Alberta, Queen of Castile facts for kids

Alberta (who lived around 1071) was a queen of Castile. She was married to King Sancho II of Castile, who ruled from 1065 to 1072.

Alberta is known from only two old documents. These documents tell us a little about her life as queen.

Early Mentions of Queen Alberta

One document, from March 26, 1071, was a special paper given by King Sancho to a monastery called San Pedro de Cardeña. This paper was created during an important meeting in Burgos. King Sancho met with his brother, King Alfonso VI of León, and his sisters, Elvira and Urraca. Important church leaders were also there. They likely met to talk about their brother, King García II of Galicia, who they felt was not ruling well.

The second document, from May 10, 1071, was for another monastery called San Pedro de Arlanza. This paper mentioned that King Sancho and Queen Alberta were ruling together in Castile and Galicia. This means that King Sancho had taken control of Galicia from his brother García, probably after the meeting in Burgos.

Where Did Queen Alberta Come From?

The name Alberta was not common in Spain during the 11th century. Because of this, historians think she probably came from another country. Marrying a foreign queen would have made King Sancho seem more important. It also might have helped him stay out of arguments between the powerful families in his own kingdom.

We don't know what happened to Alberta after King Sancho died in 1072. She likely lived longer than him, but her later life is a mystery.

Unreliable Stories About Her Origins

No one knows for sure where Alberta came from. Some old stories try to explain her background, but they are not very trustworthy.

• One writer from that time, William of Poitiers, wrote that two of the Spanish kings (Sancho, Alfonso, or García) wanted to marry a daughter of King William I of England. However, King William I is not known to have had a daughter named Alberta. Other stories say this daughter was named Agatha and that she was supposed to marry King Alfonso, but she died before the wedding.
• A different old book, the Chronicle of Nájera from the late 1100s, tells another story. It says that Sancho was going to marry the daughter of his uncle, King García Sánchez III of Navarre. This story also says that Sancho fought and killed a person named Ramiro in a battle to protect his bride. However, this tale is likely made up. The real Battle of Graus happened in 1063, and the details in the story don't match history.

Alberta and El Cid

Even though Queen Alberta was not a main character in the famous stories of El Cid, she does appear in a play. In the 1845 play La jura en Santa Gadea by Juan Eugenio Hartzenbusch, Queen Alberta plays an important part. In this play, El Cid is shown as the one who killed Ramiro. Historically, El Cid was present at the real Battle of Graus and also witnessed the document from March 26, 1071, that mentioned Queen Alberta.

See also

In Spanish: Alberta, reina de Castilla para niños