Phillip I of Navarre

King of Navarre

Theobald of Navarre

**Phillip I of Navarre** or **Phillip the Strong** (C. 1146 - 1180) was King of Navarre from 1176 to 1180, he was born Phillip of France as the second son and third child of Louis VIII of France and Joan I of Navarre in the Château de Beaumont le Vieux, he was raised in Paris by Margaret, Dame de Vitteaux in his early years, and then raised by Lord de Hugh in warfare, Phillip was his father's favorite child for his courage which got him into a life long feud with his older brother Charles of France, After Phillip attended the 6th Crusade with a victory, his father convinced Phillip's mother to allow Phillip to become King of Navarre when she died, Joan agreed and made Phillip heir which caused a more bitter relationship with his brother who nicknamed and mocked him "Lord Frogface" as he thought his tongue looked like a frog's tongue, Phillip soon married Blanche of Artois who was Countess of Artois in her own right, thus gaining co-rulership of Artois, his mother died in 1176 and he became King of Navarre, he bid his father a farewell as he moved to Navarre, he was 30 when he became King of Navarre, Phillip had 3 children, Louis, Joan and Theobald of Navarre, Phillip only reigned for 4 years before he died in the 11th Crusade after his older brother shot a purpose arrow at him. He was succeeded by his 4 year old son and his wife remarried.

## Early Life

### Childhood

Phillip of France was born of 1146 in the Château de Beaumont le Vieux, he was the second son and third child of Louis VIII of France and Queen Joan I of Navarre, he was christened in Beauvoir Abbey as Phillip Auguste of France and Navarre. He was born with an older brother Charles of France and Joan of France which they where raised by Margaret, Dame de Vitteaux and his mother in Paris, Phillip also usually saw many of his half-cousins whom he shared a household with, Phillip's early interest for warfare made him his father's favorite, and the 2 often attended sword fighting festivals in Flanders. But being his father's favorite also caused him to be shunned by his older-half-brother Charles who was heir to France and Navarre, Charles often insulted Phillip, but never dared to hit Phillip, when he did, Phillip knocked him down the stairs which caused him a life-long scratch on his neck. But he had an okay relationship with his younger brother the Duke of Orléans, and sister Joan.

### Education

Phillip learned Navarrese from his mother who wanted to conserve the Navarrese culture within her children, Phillip spoke Navarrese, Latin, English, German, Dutch, Flemish, and Italian. Phillip learned the basic male education like math, science, reading, writing, politics, and religious studies, but he shared one interest that his siblings either lacked or found no interest in, warfare, he often created fake swords and pretended to sword fight his father who never declined Phillip's request for a sword fight, his father found his son the best fighter and the brightest child, and took him to a military camp school ran by Lord de Hugh in Brabant, Louis learned how to joust, and use an arrow, he learned how to defend himself, and how to lead an army, he became good friends with John de Éverux, but the friendship only lasted 1 year, while John and Phillip where leading army's with Phillip's father during the 5th Crusade, John was killed by an Ottoman warrior. Phillip made himself move on, though he never forgot his best friend.

### Heir Apparent to Navarre

When Phillip was 15 after the 5th Crusade, his father was so proud of what his son had accomplished in the Crusade, he made Phillip a political advisor, which earned further hatred from Charles, but his father wanted to award his son more, so he convinced Queen Joan, to make Phillip the future King of Navarre, she agreed after a month, and Charles was so angry he lost a territory he could have inherited, he moved to Antioch. Phillip though was very keen, and he was inaugurated as heir apparent in Pamplona, Navarre the following week.

## Military Career

### 6th Crusade

When Phillip was 18, he attended the 6th Crusade with his father, sister, brother, younger brother, and sister-in-law to Jerusalem, He sieged Antiochene territory, and left untamed, while his brother was nearly killed after being hit by a double boulder that also hit the Latin Emperor. Phillip made fun of his brother during the celebration of the victory, his brother punched him, but Phillip, threw him down to throne stairs.

### Battle of Greth

Phillip and his father Louis did not trust a certain influencial nobleman at court named Henry II of Sully, who was the Count of Sully, and Phillip's first cousin, Phillip turned against Henry and he and the council convinced Louis that the threat was real, Louis marched an army to Sully an Phillip crushed Sully's retaliation forces, Sully furious tried to poison Phillip, but he refused the drink. Phillip crossed the Aquitanian-French border without John I, Duke of Aquitaine's permission, and battled Sully there, John who was in England, was furious that his property was being exploited and kicked both of them out and told them to go back to Paris, Phillip instead raided the County of Sully, his father made his way to the capital of Sully called Greth, he and his father and brother killed Sully's best forces, and he finally surrendered, they arrested him and imprisoned him in Flanders, they agreed to let him out after they felt bad for him, Louis's father made him a statesmen as a peace treaty, but Phillip secretly poisoned Sully and his wife as he did not trust him, he blamed the murder on his brother, his brother believed Phillip and kicked Charles out of the Parisian Castle.

### Battle of Kros

After the battle of Greth, his father was not done with warfare, the pretender to the County of Montpensier named John of Montpensier, Phillip and his father decided to mock Montpensier by giving him a dirty barnhouse as his Montpensier, Montpensier declared war on Louis, Louis called his warrior son quickly to send troops. John had not ally's so the war was pretty quick, only near the end of the battle of Kros, John was able to ally himself with a mere welsh petty prince, Phillip ordered his capture which was sorta successful, as John was on a ship preparing to be arrested, a terrible storm hit the sea, and John and the knights probably drowned.

## King of Navarre

When Phillip was 30, his mother fell very ill with cancer, Phillip was devastated and rushed with his sister Joan to bid there dying mother a tearful fair well, she died a few hours later and Phillip rode to Navarre to be crowned King, his most trusted advisor was his father. His father advised him to marry to preserve an heir apparent, his Phillip and Louis wen't together to attend a courtly party hosted by the Count of Provence, Phillip met Blanche I, Countess of Artois, who was 21, she was also Countess of Artois in her own right. Phillip asked permission from Blanches father, and his own father to marry her, they both agreed, and Blanche was married to Phillip in Navarre, Phillip crowned his wife Queen a week after. 9 months into there marriage, Phillip's wife gave birth to a son Louis, whom he named after his father, he had 2 other children later in his marriage. During this time, his father married Ingeborg of Denmark, a Danish Princess, Phillip and Ingeborg hated each other, and Phillip and Ingeborg constantly fought.

## 12th Crusade and Death

When Phillip was 34, his father invited him to join a Crusade with him, Phillip agreed and his wife was left as regent, he and his father and brother made there way to Jaffa, where Phillip set up the camp, but his brother still never forgave him for taking Navarre from him, and he waited for Phillip to leave the camp in the battle field. When he finally did, Charles asked his wife to grab him an arrow, which she did, Charles shot the arrow and killed Phillip in front of his father, the arrow wen't through Phillip's head, and he collapsed on his horse, Louis never forgave Charles for the murder and buried his son in his own grand-chapel in Navarre.