Eleanor of Aragon, Queen of Portugal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eleanor of Aragon |
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Queen Leonor in Genealogia dos Reis de Portugal (António de Holanda; 1530-1534)
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| Queen consort of Portugal | |
| Tenure | 14 August 1433 – 9 September 1438 |
| Coronation | 15 August 1433 |
| Born | 2 May 1402 Medina del Campo |
| Died | 19 February 1445 (aged 42) Toledo |
| Burial | Batalha Monastery |
| Spouse | Edward of Portugal |
| Issue | Infante John Infanta Philippa Afonso V of Portugal Infanta Maria Infante Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu Eleanor, Holy Roman Empress Infante Edward Infanta Catherine Joan, Queen of Castile |
| House | Trastámara |
| Father | Ferdinand I of Aragon |
| Mother | Eleanor of Alburquerque |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Eleanor of Aragon (born May 2, 1402 – died February 19, 1445) was a queen of Portugal. She became queen when she married King Edward I of Portugal. After her husband died, she also served as a regent for her young son. A regent is someone who rules a country when the king or queen is too young or unable to rule. Eleanor was the daughter of King Ferdinand I of Aragon and Eleanor of Alburquerque.
Contents
A Royal Life
Eleanor's father passed away when she was 14 years old. Her mother arranged for her to marry Edward, who would later become the King of Portugal. They got married on September 22, 1428. Eleanor and Edward had nine children together. Five of their children lived to be adults.
Becoming Queen
In 1433, Eleanor became the Queen of Portugal. This happened on the same day her oldest child died. As queen, Eleanor did not take a big part in politics. She quickly became unpopular with the people.
Regent of Portugal
When her husband, King Edward, died on September 9, 1438, Eleanor was chosen to be the regent of Portugal. This decision was made in his will and confirmed by the Portuguese Cortes. The Cortes was like a parliament or a big meeting of important people.
However, Eleanor was not very experienced in ruling. She was also not in good health. Many people in Portugal did not like her because she was from Aragon, a different kingdom. They preferred the late king's brother, Infante Peter, Duke of Coimbra, to be regent.
A Difficult Time
Because Eleanor was confirmed as regent, a riot broke out in Lisbon. Her brother, Count John of Barcelona, helped to stop the riot. He later became King John II of Aragon. Eleanor had the support of the noble families and the king's will. Peter had the support of some nobles and most of the common people.
Discussions about who should rule went on for several months. They were made more difficult by others getting involved. During this time, Eleanor had another daughter, Joan, in March 1439. Sadly, her oldest daughter, Philippa, died from a lung illness.
Exile and Death
Eventually, the Cortes decided that Peter should be the only regent. Eleanor continued to try and gain power. But she became very ill. In December 1440, she was forced to leave Portugal and go to Castile. She died in Toledo in February 1445 after a long illness that affected her breathing. She is buried in Batalha Monastery in Portugal.
Eleanor's Children
Eleanor had nine children in total. Five of them lived to be adults.
- Infante John (born October 1429 – died August 14, 1433)
- Infanta Philippa (born November 27, 1430 – died March 24, 1439)
- Afonso V of Portugal (born January 15, 1432 – died August 28, 1481); he became the 12th King of Portugal after his father.
- Infanta Maria (born December 7, 1432 – died December 8, 1432)
- Infante Ferdinand (born November 17, 1433 – died September 18, 1470); he was the Duke of Viseu and the father of a future king, Manuel I of Portugal.
- Eleanor (born September 18, 1434 – died September 3, 1467); she married Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor.
- Infante Edward (born July 12, 1435 – died July 12, 1435)
- Catherine (born November 26, 1436 – died June 17, 1463)
- Joan (born March 31, 1439 – died June 13, 1475); she married King Henry IV of Castile.
See also
In Spanish: Leonor de Aragón (1402-1445) para niños
