Louis II of Chalon-Arlay

Louis II of Chalon-Arlay (c.1388 3 December 1463), nicknamed the Good, was Lord of Arlay and Arguel Prince of Orange. He was the son of John III of Chalon-Arlay and his wife, Mary of Baux-Orange, and the father of William VII of Chalon-Arlay.

Louis II lord of Arlay
Coat of arms of Chalon (red shield with yellow ribbon) and Orange (blue bugle); over all the (claimed) county of Geneva.
Bornc.1388
Died(1463-12-03)3 December 1463
Nozeroy
Noble familyHouse of Chalon-Arlay
Spouse(s)Johanna of Montfaucon
Eléonore of Armagnac
Issue
William VII lord of Arlay
Louis de Châlon
Hugh de Châlon
FatherJohn III lord of Arlay
MotherMary of Baux-Orange

Louis was very ambitious. He tried to establish his authority in the Dauphiné, but failed. He did manage to extend his territory eastwards, to Neuchâtel and Lausanne. During his attempts to extend his territory, he would sometimes express loyalty towards the King of France, and at other times toward the German Emperor or the Duke of Burgundy. In the end, nobody really trusted him.

Louis was also active in the Netherlands: in 1425, he led an army sent by Philip the Good to support Duke John IV of Brabant in a war against his wife Jacqueline.

Louis also called himself Count of Geneva, claiming it was part of the inheritance he had received from his mother. However, he was never able to realize this claim. The county of Geneva was held by Antipope Felix V. After Felix's death, Louis fought a long battle against the Counts of Savoy for control of Geneva. The struggle ended when the Emperor decided in favour of the House of Savoy.

In his last will and testament, Louis stipulated that his children from his second marriage would take precedence over his children from his first marriage when in the division of the inheritance. After his death, this caused a prolonged struggle between his children and their descendants.

Louis married twice:

  1. Johanna (d. 1445), the daughter of Count Henry II of Montbéliard and Marie of Châtillon. With her he had one son:
    1. William VII (d. 1475), his successor as Prince of Orange
  2. Eléonore (1423–1456), a daughter of Count John IV of Armagnac and his second wife, Isabella of Navarre. With her, he had two more sons:
    1. Louis (1448–1476), Lord of Chateau-Guyon and Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece
    2. Hugh de Chalon (-3 July 1490), Lord of Château-Guyon, who married Louise of Savoy, a daughter of Duke Amadeus IX of Savoy and Yolande of Valois.

Louis II died at his castle at Nozeroy on 3 December 1463. He was succeeded as Prince of Orange by his son William VII.

Ancestors

References

  • Frédéric Barbey, Louis de Chalon, Prince d'Orange, in the series Mémoires et documents publiés par la Société d'histoire de la Suisse romande, 2nd series, vol. XIII, Lausanne, Librairie Payot, 1926
  • J.K.H. de Roo van Alderwerelt: De voorgeschiedenis van het wapen gevoerd door de eerste prins van Orange uit het geslacht van de graven van Nassau, in: Jaarboek van het Centraal Bureau voor Genealogie, part XXV, 1971
Louis II of Chalon-Arlay
Born: c.1388 Died: 3 December 1463
Preceded by
John III
Prince of Orange
1418-1463
Succeeded by
William VII
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