Information about John Ii Of France
| John II the Good | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| King of France (more...) | |||
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| Portrait of John painted on wood panel around 1350, Louvre Museum | |||
| Reign | 22 August 1350 – 8 April 1364 | ||
| Coronation | 26 September 1350, Reims | ||
| Titles | Count of Anjou and Maine, Duke of Normandy (1332 – 1350) Count of Poitiers (1344 – 1350) Duke of Guyenne (1345 – 1350) John I, Duke of Burgundy (1361-1363) Jure uxoris Count of Auvergne and Boulogne (1349–1360) | ||
| Born | 16 March 1319 | ||
| Died | 8 March 1364 (aged 46) | ||
| Savoy Palace, London, England | |||
| Buried | Saint Denis Basilica | ||
| Predecessor | Philip VI | ||
| Successor | Charles V | ||
| Consort | Bonne of Bohemia (1315-1349) Joanna I of Auvergne (1326-1360) | ||
| Issue | Charles V (1338-1380) Louis of Anjou (1339-1384) John, Duke of Berry (1340-1416) Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (1342-1404) Jeanne, Queen of Navarre (1343-1373) | ||
| Royal House | Valois Dynasty | ||
| Father | Philip VI (1293-1350) | ||
| Mother | Joan of Burgundy (1293-1348) | ||
John II (16 April 1319 – 8 April 1364), called the Good, was Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, and Duke of Normandy from 1332, Count of Poitiers from 1344, Duke of Aquitaine from 1345, and King of France from 1350 until his death, as well as Duke of Burgundy (as John I) from 1361 to 1363. By his marriage to Joanna I, Countess of Auvergne and Boulogne, he became Count by marriage of Auvergne and Boulogne from 1349 to 1360. John was a member of the House of Valois, and was the son of Philippe VI and Jeanne of Burgundy.
John's coronation as king took place in 1350 in the Notre-Dame de Reims. As king, John surrounded himself with poor administrators, preferring to enjoy the good life his wealth as king brought. The men he relied on to administer his kingdom were brutal thieves but eventually King Jean changed.
In 1354, John's son-in-law Charles II of Navarre was implicated in the assassination of the Constable of France, Charles de la Cerda. Nevertheless, in order to have a strategic ally against the English in Gascony, on 22 February 1354, John signed the Treaty of Mantes with Charles. The peace did not last between the two and Charles eventually struck up an alliance with Henry of Grosmont, the first Duke of Lancaster. The next year (1355), John signed the Treaty of Valognes with Charles, but this second peace lasted hardly longer than the first. In 1355, the Hundred Years' War flared up again.
In the Battle of Poitiers (1356) against Edward, the Black Prince, (son of King Edward III of England), John suffered a humiliating defeat and was taken as captive back to England. While negotiating a peace accord, he was at first held in the Savoy Palace, then at a variety of locations, including Windsor, Hertford, Somerton Castle in Lincolnshire, Berkhamsted Castle in Hertfordshire and briefly at King John's Lodge, formerly known as Shortridges, in East Sussex. A local tradition in St Albans is that he was held in a house in that town, at the site of the 15th-century Fleur de Lys inn, before he was moved to Hertford. There is a sign on the inn to that effect, but apparently no evidence to confirm the tradition [1]. Eventually, John was taken to the Tower of London.
As a prisoner of the English, John was granted royal privileges, permitting him to travel about and to enjoy a regal lifestyle. At a time when law and order was breaking down in France and the government was having a hard time raising money for the defense of the realm, his account books during his captivity show that he was purchasing horses, pets, and clothes while maintaining an astrologer and a court band.
The Treaty of Brétigny (1360) set his ransom at 3,000,000 crowns. Leaving his son Louis of Anjou in English-held Calais as a replacement hostage, John was allowed to return to France to raise the funds.
While King John tried to raise the money, his son Louis, accorded the same royal dignity, easily escaped from the English. An angry King John surrendered himself again to the English, claiming an inability to pay the ransom as the reason. The true motive of John's decision remains murky today, with many pointing to the devastation in France caused by war with England and the Jacquerie peasant uprising as likely candidates. His councillors and nearly the whole nation was critical of the decision, since they had sacrificed much to raise the ransom. When John arrived in England in early 1364, however, he was viewed with admiration by ordinary citizens and English royalty alike. Although treated with honor while held in the Savoy Palace, he died in London a few months later.
His body was returned to France, where he was interred in the royal chambers at Saint Denis Basilica.
Ancestors
John's ancestors in three generations| Philip III of France | |||||||||
| Charles of Valois | |||||||||
| Isabella of Aragon | |||||||||
| Philip VI of France | |||||||||
| Charles II of Naples | |||||||||
| Marguerite of Anjou and Maine | |||||||||
| Maria Arpad of Hungary | |||||||||
| John II of France | |||||||||
| Hugh IV, Duke of Burgundy | |||||||||
| Robert II, Duke of Burgundy | |||||||||
| Yolande of Dreux | |||||||||
| Joan the Lame | |||||||||
| Louis IX of France | |||||||||
| Agnes of France, Duchess of Burgundy | |||||||||
| Marguerite of Provence | |||||||||
Family and children
On July 28, 1332, at the age of 13, John was married to Bonne of Bohemia (d. 1349), daughter of John I (the Blind) of Bohemia. Their children were:- Charles V (January 21, 1338–September 16, 1380)
- Louis I of Anjou (July 23, 1339–September 20, 1384)
- John of Valois (November 30, 1340–June 15, 1416)
- Philippe, Duke of Burgundy (January 17, 1342 – April 27, 1404)
- Jeanne (June 24, 1343 – November 3, 1373), married Charles II (the Bad) of Navarre
- Marie (September 12, 1344–October 1404), married Robert I, Duke of Bar
- Agnès (1345–1349)
- Marguerite (1347–1352)
- Isabelle (October 1, 1348–September 11, 1372), married Gian Galeazzo I, Duke of Milan
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- Blanche (b. 1350)
- Catherine (b. 1352)
He was succeeded by his son, Charles V.
External link
References
John II of France Cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty Born: 16 April 1319 Died: 8 April 1364 | ||
| French nobility | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by New Creation (Philip VI of France) | Count of Anjou and Maine 1332–22 August, 1350 | Succeeded by Merged into crown (eventually Louis I of Naples) |
| Preceded by New creation (John I of England) | Duke of Normandy 1332–22 August, 1350 | Succeeded by Merged into the crown (eventually Charles V of France) |
| Preceded by New Creation (Philip V of France) | Count of Poitou 1344–22 August, 1350 | Succeeded by Merged into crown (eventually John II) |
| Preceded by Edward III of England | Duke of Guyenne 1345–22 August, 1350 | Succeeded by Merged into the crown (eventually Charles, 5th Dauphin) |
| Preceded by Philip VI | King of France 22 August 1350 – 8 April 1364 | Succeeded by Charles V |
| Preceded by Philip of Burgundy | Count of Auvergne and Boulogne by marriage with Joanna I 13 February 1349 – 29 September 1360 | Succeeded by Margaret of Dampierre |
| Preceded by Philip I | Duke of Burgundy as 'John I' 1361 – 1363 | Succeeded by Philip the Bold |