Constance of Aragon, Queen of Majorca

Constance of Aragon (1318–Montpellier, 1346) was the eldest daughter of Alfonso IV of Aragon and his first wife Teresa d'Entença. She was born into the House of Aragon. She married James III of Majorca, she married into the House of Barcelona and became Queen consort of Majorca as a result.

Early Life and Family

Constance was born in 1318 and was not only the eldest daughter but also the eldest child that survived to adulthood. Constance had two surviving brothers Peter IV of Aragon and James I of Urgell.

When Constance was nine years old in 1327, her mother Teresa died in childbirth, the son called Sancho only lived a few days. In 1329 Constance's father remarried to Eleanor of Castile, from this marriage Constance gained two half-siblings Ferdinand, Marquis of Tortosa and John of Aragon.

Her paternal grandparents were James II of Aragon and Blanche of Anjou, daughter of Charles II of Naples and his wife Maria of Hungary. Constance's maternal grandparents were Gombaldo, Baron of Enteça and Constanza de Antillòn.

Marriage

In 1324, James III of Majorca became King of Majorca upon the death of his uncle Sancho of Majorca. James wished to make friendly relations with Aragon, in order to do this he married Constance. Though the kings of Majorca traditionally swore an oath of fealty to the kings of Aragon, James claimed that no king could have lordship over any other king.

The couple were married at Perpignan on 24 September 1336.^[1]

In 1342 James refused to render the oath of fealty to Constance's brother Peter IV of Aragon. He was supported, however, by the doctors of the University of Montpellier and by an Aragonese troubadour, Thomàs Périz de Fozes, who wrote a poem in his defence.

James and Constance were married for ten years in this time they had two children:

1. James (c. 1336 – January 20, 1375), pretender to Majorca. He married Joan I of Naples, he died childless.
2. Isabella (1337–1406), claimed her rights to Majorca after the death of her brother but abandoned claim. Married firstly to John II, Marquess of Montferrat, had issue. Married secondly to Baron Konrad von Reischach zu Jungnau, had issue.

In a short war (1343–44) James (and supposedly Constance) was driven out of Majorca by Constance's brother King Peter, who reannexed the Balearic Islands to the Crown.

Two years later in 1346, Constance died at Montpellier. She was outlived by James and her two children. Her husband remarried the following year to Violante of Vilaragut, who gave him one short-lived daughter. Violante helped arrange Isabella's marriage to John II^[2]

References