| Louis, Duke of Durazzo | |
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| Count of Beaumont-le-Roger, Duke of Durazzo | |
Arms of Louis
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| Duke of Durazzo | |
| Reign | 1365–1368, 1376 |
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| Born | 1341 |
| Died | 1376 |
| Spouse | Maria de Lizarazu Joanna, Duchess of Durazzo |
| Issue | Juana de Beaumont Carlos de Beaumont Tristan de Beaumont |
| House | House of Évreux |
| Father | Philip III of Navarre |
| Mother | Joan II of Navarre |
Louis of Évreux (also called "of Navarre"; 1341 – 1376) was the youngest son of Philip III of Navarre and Joan II of Navarre.[1] He inherited the county of Beaumont-le-Roger from his father (1343) and became Duke of Durazzo in right of his second wife, Joanna, in 1366.
Louis's first marriage was to Maria de Lizarazu in 1358.[2] He took part on behalf of his brother Charles II of Navarre in the war against the Dauphin Charles.
His second marriage to Joanna, Duchess of Durazzo, brought him the rights to Durazzo and the Kingdom of Albania, which he strove to recover.[1] He received assistance from both his brother and the king of France in this undertaking[3][4] for Durazzo (the remnant of the kingdom) was in the hands of Charles Thopia.[5][6] In 1372, he brought over the Navarrese Company of mercenaries, who had fought with him during the war in France, to assist him in taking Durazzo.[7][8] Their ranks swelled considerably in 1375 with new recruits directly from Navarre. Many documents survive providing information on the complex nature of the military planning and engineering which was undertaken to ensure success. This they attained, taking the city in midsummer 1376 at the Battle of Durazzo.[9][10][11][12] Louis died shortly after in the same year.[13][14][15][16]
He had an illegitimate son, Carlos de Beaumont, who would be the founder of the House of Beaumont, which would have a main role in the Navarrese Civil War next century. Carlos de Beaumont had a daughter named Juana Margaret de Beaumont who was the grandmother of Jaime Vélaz de Medrano y Echauz, famous for his defense of the Navarrese kingdom against the spanish conquest at the battle of Amaiur-Maya in 1522.[17]
Louis had no legitimate children with his Angevin wife Joanna, Duchess of Durazzo, although he had many illegitimate children with his mistress Maria de Lizarazu who was a Navarrese noblewoman.[18] Louis's three illegitimate children were Carlos, Tristan, and Juana.[19]
...Louis received much assistance from his royal brother of Navarre and from Charles V of France. ...
...when there is evidence that a supreme effort was made to re-establish his ascendency in Albania with the support of his brother the King of Navarre...
...In 1368, however, Albania , together with Durazzo, had fallen to the Albanian lord Charles Topia, who took the title of king...
...In 1368 the kingdom of Albania, together with the city of Durazzo, had fallen to the Albanian lord Charles Topia, and Louis of Évreux was faced with no inconsiderable task if he would give effect to his right to rule over the "kingdom" he had thought to possess through his marriage to the heiress Joanna...
...Interested in realizing these rights, Louis hired four companies of knights from Navarre, who are usually referred to as the Navarrese Company, and took Durazzo, probably in 1376. ...
...In 1372 very active recruiting added to the numbers of the new Navarrese Company, but the chief contingents and most important leaders were engaged in 1375 and 1376, and they passed, for the most part, directly from Navarre to Albania. Extensive preparations were made for the expedition, and almost a score of names of military contractors have come down to us in the enrolment lists of 1375-1376. Of the details of Louis's Albanian expedition little is known...
...but Durazzo was apparently occupied in the midsummer of 1376...
...and took Durazzo, probably in 1376...
...the Navarrese Company, who attacked Albania and captured Durazzo in 1376...
...The Navarrese Company succeeded in occupying Durazzo, apparently in the midsummer of 1376...
... Shortly thereafter Louis died, probably still in 1376...
...Louis died about the same time, and shortly thereafter his widow Joanna married duke Robert of Artois...
...Louis himself appears to have died in 1376...
...But Louis died about this time, and when his wife Joanna promptly remarried...
...though he had no legitimate offspring with his Angevin wife, he left several illegitimate children....
...Carlos was only one off Luis of Navarre's illegitimate children; his siblings Tristan and Juana were also born from Luis's relationship with Maria de Lizarazu, a Navarrese noblewoman who was accorded a level of respect as Luis's virtual wife, even referred to as Condesa or countess.....
...between his sister Juana who was born in 1359...
...Carlos was likely born c. 1361 and it appears that he was the middle sibling...
...and Tristan who may have been born c. 1363..
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