María de la Cerda facts for kids
Quick facts for kids María de la Cerda |
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| Countess of Étampes | |
| Reign | 1335-1336 |
| Countess of Alençon | |
| Tenure | 1336-1346 |
| Born | 1319 |
| Died | 13 March 1375 Paris |
| Spouse | Charles d'Évreux Charles II, Count of Alençon |
| Issue among others... |
Louis II d'Évreux Charles III of Alençon Peter II of Alençon Robert of Alençon |
| House | House of la Cerda |
| Father | Fernando de la Cerda |
| Mother | Juana Núñez de Lara |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Maria de la Cerda y de Lara was a noblewoman born in 1319. She was the youngest daughter of Fernando de la Cerda and Juana Núñez de Lara. Maria belonged to an important family from Castile, a kingdom in what is now Spain. Through her second marriage, she became the Countess of Alençon in France.
Contents
Maria's Early Life and Marriages
Maria was very young when her father died. She was only three years old at the time. Her mother, Juana Núñez de Lara, passed away much later in 1351.
In April 1335, Maria married her first husband, Charles d'Évreux, in a town called Poissy. Their marriage lasted only one year. During this time, they had twin sons. Charles died on September 5, 1336. This left Maria a widow at just seventeen years old, with two young children to care for.
Just three months after Charles's death, Maria married again. Her second husband was Charles II, Count of Alençon. This was also a second marriage for him, as his first wife had died the year before. Maria and Charles II were married for nine years. Sadly, Charles II died during a famous battle called the Battle of Crécy. This battle was a major event in the Hundred Years' War between England and France.
Maria de la Cerda y de Lara passed away in Paris on March 13, 1375. She was buried next to her second husband in a church called the Couvent des Jacobins in Paris. Although the church no longer exists, statues of Maria and Charles II can now be seen in the Basilica of St Denis.
Maria's Children
Maria had children with both of her husbands.
Children with Charles d'Évreux
With her first husband, Charles d'Évreux, Maria had twin sons:
- Louis II d'Évreux (1336–1400): He later married a woman named Jeanne.
- John (1336 – after 1373): He lived until at least 1373 and was in Rome at that time.
Children with Charles II of Alençon
With her second husband, Charles II of Alençon, Maria had several children:
- Charles III of Alençon (1337 – July 5, 1375): He died in Lyon.
- Philippe of Alençon (1338–1397): He became a very important church leader. He was a Bishop of Beauvais, then a Cardinal, and held several other high positions in the church.
- Peter II of Alençon (1340 – September 20, 1404)
- Isabelle (1342 – September 3, 1379): She became a nun.
- Robert of Alençon (1344–1377): He became the Count of Perche and married Jeanne in 1374.
See also
In Spanish: María de Lara para niños
