Agnes of Aquitaine, Queen of León and Castile
Encyclopedia
Agnes or Ines of Aquitaine or Poitou was an 11th century Queen of Leon and Castile by her marriage to Alfonso VI of León and Castile.
, daughter of William by his third wife, Hildegarde of Burgundy.
, but then in January 1072, Alfonso (and presumably Agnes) was forced to flee and Sancho took the entire realm of their father. Sancho was assassinated later that year and Alfonso returned, being crowned king of the reunited kingdom of their father in October 1072, at which time he also claimed to be "Emperor of all Spain
".
They last appear together in May 1077, and then Alfonso appears alone. This suggests that she had died, although Orderic Vitalis
reports that in 1109 Alfonso's 'relict' Agnes remarried to Elias I of Maine
, leading some to speculate that Alfonso and Agnes had divorced due to consanguinity
. It seems more likely that Orderic gave the wrong name to Alfonso's final wife, Beatrice, who had just become a widow at the time. Agnes and Alfonso had no children, (nor did Elias by his wife, Alfonso's 'relict').
A queen Agnes is said to have been buried in the royal monastery of Sahagún, Sahagún
, León
, near Alfonso's second wife, Constance of Burgundy
. However, given that the surviving monuments at Sahagún are not contemporary and errors have been found in the reported inscriptions, this may be apocryphal.
|-
|-
|-
Family
Contemporary records show Agnes to have been daughter of William VIII, Duke of Aquitaine and his second wife, Matilda, whose origins are uncertain. She has been confused with a half-sister of the same name who was also an Iberian Queen, AgnesAgnes of Aquitaine, Queen of Aragon and Navarre
Agnes of Aquitaine was a daughter of William VIII, Duke of Aquitaine and his third wife Hildegarde of Burgundy, and thus half-sister of Agnes of Aquitaine, Queen of Castile, with whom she is sometimes confused....
, daughter of William by his third wife, Hildegarde of Burgundy.
Marriage
In 1069, Agnes married Alfonso VI, king of León, his father having divided the kingdom into three realms upon his death. Alfonso and his brother Sancho of Castile would supplant their brother García in GaliciaKingdom of Galicia
The Kingdom of Galicia was a political entity located in southwestern Europe, which at its territorial zenith occupied the entire northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. Founded by Suebic king Hermeric in the year 409, the Galician capital was established in Braga, being the first kingdom which...
, but then in January 1072, Alfonso (and presumably Agnes) was forced to flee and Sancho took the entire realm of their father. Sancho was assassinated later that year and Alfonso returned, being crowned king of the reunited kingdom of their father in October 1072, at which time he also claimed to be "Emperor of all Spain
Imperator totius Hispaniae
Imperator totius Hispaniae is a Latin title meaning "Emperor of all Spain". In Spain in the Middle Ages, the title "emperor" was used under a variety of circumstances from the ninth century onwards, but its usage peaked, as a formal and practical title, between 1086 and 1157...
".
They last appear together in May 1077, and then Alfonso appears alone. This suggests that she had died, although Orderic Vitalis
Orderic Vitalis
Orderic Vitalis was an English chronicler of Norman ancestry who wrote one of the great contemporary chronicles of 11th and 12th century Normandy and Anglo-Norman England. The modern biographer of Henry I of England, C...
reports that in 1109 Alfonso's 'relict' Agnes remarried to Elias I of Maine
Elias I of Maine
Elias I , called de la Flèche or de Baugency, was the Count of Maine from 1093. He was the son of the lord of La Flèche, John de Beaugency, and his wife Paula, daughter of Herbert I, Count of Maine....
, leading some to speculate that Alfonso and Agnes had divorced due to consanguinity
Consanguinity
Consanguinity refers to the property of being from the same kinship as another person. In that respect, consanguinity is the quality of being descended from the same ancestor as another person...
. It seems more likely that Orderic gave the wrong name to Alfonso's final wife, Beatrice, who had just become a widow at the time. Agnes and Alfonso had no children, (nor did Elias by his wife, Alfonso's 'relict').
Death and Burial
Several alternative accounts are given for the death of Agnes. Some sources place it in 1078, which would be consistent with her disappearance from the records. However, a surviving obituary notice has been interpreted as placing her death in 1097. This record, though, simply refers to Queen Ínes, and probably intended her half-sister Agnes, Queen of Aragon and Navarre, who died in that year. Likewise, the report of her 1109 marriage to Elias of Maine would, if accurate, require her survival at least to that date.A queen Agnes is said to have been buried in the royal monastery of Sahagún, Sahagún
Sahagún
Sahagún can refer to:*Sahagún, Spain, a town and monastery in Léon, Spain. Cradle of the Mudéjar architecture*Sahagún, Córdoba, the second town in population in Córdoba Department, Colombia, also called "The Cultural City of Cordoba"People...
, León
Kingdom of León
The Kingdom of León was an independent kingdom situated in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. It was founded in AD 910 when the Christian princes of Asturias along the northern coast of the peninsula shifted their capital from Oviedo to the city of León...
, near Alfonso's second wife, Constance of Burgundy
Constance of Burgundy
Constance of Burgundy was the daughter of Duke Robert I of Burgundy and Helie de Semur-en-Brionnais. She was Queen consort of Castile and León by her marriage to Alfonso VI of Castile. She was the granddaughter of King Robert II of France, the second monarch of the French Capetian dynasty...
. However, given that the surviving monuments at Sahagún are not contemporary and errors have been found in the reported inscriptions, this may be apocryphal.
|-
|-
|-