“Great Affection, True Friendship, and Indissoluble Love”: Bonds, Actors, and Diplomatic Mechanisms between Queen Violante de Bar and Charles III of Navarre

Abstract

This article examines the diplomatic mechanisms employed by Queen Violante de Bar in her relationship with Charles III of Navarre, focusing on how their kinship and mutual trust consolidated strategic and political alliances between the Crown of Aragon and Navarre during the Late Middle Ages. Through communication networks, envoys, and symbolic gifts, the queen played a pivotal role in diplomacy, addressing marriage negotiations, territorial agreements, and the resolution of border conflicts. The research reveals the active role of queens consort in medieval diplomacy, highlighting how Violante, through a combination of familial relationships and political intervention, contributed to the establishment of a strong collaboration between the two territories.