Joanna I Queen of Naples 1325-1382

In 1316 [her father] Charles Duke of Calabria [aged 18] and [her mother] Marie Valois [aged 7] were married. She the daughter of [her grandfather] Charles Valois I Count Valois [aged 45] and [her grandmother] Mahaut Chatillon Countess Valois [aged 23].

In December 1325 Joanna I Queen of Naples was born to Charles Duke of Calabria [aged 27] and Marie Valois [aged 16]. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Henry III of England.

On 9th November 1328 [her father] Charles Duke of Calabria [aged 30] died.

On 23rd October 1331 [her mother] Marie Valois [aged 22] died.

Around 1334 Andrew Hungary [aged 7] and Joanna I Queen of Naples [aged 8] were married. He the son of Charles I King Hungary [aged 46] and Elisabeth of Poland Queen Consort Hungary [aged 29]. They were fourth cousins. He a great x 5 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Henry III of England.

In 1342 [her brother-in-law] Louis I King Hungary King Poland [aged 15] and Margaret Bohemia Queen Consort Hungary [aged 6] were married. She the daughter of Charles IV King Bohemia Holy Roman Emperor Luxemburg [aged 25] and [her aunt] Blanche Valois Holy Roman Empress Luxemburg [aged 25]. He the son of [her father-in-law] Charles I King Hungary [aged 54] and [her mother-in-law] Elisabeth of Poland Queen Consort Hungary [aged 37]. They were second cousin once removed. He a great x 5 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Henry III of England.

On 16th July 1342 [her father-in-law] Charles I King Hungary [aged 54] died. His son [her brother-in-law] Louis [aged 16] succeeded I King Hungary. Margaret Bohemia Queen Consort Hungary [aged 7] by marriage Queen Consort Hungary.

On 18th September 1345 [her husband] Andrew Hungary [aged 18] was murdered. During a hunting trip at Aversa, Andrew left his room in the middle of the night and was set upon by the conspirators. A treacherous servant barred the door behind him, and, as Joanna cowered in their bed, a terrible struggle ensued, Andrew defending himself furiously and shrieking for aid. He was finally overpowered, strangled with a cord, and flung from a window.

On 22nd August 1347 Louis I of Naples [aged 27] and Joanna I Queen of Naples [aged 21] were married. They were half first cousins. He a great x 4 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Henry III of England.

Around 1352 [her future husband] Otto Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen [aged 32] and Violante of Vilaragut [aged 32] were married.

On 26th May 1362 [her husband] Louis I of Naples [aged 42] died.

On 26th September 1363 James IV King of Majorca [aged 27] and Joanna I Queen of Naples [aged 37] were married. They were third cousin once removed. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Henry III of England.

On 20th January 1375 [her husband] James IV King of Majorca [aged 39] died.

On 25th September 1376 Otto Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen [aged 56] and Joanna I Queen of Naples [aged 50] were married.

On 27th July 1382 Joanna I Queen of Naples [aged 56] died, or, as was more commonly said, strangled in prison by order of Charles - see Monk of St Denis.

On 1st December 1398 [her former husband] Otto Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen [aged 78] died.

Life of Charles VI by a Monk of St Denis. In continuing the principal headings of this book, it is fitting that, just as I wrote of the beginning of the reign of Lady Joanna^{ENDNOTE1ENDNOTE}, Queen of Jerusalem and Sicily and Countess of Provence, daughter of the most illustrious prince Charles, Duke of Calabria, and granddaughter of Robert, once King of Sicily, through Marie the sister of Philip, King of France, so I should also touch upon its end. For when she had reigned magnificently for thirty-three years^{ENDNOTE2ENDNOTE}, seeing that she lacked offspring suitable for the kingdom, and carefully considering that she had drawn her origin from the noble lineage of the French, she adopted the Duke of Anjou as her son and successor. She summoned him by messengers and letters, so that he might hasten to come and receive possession of the power of the sceptre^{ENDNOTE3ENDNOTE}.

Hujus libri continuando titulos capitales, dignum est ut, sicut domine Johanne, Jerusalem et Sicilie regine, ac comitisse Próvencie, filieillustrissimi principis Karoli, ducis Ualabrie, lilii Roberti quondam regis Sicilie, ex Maria sorore Philippi regis Francorum, regnandi scripsi principium; sic et terminum attingam. Cum enim triginta et tribus annis regnassét magnifice, videns-quod prole careret apta regno, attenteque considerans ex Francorum generosa prosapiatraxisse originem, dominum ducem Andegavensem in filium et successorem adoptavit, eum nunciis et apicibus evocans; ut festinantér accederet et possessionem acciperet sceptrigere potestatis.

Note 1. Joanna, 1325-1382, daughter of Charles, Duke of Calabria, and Marie. Marie was half-sister of Philip. Joanna's father Charles predeceased her so the claim to the throne of Jerusalem passed to her on the death of her grandfather Robert. Joanna and Charles had no issue. Joanna married four times: 1. 1334 Andrew of Hungary, murdered 1345, 2. 1347 Louis of Naples, died, probably of plague, 1362, 3. 1363 King James IV of Majorca, died 1375 and 4. 1376 Otto, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen, who survived her. There was no issue from any of the four marriages.

Note 2. Joanna had ascended the throne on 16 January 1343. She had therefore reigned for 39 years.

2. Jeanne était montée sur le trône le 16 janvier 1543. Elle avait donc régné 59 ans.

Note 3. The letters patent adopting the Duke of Anjou are dated 29 June 1380; they were confirmed on 21 July by Pope Clement. The Duke of Anjou being Louis, uncle of King Charles VI of France, 1339-1384.

3. Les lettres-patentes d’adoption du duc d'Anjou sont datées du 29 juin 1380 ; elles furent confirmées le 21 juillet par le pape Clément.