Beatrice of Portugal
Encyclopedia
Beatrice was the only surviving child of King Ferdinand I of Portugal
and his wife, Leonor Telles de Menezes
. She married King John I of Castile
. In the absence of a male heir, she claimed the throne of Portugal, supported by her husband. This led to the 1383–1385 Crisis
, in which the Portuguese aristocracy resisted her claim, fearing the integration of Portugal into Castille. The crisis ended with her uncle John
, Ferdinand's illegitimate brother, being acclaimed King of Portugal, the first from the House of Aviz
.
was volatile. Beatrice was the King's only child, and heir to the throne, after her younger brothers' deaths in 1380 and 1382. Her marriage was the political issue of the day and inside the palace, factions lobbied constantly. Ferdinand arranged and canceled his daughter's wedding several times before settling for his wife's first choice, King John I of Castile
. John had lost his wife, Infanta Eleanor of Aragon the year before, and was happy to wed the Portuguese heiress. The wedding took place on 17 May 1383, in the Portuguese city of Elvas
. Beatrice was only ten years old.
King Ferdinand died shortly thereafter, on 22 October 1383. According to the treaty between Castile and Portugal, the Queen Mother, Leonor Telles de Menezes, became regent in the name of her daughter and son-in-law. At the request of John I of Castile, when he had knowledge of his father-in-law's decease, the Regent ordered the acclaim of Beatrice throughout the country. but a rebellion led by the Master of the Order of Aviz, the future John I
, immediately began, leading to the 1383–1385 Crisis
.
King John of Castile invaded Portugal in the end of December of 1383 to enforce his wife's claim to the crown. The consequent war was effectively ended in 1385, with the utter defeat of Castile in the Battle of Aljubarrota
. In the aftermath of this battle, John
of Aviz became the uncontested King of Portugal. John of Castile and Beatrice no longer had a tenable claim to the throne of Portugal, but during the lifetime of John I of Castile, they continued to call themselves king and queen of Portugal.
Beatrice died circa 1420 in Castile.
. Based on rare references to her as Queen of Portugal, however, some claim that at least for a short period she was Queen, and so can be included on the list of the Monarchs of Portugal.
The Portuguese rebellion was, however, not the only problem to her ascension to the throne. Many Portuguese nobles of the pro-Castillian faction also recognized her husband, King John I of Castile, as their de facto monarch according to de jure uxoris
, by rendering him vassalage and obedience, as, for example, Lopo Gomes de Lira in Minho
. John I of Castile, as can be read in his testament, dating of 21 July of 1385, in Celorico da Beira
identified himself as de jure
king, saying that if he predeceased his wife, the pope
should decide whether Beatrice or his male heir Henry should be the sovereign of Portugal.
Ferdinand I of Portugal
Ferdinand I , sometimes referred to as the Handsome or rarely as the Inconstant , was the ninth King of Portugal and the Algarve, the second son of Peter I and his wife, Constance of Castile...
and his wife, Leonor Telles de Menezes
Leonor Telles de Menezes
Leonor Telles de Menezes was a queen consort of Portugal and regent during the years 1383–1385. She was the wife of a Portuguese nobleman from whom she was forcibly divorced by King Ferdinand I, who afterward married her...
. She married King John I of Castile
John I of Castile
John I was the king of Crown of Castile, was the son of Henry II and of his wife Juana Manuel of Castile, daughter of Juan Manuel, Prince of Villena, head of a younger branch of the royal house of Castile...
. In the absence of a male heir, she claimed the throne of Portugal, supported by her husband. This led to the 1383–1385 Crisis
1383–1385 Crisis
The 1383–1385 Crisis was a period of civil war in Portuguese history that began with the death of King Ferdinand I of Portugal, who left no male heirs, and ended with the accession to the throne of King John I in 1385, in the wake of the Battle of Aljubarrota.In Portugal, this period is also known...
, in which the Portuguese aristocracy resisted her claim, fearing the integration of Portugal into Castille. The crisis ended with her uncle John
John I of Portugal
John I KG , called the Good or of Happy Memory, more rarely and outside Portugal the Bastard, was the tenth King of Portugal and the Algarve and the first to use the title Lord of Ceuta...
, Ferdinand's illegitimate brother, being acclaimed King of Portugal, the first from the House of Aviz
House of Aviz
The House of Aviz is a dynasty of kings of Portugal. In 1385, the Interregnum of the 1383-1385 crisis ended with the acclamation of the Master of the Order of Aviz, John, natural son of king Peter I and Dona Teresa Lourenço as king...
.
Biography
At the beginning of 1383, the political situation in PortugalPortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
was volatile. Beatrice was the King's only child, and heir to the throne, after her younger brothers' deaths in 1380 and 1382. Her marriage was the political issue of the day and inside the palace, factions lobbied constantly. Ferdinand arranged and canceled his daughter's wedding several times before settling for his wife's first choice, King John I of Castile
John I of Castile
John I was the king of Crown of Castile, was the son of Henry II and of his wife Juana Manuel of Castile, daughter of Juan Manuel, Prince of Villena, head of a younger branch of the royal house of Castile...
. John had lost his wife, Infanta Eleanor of Aragon the year before, and was happy to wed the Portuguese heiress. The wedding took place on 17 May 1383, in the Portuguese city of Elvas
Elvas
Elvas is a Portuguese municipality, an episcopal city and frontier fortress of Portugal, located in the district of Portalegre in Alentejo. It is situated about 230 km east of Lisbon, and about 15 km west of the Spanish fortress of Badajoz, by the Madrid-Badajoz-Lisbon railway...
. Beatrice was only ten years old.
King Ferdinand died shortly thereafter, on 22 October 1383. According to the treaty between Castile and Portugal, the Queen Mother, Leonor Telles de Menezes, became regent in the name of her daughter and son-in-law. At the request of John I of Castile, when he had knowledge of his father-in-law's decease, the Regent ordered the acclaim of Beatrice throughout the country. but a rebellion led by the Master of the Order of Aviz, the future John I
John I of Portugal
John I KG , called the Good or of Happy Memory, more rarely and outside Portugal the Bastard, was the tenth King of Portugal and the Algarve and the first to use the title Lord of Ceuta...
, immediately began, leading to the 1383–1385 Crisis
1383–1385 Crisis
The 1383–1385 Crisis was a period of civil war in Portuguese history that began with the death of King Ferdinand I of Portugal, who left no male heirs, and ended with the accession to the throne of King John I in 1385, in the wake of the Battle of Aljubarrota.In Portugal, this period is also known...
.
King John of Castile invaded Portugal in the end of December of 1383 to enforce his wife's claim to the crown. The consequent war was effectively ended in 1385, with the utter defeat of Castile in the Battle of Aljubarrota
Battle of Aljubarrota
The Battle of Aljubarrota was a battle fought between the Kingdom of Portugal and the Crown of Castile on 14 August 1385. Forces commanded by King John I of Portugal and his general Nuno Álvares Pereira, with the support of English allies, opposed the army of King John I of Castile with its...
. In the aftermath of this battle, John
John I of Portugal
John I KG , called the Good or of Happy Memory, more rarely and outside Portugal the Bastard, was the tenth King of Portugal and the Algarve and the first to use the title Lord of Ceuta...
of Aviz became the uncontested King of Portugal. John of Castile and Beatrice no longer had a tenable claim to the throne of Portugal, but during the lifetime of John I of Castile, they continued to call themselves king and queen of Portugal.
Beatrice died circa 1420 in Castile.
Status as monarch
There has been some debate as to whether Beatrice should be counted as a monarch or not. Portuguese historians have argued that during the 1383–1385 period Portugal had no monarch, which would mean that Beatrice cannot be counted as a Portuguese queen regnantQueen regnant
A queen regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right, in contrast to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigning king. An empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right over an empire....
. Based on rare references to her as Queen of Portugal, however, some claim that at least for a short period she was Queen, and so can be included on the list of the Monarchs of Portugal.
The Portuguese rebellion was, however, not the only problem to her ascension to the throne. Many Portuguese nobles of the pro-Castillian faction also recognized her husband, King John I of Castile, as their de facto monarch according to de jure uxoris
Jure uxoris
Jure uxoris is a Latin term that means "by right of his wife" or "in right of a wife". It is commonly used to refer to a title held by a man whose wife holds it in her own right. In other words, he acquired the title simply by being her husband....
, by rendering him vassalage and obedience, as, for example, Lopo Gomes de Lira in Minho
Minho
-People:* Lee Min Ho, a South Korean actor* Choi Minho , a member of the Korean boy-band Shinee-Portugal:* Entre-Douro-e-Minho, a historical province of Portugal * Minho Province, a historical province of Portugal...
. John I of Castile, as can be read in his testament, dating of 21 July of 1385, in Celorico da Beira
Celorico da Beira
Celorico da Beira is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 247.2 km² and a total population of 8,752 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of 22 parishes, and is located in Guarda District.Main town: Celorico da Beira, near the Mondego River....
identified himself as de jure
De jure
De jure is an expression that means "concerning law", as contrasted with de facto, which means "concerning fact".De jure = 'Legally', De facto = 'In fact'....
king, saying that if he predeceased his wife, the pope
Antipope Clement VII
Robert of Geneva was elected to the papacy as Pope Clement VII by the French cardinals who opposed Urban VI, and was the first Avignon antipope of the Western Schism.-Biography:...
should decide whether Beatrice or his male heir Henry should be the sovereign of Portugal.