Joanna II of Naples
| Joanna II | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Queen of Naples | |
| Reign | 6 August 1414 – 2 February 1435 |
| Coronation | 28 October 1419 |
| Predecessor | Ladislaus |
| Successor | René |
| Born |
25 June 1373 Zadar, Dalmatia (present-day Croatia) |
| Died | 2 February 1435 (aged 61) Naples, Kingdom of Naples (present-day Italy) |
| Burial | Church of Santa Annunziata, Naples, Kingdom of Naples |
| Spouse |
William, Duke of Austria James II, Count of La Marche |
| House | Capetian House of Anjou |
| Father | Charles III of Naples |
| Mother | Margaret of Durazzo |
Joanna II (25 June 1373 – 2 February 1435) was Queen of Naples from 1414 to her death, upon which the senior Angevin line of Naples became extinct. As a mere formality, she used the title of Queen of Jerusalem, Sicily, and Hungary.
Joanna was born at Zara, Dalmatia (present-day Zadar, Croatia) on 25 June 1373, as the daughter of Charles III of Naples and Margaret of Durazzo.
In 1414, she succeeded her brother Ladislaus to the throne of Naples; at that date she was 41 years old and was already the widow of her cousin Hedwig's rejected fiancé, William, Duke of Austria. She married twice, but had no children.
Joanna married her first husband, William, Duke of Austria in Vienna in the autumn of 1401 when she was 28 years of age. He had been rejected as a husband by her cousin, Hedwig of Poland. Joanna did not have any children by William, who died in 1406 after five years of marriage. It was sometime after his death, that she acquired a lover by the name of Pandolfello Alopo, whom she appointed Grand Chamberlain. Alopo was the first in what would become a series of lovers and male favourites. He later caused the downfall of the influential condottiero and grand constable Muzio Sforza, provoking much jealousy.
In early 1415, she became fiancee to John of Aragon, a son of King Ferdinand I of Aragon, and twenty-five years her junior. The betrothal was annulled shortly after, which left Joanna free to choose another husband. On 10 August 1415, she married a second time, to James of Bourbon, Count of La Marche, in order to gain the support of the French monarchy. The marriage contract stipulated that upon his marriage to Joanna, James would be granted the title of Prince of Taranto. Not having received the promised title, he had Alopo killed and forced Joanna to name him King of Naples. In an attempt to assume complete power, James imprisoned Joanna in her own apartments in the royal palace; however, she was later released by the nobles.
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