TheHouse of Albret, which derives its name from the lordship (seigneurie) ofAlbret (Labrit), situated in theLandes, was one of the most powerful feudal families ofFrance andNavarre during theMiddle Ages.
The work ofAnthony M. H. J. Stokvis establishes thegenealogy of the Albrets to start with the 800s ADBasque noblemanJimeno of Pamplona, patriarch of the SpanishJiménez dynasty. Members of the House of Albret distinguished themselves during the major local wars of that era. During the 14th century they espoused theEnglish cause for some time, afterwards transferring their support to the side of France.[1]
Arnaud Amanieu I, Lord of Albret, helped to takeGuienne from the English. His sonCharles became constable of France, and was killed at theBattle of Agincourt in 1415.At that time the House of Albret had attained considerable territorial importance, due in great part to the liberal grants which it had obtained from successive kings of France.
The House of Albret then continued its ascension, favored by bothCharles VI andCharles VII. It reached its apogee in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. They familiarized themselves with the court of France through their alliances. In 1470, they inherited theCounty of Périgord and theViscounty of Limoges. Their new strength then allowed them to claim the inheritance of theDuchy of Brittany.[2]
Alain the Great, Lord of Albret (died 1522), wished to marryAnne of Brittany, and to that end fought againstCharles VIII; but his hopes being ended by the betrothal of Anne toMaximilian of Austria, he surrenderedNantes to the French in 1486.[1]
They took possession of thecounty of Foix, whenJean I of Albret, son ofAlain, became King ofNavarre by his marriage withCatherine of Foix, Queen of Navarre in 1484. Their sonHenry II, King of Navarre, was created Duke of Albret and a peer of France in 1550. By his wifeMarguerite d'Angoulême, sister ofFrancis I, Henry II had a daughter,Jeanne d'Albret, Queen of Navarre, who marriedAnthony de Bourbon, Duke ofVendôme, and became the mother ofHenry IV, King of France.[3][4][5]
These new possessions (Bearne, Foix, Bigorra, Tartas, Castres, Dreux, etc.) gave them a real political role in the Renaissance century. However, the Albrets did not stay long at the top of the society of orders. Navarre was invaded by Spain in 1512, and the house of Albret kept only the small part on the French side of thePyrenees (Lower-Navarre), and Joan of Albret is the last of her name to sit on the throne, because theDukedom of Albret, was united to the crown of France by the accession of the crown prince.[6]
The title ofDuke of Albret was later granted to the family ofLa Tour d'Auvergne (seeduc de Bouillon) in 1651, in exchange for Sedan and Raucourt.[7]
A cadet of this house wasJean d'Albret-Orval [fr], seigneur of Orval,count of Dreux and ofRethel, governor ofChampagne (died 1524), who was employed byFrancis I in many diplomatic negotiations, more particularly in his intrigues to get himself elected emperor in 1519.[7]
Notable descendants include the Kings of Navarre (basque region), French-Mexican politicians,Gerardo Ruiz de Esparza [es] andLuis Ruben de Valadéz (née Valadez-Hernandez II) from the marriage of CarlosBeaumont de Navarre, Count of Beaumont and Ana deCurton d'Albret,Dame of Curton andGuiche.[8][9][10]
| Figure | blasonnement |
| lords d'Albret De gueules plain.[20] |
| counts d'Albret, 14th century écartelé en 1 et 4 d'azur aux trois fleurs de lys d'or et en 2 et 3 de gueules.[20] |
 | Kings of Navarre parti de deux et coupé d'un : 1, de gueules aux chaînes d'or posées en orle, en croix et en sautoir, chargées en cœur d'une émeraude au naturel; en 2, contre-écartelé en 1 et 4 d'azur aux trois fleurs de lys d'or et en 2 et 3 de gueules; en 3, d'or aux quatre pals de gueules; en 4, contre-écartelé en 1 et 4 d'or aux trois pals de gueules, en 2 et 3 d'or aux deux vaches de gueules, accornées, colletées et clarinées d'azur, passant l'une sur l'autre; en 5, d'azur semé de fleurs de lys d'or à la bande componée d'argent et de gueules; et en 6, contre-écartelé en sautoir d'or aux quatre pals de gueules et de gueules au château d'or ouvert et ajouré d'azur et d'argent au lion de gueules armé, lampassé et couronné d'or; sur-le-tout d'or aux deux lions léopardés de gueules, armés et lampassés d'azur, passant l'un sur l'autre.[20] |
  | lords of Orval de gueules à la bordure engrélée d'argent et au bâton de sable péri en barre.[20] écartelé, au premier et au quatrième d'azur à trois fleurs de lys d'or, au deuxième et au troisième de gueules à la bordure engrêlée d'argent.[21] |
 | counts of Rethel coupé en 1 écartelé en 1 et 4 d'azur aux trois fleurs de lys d'or et en 2 et 3 de gueules et en 2 d'azur semé de fleurs de lys d'or à la bordure componée d'argent et de gueules.[22] |
{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help)Attribution:
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Prinet, Léon Jacques Maxime (1911). "Albret". InChisholm, Hugh (ed.).Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 512–513.