Berengaria of León facts for kids

Berengaria of León (born 1204 – died 12 April 1237) was a queen from the Kingdom of León. She became the empress of the Latin Empire of Constantinople by marrying John of Brienne. She was the third wife of John of Brienne, but the only one who became an empress.

Berengaria was the daughter of Alfonso IX of León and Berengaria of Castile. She was also the younger sister of Ferdinand III of Castile, who later became a king.

Her Marriage to John of Brienne

A Royal Match

In 1217, Berengaria's brother, Ferdinand III, became the King of Castile. Their mother had given up her right to the throne, allowing him to rule.

Years later, in 1223, John of Brienne visited Santiago de Compostela in Spain. He was 53 years old and had been married twice before. John was a very important person.

Berengaria's father, Alfonso IX, invited John to marry his other daughter, Sancha. He hoped John might then become king of León. However, Berengaria's mother, Queen Berengaria of Castile, had a different idea. She was a powerful advisor to her son, King Ferdinand III. She offered one of her own daughters to John instead.

John chose Berengaria of León, who was the daughter of Alfonso IX and Berengaria of Castile. Their wedding took place in Toledo in 1224.

Becoming an Empress

A Young Emperor and a Regent

In 1229, the throne of the Latin Empire was taken over by Baldwin II of Constantinople. He was only twelve years old. The important leaders of the Empire decided they needed an experienced ruler to help Baldwin. They chose John of Brienne to be a special kind of ruler called a regent. A regent rules for a young king or queen until they are old enough.

John accepted this important job in April 1229. He was elected emperor in Perugia. However, he and Berengaria did not arrive in Constantinople until 1231. That's when John was officially crowned as emperor.

Baldwin II remained the junior emperor. He was the only person who could inherit the throne after John. To make sure their families stayed allies, a special agreement was made. Twelve-year-old Baldwin was promised in marriage to John and Berengaria's daughter, Marie of Brienne. Marie was only five years old at the time. This promise was made on April 19, 1229.

The marriage between Marie and Baldwin finally happened in 1234. By then, Marie was about ten years old, and Baldwin was around seventeen.

Her Final Days

John of Brienne passed away on March 27, 1237, when he was about 61 years old. Berengaria of León died very soon after him, on April 12, 1237. She was about 33 years old and survived her husband by only sixteen days.

Berengaria is buried in a marble coffin in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Sometimes, her coffin is confused with her mother's, Queen Berengaria of Castile. Other times, it is confused with another princess named Infanta Berengaria (1228–1288), who was a nun.

Her Children

Berengaria and John of Brienne had several children:

• Berenguela (who died in 1236)
• Marie of Brienne, who married Baldwin II of Constantinople
• Alphonso of Brienne, who became the Count of Eu and a Grand Chamberlain of France.
• John II of Brienne (born around 1230 – died 1296), who became the Grand Butler of France in 1258. He married Jeanne, Dame de Chateaudun. His second wife was Marie de Coucy.
• Louis of Brienne, who was the Viscount of Beaumont. He was the father of Henry de Beaumont.

See also

In Spanish: Berenguela de León para niños