Background
He was the second son of Peter II of Sicily and Elisabeth of Carinthia.
He was the second son of Peter II of Sicily and Elisabeth of Carinthia.
"Frederick the Simple" is often confused with an earlier Sicilian monarch, Frederick II, who chose to call himself "Frederick III", even though he was actually only the second King Frederick to occupy the Sicilian throne, as also this Frederick has been dubbed by later generations of genealogists and historians as Frederick III.
The documents of his era call him the "infante Frederick, ruler of the kingdom of Sicily", without any regnal number. In his youth the reign was under the control of powerful Sicialian barons, in particular of Artale I Alagona. On 25 December 1369 Frederick ordered all Jews to wear a badge indicating their heritage.
The badge consisted of a piece of red material, not smaller than the largest royal seal.
Men were required to wear it under the chin, and women on the chest. In 1372 he was able to come to peace terms with Naples and Pope Gregory XI, obtaining the title of tributary King of "Trinacria".