Eleanor of Alburquerque facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eleanor of Alburquerque |
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| Queen consort of Aragon | |
| Tenure | 3 September 1412 – 2 April 1416 |
| Born | 1374 Aldeadávila de la Ribera |
| Died | 16 December 1435 (aged 60) Medina del Campo |
| Burial | Poblet Monastery |
| Spouse | Ferdinand I of Aragon |
| Issue | Alfonso V of Aragon Maria, Queen of Castile John II of Aragon Henry of Aragon, Duke of Villena Eleanor, Queen of Portugal Pedro of Aragon, Count of Alburquerque Sancho of Aragon |
| House | Trastámara |
| Father | Sancho Alfonso |
| Mother | Beatrice of Portugal |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Eleanor, 3rd Countess of Alburquerque (born 1374, died 1435) was a powerful noblewoman. She became the Queen of Aragon when she married Ferdinand I of Aragon. In Spain, she is known as Leonor Urraca de Castilla, condesa de Alburquerque. She also served as a regent for her son, the king, in 1420. This meant she ruled Aragon while he was away.
Contents
Eleanor's Family Background
Eleanor was born in a place called Aldeadavila de la Ribera in Spain. She came from a very important family. Her father was Sancho Alfonso, 1st Count of Alburquerque. He was the son of King Alfonso XI of Castile. This made him a half-brother to King Henry II of Castile.
Eleanor's mother was Infanta Beatrice, Countess of Alburquerque. Beatrice was the daughter of Peter I of Portugal. So, Eleanor had royal connections through both her parents. She also had a brother named Ferdinand, who became the 2nd Count of Alburquerque.
Marriage and Becoming Queen
Eleanor was first promised to marry Frederick, another royal family member. But this plan did not happen.
Later, a big decision had to be made about who King John I of Castile's young sons would marry. One son was Infante Henry, and the other was Infante Ferdinand. It was decided that Ferdinand could not marry until his older brother Henry was 14 years old.
The leaders of Castile wanted Ferdinand to marry a good, honorable, and rich wife. Eleanor of Alburquerque was 16 years old and known to be very wealthy. She owned many towns and lands, which made her a great choice for Ferdinand.
In 1394, Eleanor and Ferdinand got married. Their marriage was described as a happy one. Many years later, in 1412, Ferdinand became the King of Aragon. This happened after an agreement called the Compromise of Caspe. Eleanor was crowned Queen of Aragon in 1414.
Later Life and Challenges
King Ferdinand died in 1416 when he was only 36 years old. Eleanor was 42 at the time. She moved to Medina del Campo.
In 1420, her son, who was now king, went to Italy. He asked Eleanor to rule Aragon as his regent while he was gone. This showed how much he trusted her.
Eleanor lived in the Royal Palace of Medina del Campo. This was where her husband and children were born. She saw her sons get into fights with a powerful group led by Álvaro de Luna. Eleanor even lost some of her own lands because of these conflicts.
In 1435, a sad event happened. Her sons, the princes of Aragon, were captured by the people of Genoa. This happened after a naval battle called the Battle of Ponza.
Eleanor died in Medina del Campo in 1435. She was buried in the Convent of Santa María la Real. Her grave is a simple stone tablet on the floor, with her royal coat of arms carved on it.
Eleanor's Children
Eleanor and Ferdinand had seven children:
- Alfonso V of Aragon (1394–1458), who also became King of Sicily and Naples.
- Maria of Aragon (1396–1445), who married John II of Castile.
- John II of Aragon (1397–1479).
- Henry of Aragon, Duke of Villena (1400–1445), who was also a Count and a Grand Master of a knightly order.
- Eleanor of Aragon (Queen of Portugal) (1402–1445), who married Edward I of Portugal.
- Pedro of Aragon, Count of Alburquerque (1406–1438), who was also a Duke.
- Sancho of Aragon (1410–1416), who was a Grand Master of two knightly orders.
See also
In Spanish: Leonor de Alburquerque para niños
