John III of Navarre

John III of Navarre, also known as Jean d'Albret (1469 - 1516), became King of Navarre by virtue of his 1484 marriage to Catherine, Countess of Foix (1470 - 1517) who was Queen Catalina of Navarre after the death of her brother Francis Phoebus in 1483.

In 1512, Jean d'Albret was defeated by Ferdinand II of Aragon whose second wife was Germaine de Foix (1490-1538), a cousin of Queen Catherine. Ferdinand then annexed southern Navarre to Spain and thereafter, the Navarrese monarchs only reigned over that portion of Navarre north of the Pyrenees, called Lower Navarre. (Spanish monarchs styled themselves monarchs of Navarre until 1833 when Upper Navarre was completely integrated into Spain).