Philip II, Duke of Savoy

Philip II (5 February 1438 – 7 November 1497), known as the Landless, was Duke of Savoy from 1496 until his death in 1497.^[1] A member of a junior branch of the House of Savoy, he was the son of Louis I, Duke of Savoy, and the younger brother of Duke Amadeus IX. Philip inherited the duchy late in life, following the death of his grandnephew Charles II.

Philip II
Philipp II in the manuscript Statuts, Ordonnances et Armorial de l'Ordre de la Toison d'Or, c. 1473
Duke of Savoy
Reign	16 April 1496 – 7 November 1497
Predecessor	Charles II
Successor	Philibert II
Born	5 February 1438 Château de Chambéry, Duchy of Savoy
Died	7 November 1497(1497-11-07) (aged 59) Château de Chambéry, Duchy of Savoy
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 of Savoy (illegitimate)
House	Savoy
Father	Louis of Savoy
Mother	Anne of Cyprus

Biography

Philip 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 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:

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)^[5]

Coat of Arms of the Dukes of Savoy

Second marriage

He married Claudine de Brosse of Brittany (1450–1513),^[6] daughter of Jean II de Brosse and Nicole de Châtillon, and they had:

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),^[6] married Julian II di Medici (1479–1516), duke of Nemours^[7]

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. Margherita (Margaret) of Savoy.
3. Giovanna (Johanna) of Savoy.
4. 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.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Philip II, Duke of Savoy
8. Amadeus VII, Count of Savoy 4. Amadeus VIII, Duke of Savoy 9. Bonne of Berry 2. Louis, Duke of Savoy 10. Philip the Bold 5. Mary of Burgundy 11. Margaret III, Countess of Flanders 1. Philip II, Duke of Savoy 12. James I of Cyprus 6. Janus of Cyprus 13. Helvis of Brunswick-Grubenhagen 3. Anne of Cyprus 14. John I, Count of La Marche 7. Charlotte of Bourbon-La Marche 15. Catherine of Vendôme