Eleanor of Castile (1307-1359)
Encyclopedia
Eleanor of Castile was the eldest child of Ferdinand IV of Castile
by his wife Constance of Portugal
. She was Queen of Aragon.
and her sister was Constance Maria, who died young.
Eleanor's paternal grandparents were Sancho IV of Castile
and his wife María de Molina
; her maternal grandparents were Denis of Portugal
and his wife Elizabeth of Aragon
.
and Blanche of Anjou
. James refused to consummate the marriage and divorced after he renounced his right to the throne in 1319, then he went off to be a monk.
In February 1329, Eleanor married James' younger brother, Alfonso IV of Aragon
; he had been King of Aragon since 1327. He had been married before to Teresa d'Entença
but she had died just days after becoming Queen of Aragon. Even though Alfonso already had an heir, he and Eleanor had two sons:
Alfonso died in 1336 so his son by Teresa became Peter IV of Aragon
.
While Peter was at Zaragoza an embassy from Castile
had met him and asked that he promise to uphold the donations of land his father had made to Eleanor, but he refused to give a clear answer as to the legitimacy of the donations.
Eleanor became a disruptive influence in Aragon, plotting to advance the interests of her own sons over those of her stepson. Peter at first moved to confiscate her revenues and prosecute her protector don Pedro de Ejérica, but in 1338 he confirmed her and her sons in possession of their domains, not wishing to antagonise Castile at a time when Spain was threatened by a new Moorish invasion. She continued to plot against her stepson, eventually returning to Castile where she was also a disruptive influence.
Eleanor went home to Castile
with her children while Peter IV was fighting with Pedro of Castile
. Her son, John was imprisoned by Pedro and then murdered, but her son Ferdinand stayed away.
Eleanor was imprisoned and murdered by Pedro in 1359 in Castile aged fifty-two along with Juana de Lara. Ferdinand was killed in 1363 by his half-brother King Peter of Aragon.
Ferdinand IV of Castile
Ferdinand IV, El Emplazado or "the Summoned," was a king of Castile and León and Galicia...
by his wife Constance of Portugal
Constance of Portugal
Infanta Constança of Portugal was a Portuguese infanta , daughter of King Denis of Portugal and his wife Saint Elizabeth of Aragon...
. She was Queen of Aragon.
Family
Eleanor was the oldest of three children; her brother was Alfonso XI of CastileAlfonso XI of Castile
Alfonso XI was the king of Castile, León and Galicia.He was the son of Ferdinand IV of Castile and his wife Constance of Portugal. Upon his father's death in 1312, several disputes ensued over who would hold regency, which were resolved in 1313...
and her sister was Constance Maria, who died young.
Eleanor's paternal grandparents were Sancho IV of Castile
Sancho IV of Castile
Sancho IV the Brave was the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1284 to his death. He was the second son of Alfonso X and Yolanda, daughter of James I of Aragon.-Biography:...
and his wife María de Molina
María de Molina
María de Molina was the wife of Sancho IV of Castile. She was queen consort of Castile and León from 1284 to 1295 and then regent until the coming of age of her son Ferdinand IV.- Biography :...
; her maternal grandparents were Denis of Portugal
Denis of Portugal
Dinis , called the Farmer King , was the sixth King of Portugal and the Algarve. The eldest son of Afonso III of Portugal by his second wife, Beatrice of Castile and grandson of king Alfonso X of Castile , Dinis succeeded his father in 1279.-Biography:As heir to the throne, Infante Dinis was...
and his wife Elizabeth of Aragon
Elizabeth of Aragon
Elizabeth of Aragon, also known as Saint Elizabeth of Portugal, T.O.S.F. , was queen consort of Portugal, a tertiary of the Franciscan Order and is venerated as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church.-Biography:Elizabeth was a descendant of one of the most powerful families in Europe:...
.
Biography
She was firstly betrothed to James of Aragon, eldest son of James II of AragonJames II of Aragon
James II , called the Just was the King of Sicily from 1285 to 1296 and King of Aragon and Valencia and Count of Barcelona from 1291 to 1327. In 1297 he was granted the Kingdom of Sardinia and Corsica...
and Blanche of Anjou
Blanche of Anjou
Blanche of Anjou was the second Queen consort of James II of Aragon. She was a member of the Capetian House of Anjou, she is also known as Blanche of Naples-Family:...
. James refused to consummate the marriage and divorced after he renounced his right to the throne in 1319, then he went off to be a monk.
In February 1329, Eleanor married James' younger brother, Alfonso IV of Aragon
Alfonso IV of Aragon
Alfonso IV, called the Kind was the King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona from 1327 to his death. He was the second son of James II and Blanche of Anjou...
; he had been King of Aragon since 1327. He had been married before to Teresa d'Entença
Teresa d'Entença
Teresa d'Entença was the eldest daughter of Gombald d'Entença and his wife Constance of Antillón. She was Queen consort of Aragon by her marriage to King Alfonso IV of Aragon and was Countess of Urgell in her own right; however control over her estate passed to her husband.- Life :Before dying at...
but she had died just days after becoming Queen of Aragon. Even though Alfonso already had an heir, he and Eleanor had two sons:
- Ferdinand, Marquis of Tortosa (1329–1363)
- John (1331–1358), married in 1355 to Isabel Núñez de Lara and was killed by order of his cousin Pedro of CastilePedro of CastilePeter , sometimes called "the Cruel" or "the Lawful" , was the king of Castile and León from 1350 to 1369. He was the son of Alfonso XI of Castile and Maria of Portugal, daughter of Afonso IV of Portugal...
Alfonso died in 1336 so his son by Teresa became Peter IV of Aragon
Peter IV of Aragon
Peter IV, , called el Cerimoniós or el del punyalet , was the King of Aragon, King of Sardinia and Corsica , King of Valencia , and Count of Barcelona Peter IV, (Balaguer, September 5, 1319 – Barcelona, January 6, 1387), called el Cerimoniós ("the Ceremonious") or el del punyalet ("the one...
.
While Peter was at Zaragoza an embassy from Castile
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
had met him and asked that he promise to uphold the donations of land his father had made to Eleanor, but he refused to give a clear answer as to the legitimacy of the donations.
Eleanor became a disruptive influence in Aragon, plotting to advance the interests of her own sons over those of her stepson. Peter at first moved to confiscate her revenues and prosecute her protector don Pedro de Ejérica, but in 1338 he confirmed her and her sons in possession of their domains, not wishing to antagonise Castile at a time when Spain was threatened by a new Moorish invasion. She continued to plot against her stepson, eventually returning to Castile where she was also a disruptive influence.
Eleanor went home to Castile
Kingdom of Castile
Kingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. It emerged as a political autonomous entity in the 9th century. It was called County of Castile and was held in vassalage from the Kingdom of León. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region...
with her children while Peter IV was fighting with Pedro of Castile
Pedro of Castile
Peter , sometimes called "the Cruel" or "the Lawful" , was the king of Castile and León from 1350 to 1369. He was the son of Alfonso XI of Castile and Maria of Portugal, daughter of Afonso IV of Portugal...
. Her son, John was imprisoned by Pedro and then murdered, but her son Ferdinand stayed away.
Eleanor was imprisoned and murdered by Pedro in 1359 in Castile aged fifty-two along with Juana de Lara. Ferdinand was killed in 1363 by his half-brother King Peter of Aragon.