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Ré, island, France

(Encyclopedia)Ré rā [key], island (1991 pop. 13,973), 33 sq mi (85 sq km), Charente-Maritime dept., off La Rochelle, W France, in the Bay of Biscay. The island is largely agricultural; it has oyster beds, some fi...

Moselle, department, France

(Encyclopedia)Moselle mōzĕlˈ [key], department (1990 pop. 1,011,400), NE France, bordering on Luxembourg and Germany. Metz is the capital. ...

Somme, department, France

(Encyclopedia)Somme sôm [key], department (1990 pop. 548,300), N France, in Picardy, on the English Channel. Amiens is the capital. ...

Albert II, king of the Belgians

(Encyclopedia)Albert II, 1934–, king of the Belgians (1993–2013), the younger son of Leopold III. He married Donna Paola Ruffo de Calabria in 1959; they have three children. Albert became king when Baudouin, hi...

John II, king of Portugal

(Encyclopedia)John II (John the Perfect), 1455–95, king of Portugal (1481–95), son and successor of Alfonso V. He was an astute politician and statesman and a patron of Renaissance art and learning. He reduced ...

La Trémoille, Louis de

(Encyclopedia)La Trémoille or La Trimouille, Louis de də lä trāmoiˈyə or trēmo͞oˈyə [key], 1460–1525, French general; grandson of Georges de La Trémoille. He commanded the army that attempted to secur...

Mary of Burgundy

(Encyclopedia)Mary of Burgundy, 1457–82, wife of Maximilian of Austria (later Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I), daughter and heiress of Charles the Bold of Burgundy. The marriage of Mary was a major event in Euro...

Dumont, Pierre Étienne Louis

(Encyclopedia)Dumont, Pierre Étienne Louis pyĕr ātyĕnˈ lwē dümôNˈ [key], 1759–1829, Swiss jurist and political writer. Dumont knew Mirabeau well and wrote many of his speeches. His Souvenirs sur Mirabeau...

Lost Dauphin

(Encyclopedia)Lost Dauphin: see Louis XVII, titular king of France. ...

James II, king of Aragón and count of Barcelona

(Encyclopedia)James II, c.1260–1327, king of Aragón and count of Barcelona (1291–1327), king of Sicily (1285–95). He succeeded his father, Peter III, in Sicily and his brother, Alfonso III, in Aragón. James...