John I of France
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John I the Posthumous (French: Jean Ier le Posthume) (November 15, 1316 - November 20, 1316) was King of France for the five days he lived.
He was born a king on November 15, 1316, a member of the Capetian dynasty and the posthumous son of King Louis X and Clemence of Hungary.
Jean lived for only a few days and many believed his uncle, the future King Philippe V, caused his death in order to gain the throne. There were also stories that Philippe had the child kidnapped and substituted a dead child in his place. During the 1350s, a man claiming to be King Jean I appeared in Provence. He was quickly put in prison and died there.
Jean reigned for five days under his uncle's regency, until his death on November 20, 1316. The infant King was buried in Saint Denis Basilica. He was succeeded by his uncle, Philippe V. The other claimant was John's half-sister, the then four-year-old Princess Joan, daughter of Louis X's marriage with Marguerite of Burgundy.
It was at that point when the question of the force of Salic Law was resolved regarding the succession to the Throne of France.
John I's half-sister Jeanne, as a female, had a disputed claim to the throne of France: a female could not succeed to the throne of France if following the Salic law, however if following the feudal law (which had this far controlled the inheritance of almost all fiefs in France), Jeanne would have been the next monarch of France. (She did, however, have indeniable rights in the succession of Navarre where females are allowed - witness that kingdom being brought to Capetians by Louis' own mother. However, these claims were ignored until after the deaths of her uncles Philip V and Charles IV.)
A practical point obviously having impact on this legal interpretation was the rumors that Joan was a product of her mother's adultery and not at all a daughter of Louis X. Thus, an interpretation of law allowing only male succession quashed Joan's position altogether, and the danger of a bastard succeeding was avoided, without even examining her real birth.
| Preceded by: Louis X | King of France 1316 | Succeeded by: Philip V |
| King of Navarre 1316 |