Fadrique Enríquez de Mendoza (1390 – 23 December 1473) was the second Admiral of Castile

Admiral of Castile

Admiral of Castile was a post with a long and important history in Spain. One famous holder was Fadrique Enríquez.Another was Admiral Don Bernardo de Sarrià, Baron of Polop and nobleman in the service of King James II of Aragon....

, Count of Melgar and Rueda, and second Lord of Medina del Rioseco. He was a son of Alonso Enríquez, the first admiral of 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...

.

1426-1445

Fadrique's father, Alonso Enríquez, was in turn the son of Fadrique

Fadrique Alfonso of Castile

Don Fadrique Alfonso of Castile, 1st Señor de Haro , 25th Master of the Order of Santiago , was the fifth illegitimate child of Alfonso XI of Castile and Eleanor of Guzman. He was born in Seville....

, an illegitimate child of Alfonso XI of Castile

Alfonso 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...

. The Enríquez family was a very important family because of this descent from the royal line and their many possessions in Castile. When his father died in 1429, Alonso Fadrique inherited his estate and titles, including ricohombre, Master of Order of Santiago

Order of Santiago

The Order of Santiago was founded in the 12th century, and owes its name to the national patron of Galicia and Spain, Santiago , under whose banner the Christians of Galicia and Asturias began in the 9th century to combat and drive back the Muslims of the Iberian Peninsula.-History:Santiago de...

, lord of Medina de Rioseco

Medina de Rioseco

Medina de Rioseco is a municipality located in the province of Valladolid, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 5,037 inhabitants. During the Peninsular War, it was here that the Battle of Medina del Rioseco took place on July 14,...

, Castro Verde and Torrelobatón

Torrelobatón

Torrelobatón is a municipality located in the province of Valladolid, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 577 inhabitants....

. According to his contemporary Fernando del Pulgar (1436–1492) he was small in stature, a little nearsighted, and he gained much honor and fame with his performance as commander of the fleet of Castile.

Fadrique played an important role at court, as one of the main advisers of King John II of Castile

John II of Castile

John II was King of Castile from 1406 to 1454.He was the son of Henry III of Castile and his wife Catherine of Lancaster, daughter of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster by Constance of Castile, daughter of King Peter of Castile.-Regency:He succeeded his father on 25 December 1406, at the age of...

. He became involved in the conspiracy against the influential Constable of Castile

Constable of Castile

Constable of Castile was a title created by John I, King of Castile in 1382, to substitute the title Alférez Mayor del Reino. The constable was the second person in power in the kingdom, after the King, and his responsibility was to command the military in the absence of the ruler.In 1473 Henry IV...

 Álvaro de Luna

Álvaro de Luna

Álvaro de Luna y Jarana , Duke of Trujillo, 1st Count of San Esteban de Gormaz, was a Spanish politician...

.

Fadrique Enríquez married in 1426 with Mariana Fernández de Córdoba y Ayala

Mariana Fernández de Córdoba y Ayala

Mariana Fernández de Córdoba y Ayala , also known as Mariana de Ayala Córdoba y Toledo, was the fourth Lady of Casarrubios del Monte in the province of Toledo...

, 4th Lady of Casarrubios (1385–1431). In 1527, Mariana gave birth to a daughter, Juana

Juana Enríquez

Juana Enriquez de Córdoba, 5th Lady of Casarrubios del Monte , was a Castilian noblewoman who became Queen of the Kingdoms of the Crown of Aragon.-Biography:...

, Queen of Aragon.

In 1431 he and Alvaro de Luna arrested Commander Diego Sarmiento because the latter did not obey the orders of the king. In the same year, his wife Mariana died.

In 1432 he fought alongside with Pedro Manrique de Lara

Pedro Manrique de Lara

Pedro Manrique de Lara , commonly called Pedro de Molina and usually known in French sources as Pierre de Lara, was a Castilian nobleman and military leader of the House of Lara...

 against the princes Henry and Peter near Cáceres, Alburquerque and Acagala.

On May 9, 1432 Fadrique married his second wife, Teresa Fernández de Quiñones with whom he had nine children.

When in 1437 King John II of Castile had Pedro Manrique arrested, Fadrique came into conflict with the king. In August 1438 Pedro managed to escape from his prison in Fuentedueñas. Fadrique gathered troops in Medina de Rioseco to rebel against the king.
John II of Castile also brought together his supporters, including Alvaro de Luna, his son Henry, Pero de Velasco, the Count of Haro, Diego Gómez de Sandoval and others. In 1440 negotiations were held and a temporary truce was agreed. During this short period of peace with Henry married Blanche II of Navarre

Blanche II of Navarre

Blanche II of Navarre , titular queen of Navarre, was the daughter of John II of Aragon and Blanche I of Navarre. She was also Princess of Asturias by marriage....

. Fadrique was godfather

Godfather

A godfather is a male godparent in the Christian tradition.Godfather may also refer to:*A male arranged to be legal guardian of a child if untimely demise is met by the parentsPeople:* Capo di tutti capi, a Mafia crime boss...

 of the couple.

1445-1473

In 1445, Fadrique again participated in an alliance against Alvaro de Luna. The admiral was captured but managed to escape to Medina de Rioseco.

Im 1448, Fadrique was accused of a conspiracy against the king and a plot to murder Álvaro de Luna. Fadrique fled again, went to Aragon to seek support and thence to Italy, where Alfonso V

Alfonso V of Aragon

Alfonso the Magnanimous KG was the King of Aragon , Valencia , Majorca, Sardinia and Corsica , and Sicily and Count of Barcelona from 1416 and King of Naples from 1442 until his death...

, king of Aragon was at the time.

In 1449 there an alliance against Álvaro de Luna was again forged. This time, Fadrique joined forces with John II

John II of Aragon

John II the Faithless, also known as the Great was the King of Aragon from 1458 until 1479, and jure uxoris King of Navarre from 1425 until his death. He was the son of Ferdinand I and his wife Eleanor of Alburquerque...

, king of Navarre. In 1447, John II of Castile had married Isabella of Portugal. The new queen soon made short short shrift of the influential nobles at court. Álvaro was arrested on April 4, 1453, and sentenced to death. He was beheaded on June 2, 1453.

John II of Castile died in July 1454 and was succeeded by Henry IV. A new series of intrigues at the court of Castile began, and Fadrique again played a role.

Fadrique Enríquez de Mendoza died in 1473 and was buried in the monastery of Our Lady of Hope of Valdescopezo in Medina de Rioseco.

Issue

With Mariana Fernández de Córdoba y Ayala:

• Juana Enríquez
  Juana Enríquez
  Juana Enriquez de Córdoba, 5th Lady of Casarrubios del Monte , was a Castilian noblewoman who became Queen of the Kingdoms of the Crown of Aragon.-Biography:...
  
  , later Queen of Aragon

With Teresa Fernández de Quiñones:

• Alonso Enríquez (1435-1485), 3rd Admiral of Castile
• Pedro, fourth Adelantado Mayor of Andalusia (? - 1492)
• Enrique Enríquez (? - 1504), major-domo mayor del rey, lord of Orso
• Francisco Enriques
• María
• Leonor
• Inés
• Aldonza
• Blanca