Name Antoine Navarre | Co-monarch Jeanne III Siblings Louis, Prince of Conde Burial Vendome | |
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Reign 25 May 1555 – 17 November 1562 Issue Henry IV, King of FranceCatherine, Hereditary Princess of Lorraine Children Henry IV of France, Catherine de Bourbon Parents Francoise d'Alencon, Charles, Duke of Vendome Similar People Jeanne d'Albret, Henry IV of France, Henry II of Navarre, Louis - Prince of Conde, Charles de Bourbon | ||
Antoine of Navarre
Antoine (in English, Anthony; 22 April 1518 – 17 November 1562) was the King of Navarre through his marriage (jure uxoris) to Queen Jeanne III, from 1555 until his death. He was the first monarch of the House of Bourbon, of which he was head from 1537. He was the father of Henry IV of France.
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Family
He was born at La Fère, Picardy, France, the second son of Charles de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme (1489–1537), and his wife, Françoise of Alençon (died 1550). He was the older brother of Louis I de Bourbon, Prince de Condé.
Marriage
On 20 October 1548, at Moulins, he married Jeanne III, Queen regnant of Navarre, daughter of Henry II of Navarre and his wife Margaret of Angoulême. By his marriage, he became King of Navarre, Count of Foix, of Bigorre, of Armagnac, of Périgord, and Viscount of Béarn. It was reported that Jeanne was much in love with him, but his subsequent actions show that he had little loyalty to her. The southern territory of the Kingdom of Navarre had been occupied by the Spanish since 1512, and Antoine tried to re-establish it. He was ready to sacrifice anything to his political interests.
Religion
Antoine appears not to have had real religious conviction and officially changed religions several times. His reconversion to Catholicism separated him from his wife and he threatened to repudiate her. He had an affair with Louise de La Béraudière de l'Isle Rouhet, "la belle Rouet," with whom he had a son, Charles III de Bourbon (1554–1610) who became archbishop of Rouen.
Although his brother Louis was the head of the Protestant faction, Antoine spent most of his life fighting for the King of France. Catherine de' Medici, regent for her son Charles IX, named him lieutenant general of the kingdom in 1561. When his wife allowed the Huguenots to sack the chapel of Vendôme and the churches of the town in 1562, he threatened to send her to a convent. She took refuge in Béarn.
Antoine was vain and unstable. He often disappointed his followers and was manipulated by his superiors and out-witted by his adversaries.
He laid siege to Rouen and was mortally wounded on 13 November 1562. He died at Les Andelys, Eure.
Issue
With his wife, Jeanne III of Navarre, he had the following issue:
With his mistress, Louise de La Béraudière de l'Isle Rouhet, King Anthony had a son named Charles. Charles was Archbishop of Rouen from 1554 until 1610.