Eleanor of Alburquerque
Encyclopedia
Eleanor, 2nd Countess of Alburquerque (1374–16 December 1435) became Queen consort
of Aragon by her marriage to Ferdinand I of Aragon
. In Spanish
, she is known as Leonor Urraca de Castilla, condesa de Alburquerque.
and his mistress Eleanor of Guzman
, and a brother of King Henry II of Castile. Her mother was Infanta Beatrice, Countess of Alburquerque, who was daughter of Peter I of Portugal
and Ines de Castro
. Eleanor was born in Aldeadavila de la Ribera
, now in National Park since 2002 of Arribes del Duero Natural Park
, province of Salamanca.
Eleanor's brother was Ferdinand, 2nd Count of Alburquerque.
Upon the death of the sickly John I of Castile
on October 9 of 1390 the Regency Council addressed the issue of the heir presumptive, Infante Henry
at the time eleven years of age and his brother Infante Ferdinand
, who was then ten years. It was agreed that Ferdinand could not marry before his brother Henry reached the age of fourteen. Then he would be granted the privileges and social policies majority.
Peter I of Castile was murdered in March 1369 by his bastard brother Henry. The representatives of the clergy, the nobility, the state of the gentry and merchants, as well as the authorized legal representatives of some Castillian cities agreed that Henry's grandson Infante Henry should marry the granddaughter of the murdered Peter, this was the England princess Catherine of Lancaster
, daughter of John of Gaunt. As the elder brother, Henry, fulfilled these requirements then so should his brother Infante Ferdinand, with a good wife who was honorable and rich.
It was then heard that Eleanor of Alburqueque was sixteen and old enough to marry. She expressed her agreement in marriage but could not yet take place as Ferdinand was not ten years old yet. She owned the towns of Haro, Briones, Vilforado, Ledesma with the five towns, Albuquerque, the Codesera, Azagala, Alconchel, Medellin, Alconétar and Villalon, a gift from John I of Castile
. This made Eleanor a very attractive offer to Ferdinand.
In 1394, Eleanor and Ferdinand were married. They had seven children:
after the Compromise of Caspe
. However they reigned for only four years, when Ferdinand died in 1416, aged 36 years. Eleanor, who was then 42 years old, retired to Medina del Campo
. In 1435 her sons, the princes of Aragon were taken prisoners of the Genoese
after the naval battle of Ponza
.
The Royal Palace of Medina del Campo
, birthplace of her husband Fernando and her children, was transformed into the Convent of Santa María la Real. There, Eleanor witnessed her children fighting against the royalist party led by Álvaro de Luna
. Eleonor lost some of her possessions as a benefit for the latter.
Eleanor died in Medina del Campo
, province of Valladolid, in 1435. Her grave is in the Convent of Santa María la Real, in a simple grave on the floor. It has a tablet that is stone Toledo dark, with the Royal Arms carved on it.
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of Aragon by her marriage to Ferdinand I of Aragon
Ferdinand I of Aragon
Ferdinand I called of Antequera and also the Just or the Honest) was king of Aragon, Valencia, Majorca, Sardinia and Corsica and king of Sicily, duke of Athens and Neopatria, and count of Barcelona, Roussillon and Cerdanya...
. In Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, she is known as Leonor Urraca de Castilla, condesa de Alburquerque.
Family
Her father was Sancho Alfonso, 1st Count of Alburquerque, who was an illegitimate son of King 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 his mistress Eleanor of Guzman
Eleanor of Guzman
Eleanor of Guzman or Leonor Núñez de Guzmán was a Castilian noblewoman and long-term mistress to Alfonso XI of Castile. She was the mother of King Henry II of Castile.- Life :...
, and a brother of King Henry II of Castile. Her mother was Infanta Beatrice, Countess of Alburquerque, who was daughter of Peter I of Portugal
Peter I of Portugal
Peter I , called the Just , was the eighth King of Portugal and the Algarve from 1357 until his death. He was the third but only surviving son of Afonso IV of Portugal and his wife, princess Beatrice of Castile....
and Ines de Castro
Inês de Castro
Inês Peres de Castro was a Galician noblewoman born of a Portuguese mother...
. Eleanor was born in Aldeadavila de la Ribera
Aldeadávila de la Ribera
Aldeadavila de la Ribera is a village and municipality in the north-west of the province of Salamanca, western Spain, part of the autonomous community of Castile-Leon.-External links:...
, now in National Park since 2002 of Arribes del Duero Natural Park
Arribes del Duero Natural Park
Arribes del Duero Natural Park is a protected area in western Spain, covering 106.105 ha in the autonomous community of Castile and León. In this area the river Duero forms the national boundary between Spain and Portugal, and the Portugal side is also protected under the figure of International...
, province of Salamanca.
Eleanor's brother was Ferdinand, 2nd Count of Alburquerque.
Marriage
Eleanor was originally betrothed to Frederick, illegitimate son of Henry II of Castile, however this engagement was broken off.Upon the death of the sickly 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...
on October 9 of 1390 the Regency Council addressed the issue of the heir presumptive, Infante Henry
Henry III of Castile
Henry III KG , sometimes known as Henry the Sufferer or Henry the Infirm , was the son of John I and Eleanor of Aragon, and succeeded him as King of the Castilian Crown in 1390....
at the time eleven years of age and his brother Infante Ferdinand
Ferdinand I of Aragon
Ferdinand I called of Antequera and also the Just or the Honest) was king of Aragon, Valencia, Majorca, Sardinia and Corsica and king of Sicily, duke of Athens and Neopatria, and count of Barcelona, Roussillon and Cerdanya...
, who was then ten years. It was agreed that Ferdinand could not marry before his brother Henry reached the age of fourteen. Then he would be granted the privileges and social policies majority.
Peter I of Castile was murdered in March 1369 by his bastard brother Henry. The representatives of the clergy, the nobility, the state of the gentry and merchants, as well as the authorized legal representatives of some Castillian cities agreed that Henry's grandson Infante Henry should marry the granddaughter of the murdered Peter, this was the England princess Catherine of Lancaster
Catherine of Lancaster
-Coat of arms:The following are Armorials of the House of Lancaster under her father, John of Gaunt.-References:* Anthony Goodman: "Katherine of Lancaster" in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 30 , p. 890-891....
, daughter of John of Gaunt. As the elder brother, Henry, fulfilled these requirements then so should his brother Infante Ferdinand, with a good wife who was honorable and rich.
It was then heard that Eleanor of Alburqueque was sixteen and old enough to marry. She expressed her agreement in marriage but could not yet take place as Ferdinand was not ten years old yet. She owned the towns of Haro, Briones, Vilforado, Ledesma with the five towns, Albuquerque, the Codesera, Azagala, Alconchel, Medellin, Alconétar and Villalon, a gift from 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...
. This made Eleanor a very attractive offer to Ferdinand.
In 1394, Eleanor and Ferdinand were married. They had seven children:
- Alfonso V of AragonAlfonso V of AragonAlfonso 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...
(1394–1458), also king of SicilySicilySicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
and NaplesNaplesNaples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples... - Maria of AragonMaria of Aragon, Queen of CastileMaria of Aragon was the first wife and Queen consort of John II of Castile. The daughter of Ferdinand I of Aragon and Eleanor of Alburquerque, she married her cousin John in 1420.- Biography :...
, first wife of John II of CastileJohn II of CastileJohn 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...
, (1396–1445) - John II of AragonJohn II of AragonJohn 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...
(1397–1479) - Henry of Aragon, Duke of VillenaInfante Henry, Duke of VillenaInfante Henry of Aragon , 1st Duke of Villena, 4th Count of Alburquerque, 32nd Count of Ampurias, was the Grand Master of the Order of Santiago.- Childhood :...
, Count of Alburquerque, Count of Empuries and Grand Master of the Order of Santiago (1400–1445) - Eleanor of Aragon (Queen of Portugal), who married Edward I of Portugal (1402–1445)
- Pedro of Aragon, Count of Alburquerque and Duke of Noto (1406–1438)
- Sancho of Aragon (1410–1416)
Later life
In 1412, Ferdinand and Eleanor became King and Queen of AragonAragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
after the Compromise of Caspe
Compromise of Caspe
The Compromise of Caspe made in 1412 was an act and resolution of parliamentary representatives on behalf of the Kingdoms of Aragon and Valencia and the County of Barcelona, to resolve the interregnum commenced by the death of King Martin I of Aragon in 1410 without a legitimate heir, in Caspe.The...
. However they reigned for only four years, when Ferdinand died in 1416, aged 36 years. Eleanor, who was then 42 years old, retired to Medina del Campo
Medina del Campo
Medina del Campo is a town located in the middle of the Spanish Meseta Central, in the province of Valladolid, Castile-Leon autonomous region, 45 km from Valladolid. It is the capital of a farming area, far away from the great economic centres.-History:...
. In 1435 her sons, the princes of Aragon were taken prisoners of the Genoese
Republic of Genoa
The Most Serene Republic of Genoa |Ligurian]]: Repúbrica de Zêna) was an independent state from 1005 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast, as well as Corsica from 1347 to 1768, and numerous other territories throughout the Mediterranean....
after the naval battle of Ponza
Battle of Ponza (1435)
The naval battle of Ponza took place on August 5, 1435. The battle resulted in the Genoese defeating and capturing Alfonso V of Aragon, his brother John II of Aragon, and all the nobles of Aragon Another of Alfonso's brothers, Pedro, managed to escape....
.
The Royal Palace of Medina del Campo
Medina del Campo
Medina del Campo is a town located in the middle of the Spanish Meseta Central, in the province of Valladolid, Castile-Leon autonomous region, 45 km from Valladolid. It is the capital of a farming area, far away from the great economic centres.-History:...
, birthplace of her husband Fernando and her children, was transformed into the Convent of Santa María la Real. There, Eleanor witnessed her children fighting against the royalist party led by 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...
. Eleonor lost some of her possessions as a benefit for the latter.
Eleanor died in Medina del Campo
Medina del Campo
Medina del Campo is a town located in the middle of the Spanish Meseta Central, in the province of Valladolid, Castile-Leon autonomous region, 45 km from Valladolid. It is the capital of a farming area, far away from the great economic centres.-History:...
, province of Valladolid, in 1435. Her grave is in the Convent of Santa María la Real, in a simple grave on the floor. It has a tablet that is stone Toledo dark, with the Royal Arms carved on it.
Ancestors
Further reading
- http://www.aldeadavila.com/historia/la-historia-de-leonor-de-alburquerque-y-ledesma/