Charles, Duke of Calabria was the son of King Robert of Naples and Yolanda of Aragon.
Background
In 1316, he married Catherine of Habsburg (1295–1323), daughter of Albert I of Germany. After her death, he married Marie of Valois (1309–1332), daughter of Charles of Valois. They had five children:
Eloisa (b January or February 1325 - d 27 December 1325).
Maria (b April 1326 – d 1328).
Charles Martel (b Florence, 13 April 1327 – d Florence, 21 April 1327).
Joanna Ι (b Naples, March 1328 – d castello di San Fele, 22 May 1382), Queen of Naples after succeeded her grandfather.
Maria (b posthumously, Naples, May 1329 – d Naples, 20 May 1366), Countess of Alberta
Career
lieutenant was then that he became Duke of Calabria and was created Vicar-General of the Kingdom of Sicily (Naples). His father intended him to lead the force sent to aid Florence in 1315, but was constrained by time to send Robert"s brother, Philip I of Taranto, instead. The Florentine-Neapolitan coalition was badly beaten at the ensuing Battle of Montecatini.
The victory of Castruccio Castracani at Altopascio in 1325 led the Florentines to elect Charles signore (lord) of the city for ten years in 1326.
While Charles" arrival checked Castruccio, he exacted onerous taxes from the Florentines, until he was recalled to Naples in December 1327 due to the advance of Emperor Louis IV into Italy. There he died in 1328.
He left as heir his eldest surviving daughter, Joanna Ι. A posthumous daughter, Marie, was born in 1329.