 |
| Depiction by unknown artist (c. 1800s) |
- John IV, Duke of Brittany (m. 1386 - 1399)
- King Henry IV of England (m. 1403 - 1413)
- With John IV, Duke of Brittany
- Lady Joan of Brittany (1387 - 1388)
- Lady Isabelle of Brittany (1388 - 1388)
- John V, Duke of Brittany (1389 - 1442)
- Marie, Duchess of Alençon (1391 - 1446)
- Margaret, Viscountess of Rohan (1392 - 1428)
- Arthur III, Duke of Brittany (1393 - 1458)
- Gilles, Lord of Chantocé and Ingrande (1394 - 1412)
- Richard, Count of Benon, Étampes and Mantes (1395 - 1438)
- Blanche, Countess of Armagnac (1397 - c. 1419)
- With King Henry IV of England
- *Unnamed Prince/Princess* (1403 - 1403)
- *Unnamed Prince/Princess* (1403 - 1403)
Appearance:
She was described as majestic in appearance and was known for her beauty. She was often seen wearing very rich clothing.
Character:
She was described as graceful, but was more well known for her corruption. She would often accept bribes and was greatly disliked by courtiers who viewed her as greedy and stingy. However, she was skilled in finances and was able to increase her vast wealth over the years.
Joan was also intelligent as she was able to rule as regent within Brittany and manage all of her affairs. She sensibly waited to marry her second husband until all of her affairs were in order, and made sure that everything in Brittany would be taken care of properly while she moved to England.
Despite being unpopular with courtiers, she was loved by her step-children and her husband. Her second marriage to Henry IV was a love-match and was not politically arranged. She often defended her step-children from their father's wrath, but this harmony with Henry V would end when he took her biological son as prisoner.
She was also interested in astrology.
Biography:
Joan, or Joanna, was born some time around 1368 in Pamplona, Kingdom of Navarre. She was the sixth of seven children born to King Charles II of Navarre, and his wife, Princess Joan of Valois. Joan was born during the height of the Hundred Years War between England and France, and the King of Navarre would frequently switch sides between the two warring countries.
Not much is known about her early life. Her mother would die in 1373 when she was still a child, and her father would suffer a horrific death in 1387, where he was accidentally burned alive by one of his servants.
In 1386, Joan married John IV, Duke of Brittany, at the age of 18, while her new husband was 47. This made Joan the Duchess of Brittany upon her marriage, and the two of them would go on to have nine children together. However, her husband would die in 1399, and because their eldest son was still a minor, Joan ruled Brittany as his regent.
Around this time, Henry, Duke of Lancaster, had been banished from England by King Richard II, and it was during his exile that he and Joan met for the first time. The two of them became very close, eventually falling in love with each other. It was also in 1399 that Henry returned to England and conquered the kingdom, becoming King Henry IV of England.
Meanwhile, Joan continued to rule Brittany as regent until Henry IV proposed to her. Although she accepted, she insisted that their marriage would have to wait until she could get her affairs in order in Brittany. Due to her upcoming marriage to the King of England, Joan knew that she would no longer be accepted as the regent ruler of Brittany, and would therefore need to ensure a smooth transition of power, and that her sons were well cared for - especially since she could not take them with her to England. She appointed the Duke of Burgundy as her sons' guardian and as the new regent ruler of Brittany until her eldest son reached maturity. Once all of this was settled in 1403, Joan left France for England, alongside her daughters.
Joan and Henry officially married in early 1403, and she was now the Queen Consort of England. However, she struggled to fully settle in England, and did not look favourably upon the English people, as a ship carrying some of her allies, the Bretons, was attacked not long after her wedding. The English viewed her as corrupt, and she was reportedly very easy to bribe. Relations grew so bad, that the Bretons were ordered by parliament to be exiled.
Despite this, Joan would go on to have a good relationship with her new step-children, and would often side with them during arguments between Henry IV and his children. Unfortunately, Joan and Henry were unable to produce any surviving children together. In 1403, she gave birth to twins who were stillborn, and no further children or pregnancies would follow.
In 1413, Joan was once again widowed when her second husband, Henry IV died. Joan officially became the Queen Dowager of England, and her step-son was crowned King Henry V of England. The new king allowed her to keep her castles, and the two of them continued to remain friends, until, while campaigning in France, Henry V captured and imprisoned her son, Arthur. Joan begged for his release, but Henry V refused, resulting in their once friendly relationship never recovering. This was further worsened in 1419 when her personal confessor made claims that she was plotting against the king. As a result, her wealth was seized and she was arrested and imprisoned at Leeds Castle, where she remained until 1422, when Henry V eventually ordered her release. He would die just a few weeks later.
Joan's money and estates were returned to her upon her release. She moved to Nottingham Castle, where she would spend the rest of her days living a quiet life while her step-grandson became King Henry VI of England.
Joan died in 1437 of unknown causes.
Rule:
Joan was deeply disliked and unpopular with the people of England. She was renowned for her corruption and was easily bribed, making people hate her even more.
However, she was able to maintain domestic harmony by interceding on behalf of her step-children when they had angered their father, ensuring a more smooth transition of power.
As a regent, she was known for her pragmatism, and always made sure that everything was being handled properly, and that all duties were taken care of. She was able to accumulate a lot of wealth, which led to people believing her to be greedy and stingy, but whether or not this claim was exaggerated is not fully known. It's likely there is some degree of truth to this due to her acceptance of bribes.
Throughout her reign, she would never gain the favour of the English.
- N/A
No comments:
Post a Comment