Philip II, Duke of Savoy

Philip II
Duke of Savoy
Reign	16 April 1496 – 7 November 1497
Predecessor	Charles II
Successor	Philibert II
Born	5 February 1438 Château de Chambéry, Savoy, France
Died	7 November 1497 (aged 59) Château de Chambéry, Savoy, France
Spouse	Marguerite de Bourbon Claudine de Brosse
Issue	Louise, Countess of Angoulême Philibert II, Duke of Savoy Charles III, Duke of Savoy Philippe, Duke of Nemours Philiberta, Duchess of Nemours René of Savoy (illegitimate) Antonia (illegitimate)
House	House of Savoy
Father	Louis of Savoy
Mother	Anne of Cyprus
Religion	Roman Catholic

Philip II (5 February 1438 – 7 November 1497), surnamed the Landless, was the Duke of Savoy for a brief reign from 1496 to 1497.^[1]

Biography

He was the granduncle of the previous duke Charles II, and the youngest surviving son of Duke Louis of Savoy and Anne of Cyprus. However, he was not the heir general of the previous duke, there being several females before him in the line of succession. To ensure male inheritance to the Savoy line, his eldest son Philibert was married to his cousin, the only sister of the deceased young Duke. However, the plan did not succeed: the girl died at age twelve. (Philip had already died in the meantime.) The children of the daughters of Philip's eldest brother Duke Amedeo IX of Savoy were next in line, and were entitled to the inheritance of the line of heirs-general, including Cyprus and Jerusalem. Despite the fact that Cyprus and Jerusalem did not bar succession in female line, Philip however took those claims and used those titles as well. His male successors in Savoy also continued to do so, thus giving their ducal title a higher, royal titulary.

He spent most of his life as a junior member of the ducal family. His original apanage was the district of Bresse,^[2] close to the French and Burgundian border, but it was lost and therefore Philip received his sobriquet "the Landless", or "Lackland".

Family

First marriage

He married Margaret of Bourbon (5 February 1438 – 1483)^[3] and had three children from this marriage:

1. Louise (1476–1531), married Charles d'Orléans, Count of Angoulême,^[2] had children including:
   1. Francis I of France^[4] whose daughter Margaret of Valois married to Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy.^[4]
   2. Marguerite of Navarre (1492–1549); Queen consort of King Henry II of Navarre^[4]
2. Girolamo (1478)
3. Philibert II (1480–1504)

Coat of Arms of the Dukes of Savoy

Second marriage

He married Claudine de Brosse of Brittany (1450–1513), daughter of Jean II de Brosse and Nicole de Châtillon, and they had six children:

1. Charles III (1486–1553) who succeeded his half-brother as Duke of Savoy
2. Louis (1488–1502)
3. Philip (1490–1533), duke of Nemours
4. Assolone (1494)
5. Giovanni Amedeo (1495)
6. Philiberta (1498–1524), married Julian II di Medici (1479–1516), duke of Nemours

Illegitimate issue

He also had eight illegitimate children by two mistresses.

With Libera Portoneri:

1. René of Savoy (1468-31 March 1525), served as Governor of Nice and Provence, known as the Grand Bastard of Savoy and father-in-law of Anne, 1st Duc de Montmorency
2. Antonia of Savoy, married Jean II, Lord of Monaco
3. Peter of Savoy, Bishop of Geneva

With Bona di Romagnano:

1. Claudina (Claudia) of Savoy (d. 2 May 1528), married to Jacob III, Count of Horne (d. 15 August 1531).
2. Philippina (Philippa) of Savoy, married Lorenzo de' Medici
3. Margherita (Margaret) of Savoy
4. Giovanna (Johanna) of Savoy
5. Michele (Michael) of Savoy, a priest

Philip is an ancestor, through an illegitimate daughter of Honorat II of Savoy, of Joséphine de Beauharnais, first wife of Napoleon.

References

1. Sabaudian Studies: Political Culture, Dynasty, and Territory (1400–1700), ed. Matthew Vester, (Truman State University Press, 2013), ix.
2. R.J. Knecht, Francis I, (Cambridge University Press, 1982), 1.
3. Guida Myrl Jackson-Laufer, Women Rulers Throughout the Ages: An Illustrated Guide, (ABC-CLIO, 1999), 231.
4. R.J. Knecht, Francis I, xvi.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Philip II, Duke of Savoy

16. Amadeus VI, Count of Savoy               8. Amadeus VII, Count of Savoy                       17. Bonne of Bourbon               4. Amadeus VIII, Duke of Savoy                             18. John, Duke of Berry               9. Bonne of Berry                       19. Joanna of Armagnac               2. Louis, Duke of Savoy                                   20. John II of France               10. Philip the Bold                       21. Bonne of Bohemia               5. Mary of Burgundy                             22. Louis II of Flanders               11. Margaret III, Countess of Flanders                       23. Margaret of Brabant               1. Philip II, Duke of Savoy                                         24. Hugh IV of Cyprus               12. James I of Cyprus                       25. Alice d'Ibelin               6. Janus of Cyprus                             26. Duke Philip of Brunswick-Grubenhagen               13. Helvis of Brunswick-Grubenhagen                       27. Helisia of Dampierre               3. Anne of Cyprus                                   28. James I, Count of La Marche               14. John I, Count of La Marche                       29. Jeanne of Châtillon               7. Charlotte de Bourbon                             30. John VI, Count of Vendôme               15. Catherine of Vendôme                       31. Jeanne of Ponthieu