On This Day

William, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg marries Jeanne d'Albret, daughter of King Henry II of Navarre - against her will, s

William, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg marries Jeanne d'Albret, daughter of King Henry II of Navarre - against her will, she has to be carried to the altar (marriage annulled 1545)

Jeanne d'Albret (Spanish: Juana de Albret; Basque: Joana Albretekoa; Occitan: Joana de Labrit; 16 November 1528 – 9 June 1572), also known as Jeanne III, was Queen of Navarre from 1555 to 1572. Jeanne was the daughter of Henry II of Navarre and Margaret of Angoulême (and thus the niece of Francis I of France). In 1541, she married William, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg. The marriage was annulled in 1545. Jeanne married a second time in 1548, to Antoine de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme. They had two surviving children, Henry and Catherine.

When her father died in 1555, Jeanne and Antoine ascended the Navarrese throne. They reigned as joint rulers until Antoine died in 1562 from wounds suffered while besieging Protestant-held Rouen during the French Wars of Religion.

Historical Significance

Jeanne d'Albret (Spanish: Juana de Albret; Basque: Joana Albretekoa; Occitan: Joana de Labrit; 16 November 1528 – 9 June 1572), also known as Jeanne III, was Queen of Navarre from 1555 to 1572.

Events Before

  1. The first recorded horse race meeting in England is held at Roodee Fields in Chester

    Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, close to the England–Wales border.

  2. Francisco Vázquez de Coronado's expedition sets off from Mexico in search of the Seven Cities of Gold (Cibola)

    Francisco Vázquez de Coronado was a Spanish conquistador and explorer who led a large expedition from what is now Mexico to present-day Kansas through what is now parts of the southwestern United...

  3. German Protestant Count Philip of Hessen bigamously marries 2nd wife Margarethe von der Saale, causing a scandal

    German Protestant Count Philip of Hessen bigamously marries 2nd wife Margarethe von der Saale, causing a scandal

  4. English King Henry VIII annuls his 6 month marriage to his 4th wife Anne of Cleves, on the grounds of non-consummation a

    English King Henry VIII annuls his 6 month marriage to his 4th wife Anne of Cleves, on the grounds of non-consummation and her pre-contract to Francis of Lorraine

  5. English King Henry VIII (49) weds Catherine Howard (16 or 17), his 5th wife

    Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547.

Events After

  1. Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo sets sail from the Mexican port of Navidad on the first European voyage to explore the west coas

    Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo sets sail from the Mexican port of Navidad on the first European voyage to explore the west coast of North America for the Spanish Empire

  2. Rabbi Joseph Caro completes his major work, the "Beit Yosef," a voluminous commentary on the "Arba'ah Turim" code

    Rabbi Joseph Caro completes his major work, the "Beit Yosef," a voluminous commentary on the "Arba'ah Turim" code

  3. Princess Mary Stuart succeeds her father James V and becomes Queen Mary I of Scotland at 6 days old

    Mary of Guise (French: Marie de Guise; 22 November 1515 – 11 June 1560), also called Mary of Lorraine, was Queen of Scotland from 1538 until 1542, as the second wife of King James V.

  4. English Parliament passes bill of attainder against Queen Katherine Howard

    Catherine Howard (1523 – 13 February 1542) was Queen of England from July 1540 until November 1541 as the fifth wife of King Henry VIII.

  5. Portuguese under Christovão da Gama capture a Muslim-occupied hillfort in northern Ethiopia in the Battle of Baçente

    Portuguese under Christovão da Gama capture a Muslim-occupied hillfort in northern Ethiopia in the Battle of Baçente

More from the 1540s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on June 14, 1541?
Jeanne d'Albret (Spanish: Juana de Albret; Basque: Joana Albretekoa; Occitan: Joana de Labrit; 16 November 1528 – 9 June 1572), also known as Jeanne III, was Queen of Navarre from 1555 to 1572. Jeanne was the daughter of Henry II of Navarre and Margaret of Angoulême (and thus the niece of Francis I of France). In 1541, she married William, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg.
Why is William, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg marries Jeanne d'Albret, daughter of King... significant?
Jeanne d'Albret (Spanish: Juana de Albret; Basque: Joana Albretekoa; Occitan: Joana de Labrit; 16 November 1528 – 9 June 1572), also known as Jeanne III, was Queen of Navarre from 1555 to 1572.

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