John III, Duke of Brittany
Encyclopedia
John III the Good (8 March 1286 – 30 April 1341) was duke of Brittany
, from 1312 to his death. He was son of Duke Arthur II
and Mary of Limoges, his first wife. John was strongly opposed his father's second marriage to Yolande of Dreux, Queen of Scotland after Mary's death, attempting to contest its legality.
In 1297, John was married to his first wife Isabelle of Valois, eldest daughter of Charles of Valois
and his first wife Marguerite of Anjou and Maine
. Her maternal grandparents were Charles II of Naples
and Maria Arpad of Hungary
. At the time of their marriage John was eleven years old and his bride only five.
Isabelle died childless in 1309. In 1310, John married his second wife Isabella of Castile
, daughter of Sancho IV of Castile
and his wife María de Molina
. John was twenty-four years old and Isabella twenty-seven.
Isabella died childless in 1328. In 1329, John married his third wife Joan of Savoy
, only child of Edward, Count of Savoy
and Blanche of Burgundy. Her maternal grandparents were Robert II, Duke of Burgundy
and Agnes of France, Duchess of Burgundy
. John was forty-three years old and Joan about nineteen.
He predeceased his third wife by three years and remained childless. He was unwilling to cede the Duchy to his half-brother, John of Montfort
, son of his hated step-mother. He wished to leave the Duchy to the French king, but his nobles objected. The marriage of his niece Joanna of Dreux to Charles of Blois gave Charles a plausible claim to the Duchy, but the matter was unresolved at John's death.
After his death John de Montfort claimed his rights as Duke, but French monarchy supported the Blois faction, triggering the Breton War of Succession
(1341–1364), which opposed the House of Blois to the House of Montfort. This civil war became part of the Hundred Years' War
, as England supported the Montfort faction against the French support for the House of Blois.
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Duke of Brittany
The Duchy of Brittany was a medieval tribal and feudal state covering the northwestern peninsula of Europe,bordered by the Alantic Ocean on the west and the English Channel to the north with less definitive borders of the Loire River to the south and Normandy to the east...
, from 1312 to his death. He was son of Duke Arthur II
Arthur II, Duke of Brittany
Arthur II , of the House of Dreux, was Duke of Brittany from 1305 to his death. He was the first son of John II and Beatrice, daughter of Henry III of England and Eleanor of Provence....
and Mary of Limoges, his first wife. John was strongly opposed his father's second marriage to Yolande of Dreux, Queen of Scotland after Mary's death, attempting to contest its legality.
In 1297, John was married to his first wife Isabelle of Valois, eldest daughter of Charles of Valois
Charles of Valois
Charles of Valois was the fourth son of Philip III of France and Isabella of Aragon. His mother was a daughter of James I of Aragon and Yolande of Hungary. He was a member of the House of Capet and founded the House of Valois...
and his first wife Marguerite of Anjou and Maine
Marguerite of Anjou and Maine
Margaret of Naples was Countess of Anjou and Maine in her own right. Margaret's father was the King Charles II of Naples, her husband was Charles of Valois, and her older brother was Saint Louis of Toulouse, and her nephew was the King Charles I of Hungary.-Biography:Margaret was a daughter of...
. Her maternal grandparents were Charles II of Naples
Charles II of Naples
Charles II, known as "the Lame" was King of Naples, King of Albania, Prince of Salerno, Prince of Achaea and Count of Anjou.-Biography:...
and Maria Arpad of Hungary
Maria Arpad of Hungary
Mary of Hungary , of the Árpád dynasty, was Queen consort of the Kingdom of Naples. She was a daughter of Stephen V of Hungary and his wife Elizabeth the Cuman.-Family:Mary's mother followed the Shamanist religion, like other Cumans...
. At the time of their marriage John was eleven years old and his bride only five.
Isabelle died childless in 1309. In 1310, John married his second wife Isabella of Castile
Isabella of Castile, Duchess of Brittany
Infanta Isabella of Castile , Viscountess of Limoges, was the first Queen consort of James II of Aragon and the second wife of John III, Duke of Brittany.-Family:...
, daughter of Sancho IV of Castile
Sancho IV of Castile
Sancho IV the Brave was the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1284 to his death. He was the second son of Alfonso X and Yolanda, daughter of James I of Aragon.-Biography:...
and his wife María de Molina
María de Molina
María de Molina was the wife of Sancho IV of Castile. She was queen consort of Castile and León from 1284 to 1295 and then regent until the coming of age of her son Ferdinand IV.- Biography :...
. John was twenty-four years old and Isabella twenty-seven.
Isabella died childless in 1328. In 1329, John married his third wife Joan of Savoy
Joan of Savoy
Joan of Savoy also known as Giovanna di Savoia , was Duchess consort of Brittany, wife of John III, Duke of Brittany. Joan was also a claimant to the County of Savoy upon the death of her father...
, only child of Edward, Count of Savoy
Edward, Count of Savoy
Edward , surnamed the Liberal, was the Count of Savoy from 1323 to 1329.He was married to Blanche of Burgundy, daughter of Robert II, Duke of Burgundy and Agnes of France, Duchess of Burgundy. They had a daughter, Joan , who married to John III the Good, duke of Brittany. but was...
and Blanche of Burgundy. Her maternal grandparents were Robert II, Duke of Burgundy
Robert II, Duke of Burgundy
Robert II of Burgundy was duke of Burgundy between 1271 and 1306, inheriting the title from his brother Eudes of Burgundy, who had no male heirs. Robert was the third son of duke Hugh IV and Yolande of Dreux...
and Agnes of France, Duchess of Burgundy
Agnes of France, Duchess of Burgundy
Agnes of France , Daughter of France by birth, was the youngest daughter of Louis IX of France and Margaret of Provence. She served as regent of Burgundy during the minority of her son.- Family :...
. John was forty-three years old and Joan about nineteen.
He predeceased his third wife by three years and remained childless. He was unwilling to cede the Duchy to his half-brother, John of Montfort
John IV, Duke of Brittany
John IV of Montfort , was duke of Brittany, from 1341 to his death. He was son of Duke Arthur II and Yolande de Dreux, countess of Montfort, his second wife.In 1322 he succeeded his mother as count of Montfort, and in 1329, he married Joanna of Flanders at Chartres...
, son of his hated step-mother. He wished to leave the Duchy to the French king, but his nobles objected. The marriage of his niece Joanna of Dreux to Charles of Blois gave Charles a plausible claim to the Duchy, but the matter was unresolved at John's death.
After his death John de Montfort claimed his rights as Duke, but French monarchy supported the Blois faction, triggering the Breton War of Succession
Breton War of Succession
The Breton War of Succession was a conflict between the Houses of Blois and Montfort for control of the Duchy of Brittany. It was fought between 1341 and 1364. It formed an integral part of the early Hundred Years War due to the involvement of the French and English governments in the conflict; the...
(1341–1364), which opposed the House of Blois to the House of Montfort. This civil war became part of the Hundred Years' War
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was a series of separate wars waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet, also known as the House of Anjou, for the French throne, which had become vacant upon the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings...
, as England supported the Montfort faction against the French support for the House of Blois.
See also
- Dukes of Brittany family treeDukes of Brittany family treeThis is a family tree of the Dukes of Brittany from the 9th century, to the annexation of Brittany by France in 1532.See also: Brittany - List of family trees...
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