Information about King John II of Aragon

King John II of Aragon (29 June 1398 - 20 January 1479)

John II (Catalan: Joan II, Aragonese: Chuan II and Basque: Joanes II), called the Great (el Gran) or the Faithless (el Sense Fe), was the King of Navarre through his wife (jure uxoris) from 1425 and the King of Aragon in his own right from 1458 until his death. He was the son of Ferdinand I and his wife Eleanor of Alburquerque.

John was first married to Blanche I of Navarre of the house of Évreux. By right of Blanche he became king of Navarre, and on her death in 1441 he was left in possession of the kingdom for his lifetime. But one son, Charles, given the title "Prince of Viana" as heir of Navarre, had been born of the marriage. John quickly came to regard this son with jealousy. After his second marriage, to Juana Enríquez, it grew into absolute hatred, being encouraged by Juana. John tried to deprive his son of his constitutional right to act as lieutenant-general of Aragon during his father's absence. Charles's cause was taken up by the Aragonese, however, and the king's attempt to make his second wife lieutenant-general was set aside.

There followed the long Navarrese Civil War, with alternations of success and defeat, ending only with the death of the prince of Viana, perhaps by poison administered by his stepmother in 1461. The Catalans, who had adopted the cause of Charles and who had grievances of their own, called in a succession of foreign pretenders in a War against John II. His last years John spent contending with these.

The Catalan revolt was pacified in 1472, but John carried on a war, in which he was generally unfortunate, with his neighbor the French king till his death in 1479. He was succeeded by Ferdinand, his son by his second marriage, who was already married to Isabella I of Castile. With his death and son's accession to the throne of Aragon, the unification of Spain under one royal house began in earnest.

King John II of Aragon reigned in...
Reigned asIn CountryFromToCoins Issued
Zuria I.a (Queen Blanche I) and Joanes II.a (King John II of Aragon) Flag of Navarre Navarre 8 September 1425 1 April 1441
Joanes II.a (King John II of Aragon), sole rule Flag of Navarre Navarre 1 April 1441 20 January 1479
Chuan II (King John II) Aragon 27 June 1458 20 January 1479
Juan II (King John II), King of Aragon Flag of Majorca Majorca 27 June 1458 20 January 1479
Giovanni II (King John II), King of Aragon Flag of Sardinia Sardinia 27 June 1458 20 January 1479
Giovanni (King John), King of Aragon as John II Flag of Sicily Sicily 27 June 1458 20 January 1479
Juan II (King John II), King of Aragon Flag of Valencia Valencia 27 June 1458 20 January 1479
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