A nine-year-old boy driven from Naples becomes a king who sacks Rome-how did he rise so far?

The stutter that stayed with him: How a poison undid a king

This episode covers the early life and reign of Ladislaus of Naples, a king who spent decades turning impossible claims into real territory. How did a child king, facing crusades and invasions, rise to such power?

Person: Ladislaus of Naples
Period: 14th-15th Century
Event: Assassination of Charles III of Naples
Location: Naples, Gaeta, Hungary
Status: King of Naples

- Ladislaus inherited a claim to the throne of Naples at age nine after his father, Charles III, was assassinated while pursuing the Hungarian throne.
- By 1387, Pope Urban VI declared a crusade against the child king, leading his mother, Margaret of Durazzo, to flee with him to the coastal fortress of Gaeta.
- In 1389, Pope Urban IX recognized Ladislaus as King of Naples, legitimizing his claim at age twelve.
- At age thirteen, Ladislaus survived an attempt on his life by poison administered by the Archbishop of Arles, which left him with a permanent stutter and chronic health issues.
- He spent nine years at war with Louis II of Anjou, a rival claimant, eventually retaking Naples in 1399 at the age of twenty-two.

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