Born in November 1016, he was the eldest legitimate son and heir of Sancho III the Great, and he succeeded his father to the crown of Navarre, becoming feudal overlord over two of his brothers: Ramiro, who was given lands that would serve as the basis for the kingdom of Aragón. And Gonzalo, who received the counties of Sobrarbe and Ribagorza.
The two brothers defeated Bermudo, who died in battle, the final king of the male line of Peter of Cantabria, and Ferdinand succeeded in León. By aiding Ferdinand, García received his brother"s favour and, in a repartition of Castile, he expanded Navarre to the Bay of Santander, incorporating the entire Basque Country. García was one of the Christian kings to profit greatly from the weakened taifa kingdoms that arose through the disintegration of central control by the Caliphate of Córdoba.
In 1045, he conquered Calahorra.
Relations eventually soured with Ferdinand and war broke out between the fraternal kingdoms, García dying in the Battle of Atapuerca, 15 September 1054. His nickname comes from his foundation of the monastery of Santa María la Real of Najera.
Sancho IV "El de Peñalén", king of Navarre, married Placencia
Ramiro (d1083), lord of Calahorra
Ferdinand Garcés, lord of Bucesta
Raymond Garcés "the Fratricide" (Ramón el Fratricida), lord of Murillo and Cameros
Ermesinda Garcés, married Fortún Sánchez de Yarnoz
Mayor Garcés
Urraca Garcés (d1108), married Castilian count García Ordóñez
Jimena
He also had illegitimate issue:
Sancho Garcés, Lord of Uncastillo. Mencia Garcés (d1106), wife of Fortún Ochoiz.
