Constance of Castile, Duchess of Lancaster facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Constance of Castile |
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| Duchess of Lancaster | |
Detail from Froissart's Chronicles, depicting Constance at the surrender of Santiago de Compostela to her husband
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| Born | 1354 Castrojeriz, Castile |
| Died | 24 March 1394 (aged 39–40) Leicester Castle, Leicestershire, Kingdom of England |
| Burial | Church of the Annunciation of Our Lady of the Newarke, Leicester |
| Spouse | John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster |
| Issue | Catherine, Queen of Castile |
| House | Castilian House of Ivrea |
| Father | Peter of Castile |
| Mother | María de Padilla |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Constance of Castile (born 1354 – died 1394) was an important princess who believed she should be the queen of Castile, a powerful kingdom in what is now Spain. She was the daughter of King Peter, who was removed from power and killed by his half-brother, King Henry II. Constance later married an English prince named John of Gaunt. He tried to help her become queen of Castile, but it didn't work out as planned.
Constance's Family and Early Life
Constance was the daughter of King Peter and María de Padilla. Her father, King Peter, was killed in 1369 by his half-brother, Henry II. After King Peter's death, Henry II became the new king.
Constance was in a city called Carmona and was not under King Henry's control. In 1371, she married John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, an English prince. This wedding took place near Bordeaux, in a region called Guienne. Constance's younger sister, Isabella, also married John's younger brother, Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York. John and Constance had two children: a son named John, who sadly died young, and a daughter named Catherine.
Claiming the Throne of Castile
John of Gaunt was the third son of the English king, so he wasn't likely to become king of England himself. Because of this, he decided to try and claim the throne of Castile for his wife, Constance. He believed that since Constance's father was the rightful king, she should be the queen.
On February 9, 1372, Constance made a special entrance into London. It was like a big parade where she was treated as the Queen of Castile. She was joined by John's older brother, Edward, the Black Prince, and many important people from England and Castile. Crowds of people watched as she went to the Savoy Palace. There, her husband, John of Gaunt, officially welcomed her. He had already announced himself as the King of Castile a few days earlier.
John wanted English nobles (important people) to call him "my lord of Spain." However, despite his efforts, he was not able to win the crown of Castile.
To solve the problem of who should rule Castile, Constance and John's daughter, Catherine, was later married to Henry III. Henry III was the grandson of King Henry II, the one who had taken the throne from Constance's father. This marriage helped to bring together the two families who were fighting over the throne. It meant that both claims to the throne were now combined through Catherine and Henry III.
Constance was honored in 1378 by becoming a lady of the Garter. This was a special group of knights and ladies in England. She passed away at Leicester Castle and was buried at the Church of the Annunciation of Our Lady of the Newarke in Leicester.
