Violant of Hungary

Violant of Hungary (; ; ; c. 1215 – c. 1251) was the queen of Aragon from 1235 until 1251 as the second wife of King James I of Aragon. A member of the Hungarian House of Árpád, Queen Violant was a valuable and influential advisor of her husband. She remains in folk memory in Catalonia and Valencia. Family Violant was born at Esztergom circa 1215, the only child of King Andrew II of Hungary and his second wife, Yolanda of Courtenay. Violant married King James I of Aragon in 1235. James had already been married to Eleanor of Castile, but he had this marriage annulled on the basis of consanguinity in 1229. He and Eleanor had a son, Alfonso, who was considered legitimate, but who died before James. James and Violant had ten children: Violant (1236–1301), Queen of Castile by her marriage to Alfonso X of Castile Constance (1239–1269) Peter III of Aragon (1240–1285) James II of Majorca (1243–1311) Ferdinand (1245–1250) Sancha (1246–1251) Isabella (1247–1271), Queen of France by her marriage to Philip III of France Maria (1248–1267), nun Sancho (1250–1275), Archbishop of Toledo Eleanor (born 1251, died young) Queenship A large number of Hungarian knights escorted the queen to her new homeland with the leadership of Denis of Hungary. Queen Violant was a woman of talent and character. Next to King James I, she had an important political role in the Crown of Aragon. She was one of the most valuable advisors of the king, on whom she had a strong influence. She intervened decisively in international agreements as important as the Treaty of Almizra with Castile (1244). It was signed with the condition that Zayyan ibn Mardanish surrender of the city of Valencia, into which she triumphantly entered with her husband on 9 October 1238.