. She probably didn't have much in common with her husband. Their first child, Constance, was born in 1343.
Then came Joanna in 1344. Their third daughter, Maria, was born in 1345 or 1346. For nine years, they did not have a son. This was a problem for the kingdom.
In 1347, Peter tried to make their oldest daughter, Constance, the next ruler. But his brother and the Aragonese parliament disagreed. On April 23, in Valencia, Queen Maria gave birth to a son. They named him Peter.
Sadly, the baby died the very next day. Queen Maria also died on April 29. She passed away due to problems from childbirth. In her will, she left her rights to Navarre to her son, and then to her daughters.
She wanted to be buried in Poblet Monastery. However, she was buried in the Monastery of Saint Vincent in Valencia instead. Her husband remarried just a few months later.
See also
In Spanish: María de Navarra para niños
