Gaston VI, Viscount of Béarn

[3] After their birth, in light of the conflict in Béarn over the succession, Mary fled with them to the monastery of Santa Cruz de Volvestre.

[4] In 1187, when fourteen years old, Gaston was declared of age and paid homage to Alfonso II of Aragon at Huesca.

Like most of the baronage of southern France,[citation needed] Gaston did not participate in the Third Crusade, because of the grand conflict between the crown of Aragon on the one hand and the county of Toulouse on the other.

[citation needed] In 1208, Pope Innocent III ordered the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars in southern France.

[6] However, neither of these acts were religiously based, as neither Béarn nor Bigorre had many Cathars, but grounded rather in his loyalty to Peter II of Aragon, who was forced to come to the protection of his other vassals attacked by the crusaders.

[7] On 15 January 1213, Gaston did homage to Peter II of Aragon along with Bernard IV of Comminges, (circa 1150 – Count 1175 – 22 February 1225), Raimond-Roger of Foix, and Raymond VI of Toulouse.

Peter II thus intended to create a vast transpyrenean empire;[citation needed] however it was all undone at the Battle of Muret on 12 September.