| Charles IV | |
|---|---|
 | |
| King of Navarre de jure only | |
| Reign | 1441–1461 |
| Predecessor | Blanche I andJohn II |
| Successor | Blanche II |
| Contender | John II |
| Born | 29 May 1421 Peñafiel |
| Died | 23 September 1461(1461-09-23) (aged 40) Barcelona |
| Spouse | Agnes of Cleves |
| House | Trastámara |
| Father | John II of Aragon |
| Mother | Blanche I of Navarre |
Charles, Prince of Viana (Basque:Karlos IV.a) (29 May 1421 – 23 September 1461), sometimes calledCharles IV of Navarre, was the eldest son of KingJohn II of Aragon and QueenBlanche I of Navarre. He pre-deceased his father.[1]
His mother was the daughter and heiress ofCharles III, King of Navarre. Both his grandfather Charles and his mother, who ruled over Navarre from 1425 to 1441, had bequeathed this kingdom to Charles, whose right had also been recognized by the Cortes; but when Blanche died in 1441 her husband John seized the kingdom to the exclusion of his son.[1]
The Prince of Viana was married in Olite (Navarre) on 30 September 1439, taking as his wifeAgnes of Cleves (1422–1446), the daughter ofAdolph I, Duke of Cleves and Mary of Burgundy, and the niece ofPhilip III "the Good",Duke of Burgundy. Agnes died, childless, on 6 April 1448, eight years after her marriage to Charles, aged only about twenty-six. After her death, the prince took a mistress, Brianda de Vaca, and by her had an illegitimate son, born about 1449. He wished to remarry, and a possibility which was canvassed was a match withIsabella of Scotland (1426–1494), the widow ofFrancis I, Duke of Brittany, after he died on 18 July 1450, but this was opposed byCharles VII of France. A match was then agreed between Charles and theInfanta Catherine of Portugal (1436–1463), daughter ofKingEdward of Portugal, but the marriage was delayed and had not taken place when Charles died in 1461.
Charles left three illegitimate children by three different mistresses:
The ill feeling between father and son was increased when his father John took in 1447 for his second wifeJuana Enriquez, aCastilian noblewoman (of a bastardcadet line from Castilian kings), who soon bore him a son, afterwardsFerdinand II of Aragon, and who regarded her stepson as an interloper. When Joanna began to interfere in the internal affairs of Navarre,a civil war broke out, and in 1452 Charles, although aided by KingJohn II of Castile, was defeated and taken prisoner.
Released upon promising not to take the kingly title until after his father's death, the prince, again unsuccessful in an appeal to arms, took refuge inNaples with KingAlfonso V of Aragon. In 1458 Alfonso died and John became king of Aragon, while Charles was offered the crowns of Naples and Sicily. He declined these proposals, and having been reconciled with his father, returned to Navarre in 1459. Aspiring to marryIsabella of Castile, he was then thrown into prison by his father, and the Catalans rose in his favor. This insurrection soon became general and John was obliged to yield. He released his son, and recognized him as perpetual governor ofCatalonia, and heir to the kingdom.[1]
Soon afterwards, however, on 23 September 1461, the prince died atBarcelona, not without a suspicion that he had been poisoned by his stepmother,[1]Joanna Enriquez.
Charles was a cultured and amiable prince, fond of music and literature. He translated Aristotle'sEthics into Aragonese, a work first published atZaragoza in 1509, and wrote a chronicle of the kings of Navarre,Cronica de los reyes de Navarra.[1]
| Ancestors of Charles, Prince of Viana |
|---|
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Charles (Prince of Viana)".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 5 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 937.Charles, Prince of Viana Born: 29 May 1421 Died: 23 September 1461 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | — TITULAR — King of Navarre 1441–1461 Reason for succession failure: Crown withheld byJohn II | Succeeded by |
| Spanish nobility | ||
| New creation | Prince of Viana 1423–1441 | Succeeded by |
| Vacant Title last held by Alfonso V | Prince of Girona andCount of Cervera 1458–1461 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Duke of Gandía 1439–1461 | |
|  | |
