Dulce of León facts for kids

Dulce of León (born around 1194/5, died 1248) was a princess who briefly became the suo jure (meaning "in her own right") Queen of León. She was supposed to rule alongside her older sister, Sancha. Dulce was the second daughter of Alfonso IX of León and his first wife, Teresa of Portugal.

After her older brother died, and her younger half-brother became king of Castile, Dulce and Sancha were named as co-heirs to the throne of León. However, they never actually got to rule. Their stepmother worked to make sure her own son became king instead.

Dulce's Early Life

Dulce grew up in Portugal with her mother, Teresa. This was after her parents' marriage was ended. Her older sister, Sancha, stayed at their father's court in León.

Becoming an Heiress

In 1214, Dulce's brother, Ferdinand, passed away. Their father, King Alfonso IX, then named his second son, also named Ferdinand, as his new heir. This Ferdinand was given the special title of infante, which means a prince or royal child in Spain and Portugal.

In 1217, King Alfonso gave some villages to his daughters Sancha and Dulce. These villages included Portela de San Juan, Burgo de Ribadavia, and Allariz. The sisters were allowed to rule these lands for their entire lives. After they died, the lands would go back to the Crown.

A King in Another Kingdom

In that same year, Ferdinand's mother, Berengaria, became queen of the Kingdom of Castile. She then gave the crown to her son, Ferdinand. He was announced as king in Valladolid on July 2nd.

Since his chosen heir, Ferdinand, was now ruling another kingdom, King Alfonso IX tried to make his eldest daughters, Sancha and Dulce, his joint heirs for León. In a treaty with Portugal in 1219, Alfonso clearly stated that if he died, Portugal should respect the agreement he had made with his daughters.

The "Pact of the Mothers"

King Alfonso IX died on September 24, 1230. The people of León had already promised their loyalty to Ferdinand back in 1206. Because of this, they refused to accept Alfonso's daughters, Sancha and Dulce, as their rulers.

So, Sancha and Dulce decided to give up their rights to the kingdom. They gave their claim to their half-brother, Ferdinand. Dulce was about 35 years old at this time.

An Important Agreement

This agreement was made in Valencia de Don Juan. It was negotiated by Ferdinand's mother, Berengaria, and Dulce's mother, Teresa. Sancha and Dulce were also there. This important agreement is known as the "pact of the mothers". It was signed in Benavente.

As part of the agreement, Ferdinand promised to pay each of his half-sisters a yearly amount of 30,000 maravedíes. A maravedí was a type of money used in Spain at the time. He also gave them control over certain castles.

Later Life

After giving up her claim to the throne, Dulce went to live in the Cistercian monastery of Santa María. This monastery was in El Bierzo. Her mother had founded this monastery with her father's permission.

Dulce passed away at the monastery around the year 1248. We know she was still alive in 1243. At that time, a historian named Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada wrote about the Iberian peninsula. He mentioned that Teresa of Portugal had three children: Sancha and Ferdinand, who had died without children, and Dulce, who was still living.

See also

In Spanish: Dulce de León para niños