James II, Count of Urgell
| James II the unlucky | |
|---|---|
Margarete Palaiologue |
James II (in
Count of Urgell (1408–1413), Viscount of Àger, and lord of Antillón, Alcolea de Cinca, and Fraga. Scion of a younger branch of the House of Barcelona and its last male member, he was the centre of opposition to the House of Trastámara after it succeeded to the Crown of Aragon
in 1412.
Born at
Isabella, daughter of Peter IV of Aragon,[2] who appointed him lieutenant of the Kingdom of Aragon in 1408.[3]
Following the death in 1409 of
Ferdinand of Antequera was elected instead.[3]
Influenced by his mother, Margaret of Montferrat, and by Antón de Luna, James II of Urgell refused to recognise Ferdinand as king and took up arms against him. Defeated at Castefrorite and Montearagón, James took refuge in the castle of Balaguer which was under siege by the royal troops. He surrendered on 31 October 1413 and was imprisoned in Teruel and then Xàtiva where he died twenty years later.
Marriage and issue
James and
Isabella
had:
- Peter, Duke of Coimbra, in 1428[2]
- Eleanor (1414–1438), married Raimon Orsini in 1436;
- Joanna (1415–1455), married Joan Ramon Folc III de Cardona in 1445; had three children, including Juan Ramón Folc IV de Cardona, the first Duke of Cardona.
- Philip, who died around 1422 while still young;
- Catherine, who also died young, not long after Philip (c. 1424).
References
- ^ Silleras-Fernandez 2008, p. v.
- ^ a b Brown-Grant & Damen 2022, p. 164.
- ^ a b Earenfight 2003, p. 208.
Sources
- Brown-Grant, Rosalind; Damen, Mario, eds. (2022). A Chivalric Life: The Book of the Deeds of Messire Jacques de Lalaing. The Boydell Press.
- Earenfight, Theresa (2003). "Caspe, Compromise of". In Gerli, E. Michael (ed.). Medieval Iberia: An Encyclopedia. Routledge. p. 208.
- Silleras-Fernandez, N. (2008). Power, Piety, and Patronage in Late Medieval Queenship: Maria de Luna. Palgrave Macmillan.