Philibert II, Duke of Savoy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Philibert II
Walnut wood bust by Conrad Meit, between 1515–1525
Duke of Savoy
Reign	7 November 1497 – 10 September 1504
Predecessor	Philip II
Successor	Charles III
Born	10 April 1480 Pont-d'Ain
Died	10 September 1504(1504-09-10) (aged 24)
Spouse	Yolande Louise of Savoy Margaret of Austria
House	Savoy
Father	Philip II of Savoy
Mother	Marguerite of Bourbon

Philibert II (born April 10, 1480 – died September 10, 1504) was known as the Handsome or the Good. He was the Duke of Savoy from 1497 until he passed away.

Life of Philibert II

Philibert II, Duke of Savoy, shown on a coin from 1500.

Philibert was born in a place called Pont-d'Ain. His father was Philip the Landless, and his mother was Marguerite of Bourbon. In 1496, something surprising happened: Philibert's father became the Duke of Savoy. This happened because his young grandnephew, Duke Charles II of Savoy, died without any children.

Philibert's First Marriage and Royal Claims

In the same year, when Philibert was 16, he married his cousin, Yolande Louise of Savoy. She was only 9 years old at the time. Yolande was the sister of the Duke who had passed away. She was also the granddaughter of Philibert's uncle, Duke Amadeus IX of Savoy.

Yolande was very important because she was the main heir to her family's titles. After her brother died, she had a claim to be Queen of Cyprus, Jerusalem, and Armenia. Even though she had these claims, Philibert's father took these titles for himself.

Becoming Duke of Savoy

Coat of Arms of the Dukes of Savoy.

Philibert's father, Philip II, ruled for only a short time. He died in 1497, and Philibert became the new Duke of Savoy. After this, Philibert and Yolande started using the titles of King and Queen of Cyprus, Jerusalem, and Armenia.

Sadly, Yolande, Philibert's first wife, died in 1499. She was only 12 years old and they did not have any children. Even after her death, Philibert continued to use the titles of Cyprus and the other kingdoms.

Philibert's Second Marriage and European Connections

Margaret of Austria, Philibert's second wife, painted by Bernard van Orley.

Philibert's next marriage connected him to a very powerful family in Europe, the Habsburgs. This family ruled many lands, including the Netherlands, Austria, and more. In 1501, Philibert married Margaret of Austria. She was the only daughter of Maximilian I, who was a Holy Roman Emperor.

Margaret had been married before to John, Prince of Asturias, who was supposed to become king of Spain. This marriage showed how important Philibert was in European politics.

Challenges and Early Death

During Philibert's rule, the King of France, Louis XII, invaded Italy. France took over much of Naples and also Milan. Milan was right next to Savoy, which meant Philibert's lands were now between French territories.

Philibert died in 1504 when he was only 24 years old. He did not have any children. Because of this, his younger half-brother, Charles III, became the next Duke of Savoy.

Philibert's Family

A sketch of Philibert's tomb by Adrian Dauzats in 1836, located at the Eglise de Brou.

Philibert married two times:

• His first wife was Yolande Louise of Savoy (1487–1499). She was the daughter of his cousin, Charles I of Savoy.
• His second wife was Margaret of Austria, Duchess of Savoy. She later became a very important leader, serving as the Governor of the Netherlands. Margaret was the daughter of Maximilian I and Mary of Burgundy. Philibert and Margaret did not have any children together.