• Born: 1 Feb 1207/8, Montpellier, Herault, France
• Married (1): 6 Feb 1220/1, Ágreda, Soria, Castile and León, Spain
• Married (2): 8 Sep 1235, Barcelona, Aragón, Spain
• Married (3): in secret, after 1251
• Died: 27 Jul 1276, Valencia, Spain

  Research Notes:

The Crónica de San Juan de la Peña names "Jaime" as son of Pedro II King of Aragon and his wife "la filla del noble princep Don Guillem de Montpeller…Maria, nieta del Emperador de Costantin noble". The Chronicle of Ramon Muntaner names "Jacques…roi d´Arragon…fils [de] Pierre roi d´Arragon et de…madame Marie de Montpellier". The Chronicle of Alberic de Trois-Fontaines names "rex Iacobus Arragonensis" as son of "rege Petro Arragonum" & his wife. The Thalamus de Montpellier records the birth 1 Feb 1207 (probably O.S.) of "Jacme rei dAragon lo fill de la regina dona de Montpellier". A "Chronique en Languedocien, tirée du cartulaire de Raymond le Jeune comte de Toulouse" records the birth in 1208 of "Jacmes Peire reis d´Arago". His father gave him into the custody of Simon de Montfort, who governed Béziers and Carcassonne in the King of Aragon’s name after their conquest in 1209, at Carcassonne.

Betrothed (1209) to Aurembiaix, Ctss de Urgel, daughter and heiress of Armengol III Conde de Urgel and his wife Elvira Núñez de Luna. On the death of her father she was betrothed to Jaime, infant son of Pedro II King of Aragon, but the contract was cancelled. She concluded a secret protocol of concubinage with Jaime I King of Aragon 23 Oct 1228, under which he confirmed her rights to Urgel and the succession to the county of any son born from their union, nullified shortly afterwards by her second marriage. "Aurembiax…conmitissa Urgelensi filia…Hermengaudi comitis Urgelensis et dominæ Alviræ matris nostræ…commitissimæ" swore allegiance to the Order of Santiago, referring to her contracts to marry "Petrum Infantem Portugaliæ" and "Iacobo…Rege Aragoniæ", by charter dated 6 May 1229.

He succeeded his father in 1213 as JAIME I "el Conquistador" King of Aragon, Conde de Barcelona, Gerona, Osona, Besalú, Comte de Cerdagne/Cerdaña et de Roussillon. After his release from Carcassonne and return to Catalonia was negotiated, the Templars of Monzón took charge of him, with his great uncle Sancho acting as Regent. He conquered Mallorca from the Moors, the city of Mallorca falling 31 Dec 1229 after a prolonged siege. The Chronicle of Narbonne Saint-Paul records that "insula Majoricarum" was captured in 1230 by "dominum Jacobum". He proclaimed himself King of Mallorca 1230, deposing the wali Abu Yahya Hiqem. He launched the conquest of Valencia from Monzón Oct 1236, the city finally surrendering to a siege 28 Sep 1238. Proclaimed King of Valencia 1238. The Moors of Alicante offered to submit to him 1240, but Jaime refused on the grounds of his agreements with the King of Castile. He renounced all his rights in Occitania (except Montpellier and the Carladès) by the treaty of Corbeil May 1258 with Louis IX King of France. He besieged and captured Murcia Jan 1266, before turning the city over to Castile. He recorded the events of his life in his Book of Deeds (“Llibre dels feyts”). The testament of "Jac. Reg. Arag. et Maioric. et Valentiæ…Comitis Barchinonæ et Urgelli, et Domini Montpessulani" was published at Perpignan 28 Sep 1299 on behalf of "Jacobo…Rege Majorie, comite Rossilionis et Ceritanuæ ac domino Montispessulani" at the request of "Henrici…Comitis Rutenensis", with the seals of "domini Petri bonæ memoriæ et…domini Jacobi fratris sui". Under this testament, the king bequeathed the kingdoms of Aragon and Valencia, the county of Barcelona to "Infanti Petro filio nostro", the kingdom of Mallorca and Menorca, the lordship of Montpellier, "Comitatum Rossilionis et Cauquoliberum et…Conflent et comitatum Ceritaniæ et Vallem Aspirii" to "Infanti Jacobo filio nostro". Under the testament of "Jacobus…Rex Aragoniæ, Majoricarum et Valenciæ, Comes Barchinonæ et Urgelli, et Dominus Montispessulani", dated 26 Aug 1272, the king made bequests to "filius noster Infans Jacobus…filium nostrum primogenitum Infantem P…filiam nostram Domnam Yolant…filios…Philippi…Regis Franciæ et Domnæ Elizabet bonæ memoriæ Regina Franciæ filiæ nostræ, nepotes nostras…filios nostros Jacobum et Petrum quos legitime…ex Domna Teresia Ægidii de Bidaure…filios Infantis Domnæ Constantiæ quondam filiæ nostræ et Infantis domini Emanuelis fratris…Regis Castellæ, nepotes nostros".

The Crónica de San Juan de la Peña records the death 3 Jul 1276 of King Jaime aged 72 and his burial "cerca el altar de Senyora Santa Maria en la Seu de Valencia". The Chronicle of Ramon Muntaner records the death "6 Jul 1276" of "le roi Jacques" and his burial at Poblet. ¹