James II of Aragon
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James II, King of Aragon (10 August 1267 – 2 November 1327), in Spanish Jaime II, in Catalan Jaume II, also James II of Barcelona, called The Just (Catalan: El Just) was the second son of Peter III of Aragon and Constance of Sicily.
He succeeded his father as King of Sicily in 1285, and was then known as "James I of Sicily." Upon his brother Alfonso III's death in 1291, he succeeded also to the throne of Aragon. By a peace treaty with Charles II of Anjou in 1296, he agreed to give up Sicily, but the Sicilians instead installed on the throne his brother Frederick. He reigned in Aragon until his death in 1327.
He married four times. His first wife was Elizabeth of Castile, daughter of Sancho IV of Castile, but that marriage was dissolved after Sancho's death, when James choose to change his alliances and take advantage of the turmoil inside Castile. His second wife was Blanca of Anjou, daughter of his family's rival Charles II of Naples. They married in 1295 and she was mother of his legitimate children. He had no children from his later marriages to Marie of Cyprus, daughter of Hugh III of Cyprus, in 1315 and to catalan noblewoman Elisenda of Montcada in 1322.
Children
By his second wife, Blanca of Anjou:
- James (Jaume). Renounced his rights to become a monk. He refused to consumate the marriage to Leonor of Castille, who later married his brother Alfonso.
- Alfonso IV of Aragon
- Maria, who married Peter of Castile, son of Sancho IV of Castile.
- Constança, who married Juan Manuel of Castile.
- John (Joan), who was first Archbishop of Toledo and later of Tarragona, and Patriarch of Alexandria.
- Elizabeth, who married Frederick I.
- Peter (Pere) of Ribagorça, Count of Prades and Empúries. Married Blanca, daughter of Philip I of Taranto.
- Blanca, Prioress of Sixena.
- Ramon Berenguer, Count of Empúries and Prades. He swaped domains with his brother Peter.
- Violant, who married Philip, Despot of Romania, son of Philip I of Taranto.
Natural children born of brief affairs with sicilan women:
- Sanç
- Napoleó
- James (Jaume)
| Preceded by: Peter I | King of Sicily 1285–1296 | Succeeded by: Frederick III Template:Succession box three to three Template:End box ca:Jaume II de:Jakob II. (Aragón) fr:Jacques II d'Aragon it:Giacomo II di Aragona |