Beatrice of Castile, Marchioness of Montferrat facts for kids

Beatrice of Castile was born in 1254. She was a princess, the daughter of Alfonso X of Castile, who was the King of Castile, and his wife Violant of Aragon. When Beatrice married, she became the Marchioness of Montferrat. A Marchioness is a noblewoman who rules a territory called a "march" or "marquisate." Beatrice was also the mother of Irene of Montferrat.

Her Family

Beatrice was the second of eleven children in her family. Her brothers included Sancho IV of Castile, who later became King of Castile, and Ferdinand de la Cerda, Infante of Castile. An Infante is a title given to a prince or princess in Spain and Portugal. Out of her many siblings, only six, including Beatrice, had children of their own. Her family belonged to an important noble group called the Castilian House of Burgundy.

Beatrice's grandparents on her mother's side were James I of Aragon, who was the King of Aragon, and his second wife, Violant of Hungary. Violant of Hungary was the daughter of Andrew II of Hungary, the King of Hungary.

Her grandparents on her father's side were Ferdinand III of Castile, who was also King of Castile, and Elisabeth of Hohenstaufen. Elisabeth was the daughter of Philip of Swabia, a German king.

Her Life

When Beatrice was younger, she was planned to marry John II, Margrave of Brandenburg. A "betrothal" is like an engagement. Her father, King Alfonso X, arranged this marriage. He hoped it would help him get support from Brandenburg to become the King of Germany. However, this engagement did not happen.

Beatrice later married William VII, Marquess of Montferrat in August 1271 in a city called Murcia. William had been married twice before. He had one daughter from a previous marriage named Margaret, who actually married Beatrice's brother, John.

Beatrice and William had five children together:

• Two sons who were twins, born in 1272. Sadly, they both died very young in 1273.
• Yolande (born 1274, died 1317). She married Andronikos II Palaiologos, who was the Byzantine Emperor, and they had children.
• John I (born around 1275, died 1305). He became the Marquess of Montferrat after his father.
• Alessina (died before 1305). She married a nobleman named Poncello Orsini.

Beatrice passed away in 1286. Her husband, William, died six years later. Out of their five children, three lived to become adults.

See also

In Spanish: Beatriz de Castilla (n. 1254) para niños