Stephanie, Queen of Navarre facts for kids

Tomb monument of Stephanie in Santa María la Real, Nájera, La Rioja.

Stephanie (also known as Estefania) was a queen of Navarre, a kingdom that existed long ago in what is now Spain. She became queen by marrying García Sánchez III of Navarre. She lived a long time ago, dying sometime after the year 1066. Historians aren't completely sure about who her parents were.

Who Was Queen Stephanie?

Stephanie's exact birth date isn't known. We first learn about her in old documents from around 1038 to 1040, where she is mentioned as the wife of King García.

Her Family Background

There are two main ideas about who Stephanie's parents were:

• Some historians believe she was the daughter of Berenguer Ramon I, Count of Barcelona. He was an important ruler in a region called Barcelona.
• Other historians think her parents were Bernard-Roger, Count of Bigorre, and his wife Garsenda. Bigorre was another important area in that time.

Was Stephanie Married Before?

Some old stories suggest that Stephanie might have been married once before she became queen of Navarre. One story tells that she had a daughter from an earlier marriage. This daughter was supposed to marry a prince named Sancho II of Castile. However, the story says that one of King García's sons (who was not Stephanie's son) ended up marrying her instead. This shows that Stephanie might have had a child before she married King García.

Stephanie's Children

Stephanie and King García had several children together. These children were:

• Sancho IV, who later became the King of Navarre. He was also known as "El de Peñalén." He married a woman named Placencia.
• Ramiro, who became a lord in a place called Calahorra.
• Ferdinand Garcés, who was the lord of Bucesta.
• Raymond Garcés, also known as "the Fratricide." He was the lord of Murillo and Cameros.
• Ermesinda Garcés, who married Fortún Sánchez de Yarnoz.
• Mayor Garcés.
• Urraca Garcés, who married a Castilian count named García Ordóñez.
• Jimena.

Stephanie may also have had another child from her possible first marriage:

• Constanza, who married Sancho Garcés, Lord of Uncastillo.

See also

In Spanish: Estefanía (reina de Pamplona) para niños