Eleanor of Castile, Queen of Navarre facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eleanor of Castile
Queen consort of Navarre
Tenure	1387–1415/1416
Coronation	3 June 1403
Born	c. 1363
Died	27 February 1415 or 5 March 1416 Pamplona or Olite
Burial	Pamplona Cathedral
Spouse	Charles III of Navarre
Issue among others...	Joanna Blanche I of Navarre Isabella, Countess of Armagnac Beatrice, Countess of La Marche
House	Trastámara
Father	Henry II of Castile
Mother	Juana Manuel of Castile

Eleanor of Castile (born around 1363 – died 1415 or 1416) became the Queen of Navarre when she married King Charles III of Navarre. She often served as a temporary ruler, called a regent, for Navarre. This happened when her husband was away in France during the years 1397–1398, 1403–1406, and 1409–1411.

Eleanor's Life Story

Her Early Years

A painting of Eleanor as a young princess by Jaime Serra (around 1375)

Eleanor was the daughter of King Henry II of Castile. Her mother was Juana Manuel of Castile. Juana came from a smaller branch of the Castilian royal family. Eleanor was a member of the House of Trastámara, a powerful royal family.

In 1371, there were plans for Eleanor to marry King Ferdinand I of Portugal. However, he refused the marriage. He had secretly married a noblewoman named Leonor Telles de Menezes.

Eleanor was later promised in marriage (betrothed) in Burgos in 1373. Her future husband was Prince Charles. He was the heir to King Charles II of Navarre. The couple got married in Soria in May 1375. King Henry II gave property to Eleanor as part of her dowry. A dowry is money or property given by the bride's family to the groom or his family.

Time Spent in Castile

Eleanor and Charles's marriage had some unusual disagreements. In 1388, Eleanor asked her husband and her brother, John I of Castile, for permission to go to Castile. She wanted to recover from an illness she caught in Navarre. She believed this would help her health. Her two young daughters went with her.

While away from Navarre, Eleanor and her children lived in Valladolid. By 1390, Eleanor had two more daughters with Charles. Two years later, her husband asked her to return to Navarre. Both of them needed to be crowned King and Queen of Navarre. This was because her father-in-law, King Charles II, had died. Eleanor's brother, King John, supported Charles III's request.

Eleanor did not agree to return. She claimed she was treated badly in Navarre. She also believed some Navarrese nobles wanted to harm her. So, Eleanor stayed in Castile. Her husband was crowned in February 1390 in Pamplona without her. By the late 1390s, Eleanor had given birth to six daughters. All of them survived childhood, but she had no sons. Because of this, Eleanor sent her oldest daughter, Joanna, to Charles III. Joanna was prepared for her future role as ruler of Navarre.

On October 9, 1390, Eleanor's brother John died. His young son, Henry, became the new king of Castile. Charles asked Eleanor to return to Navarre again. But she refused once more. Eleanor did not support her nephew Henry becoming king. She formed a group called the League of Lillo. Her half-brother Fadrique and her cousin Pedro joined her. King Henry opposed this group. He surrounded Eleanor in her castle at Roa around mid-1394. He made her return to her husband in February 1395.

Becoming Queen of Navarre

After her return, Eleanor became very involved in Navarre's political life. Her relationship with her husband got better. They finally had sons, Charles and Louis. However, both boys died young. On June 3, 1403, Eleanor was crowned Queen of Navarre in Pamplona.

When Charles traveled to France, Eleanor often took on the role of regent. She also helped keep good relationships between Navarre and Castile. Because of these good relations, many Castilian nobles moved to Navarre. These included the Duke of Benavente and members of powerful families like Dávalos, Mendoza, and Zuñiga.

When the king and queen were away, their daughter Joanna acted as regent. She was the heir to the kingdom. Joanna died in 1413 without having any children. This happened while both her parents were still alive. So, the right to rule passed to their second daughter, Blanche. Blanche later became Queen of Navarre after Charles died.

There is some uncertainty about Eleanor's death. She is thought to have died in Olite on February 27, 1415, or in Pamplona on March 5, 1416. Her husband died in 1425. They were buried together in the Cathedral of Santa María la Real in Pamplona.

Eleanor's Children

The coat of arms of Eleanor as Queen of Navarre

Eleanor and Charles had eight children. Five of them lived to become adults:

• Joanna (1382–1413): She married John I, Count of Foix. They did not have any children.
• Blanche (1385–1441): She married John II of Aragon. Blanche became Queen of Navarre and had children.
• Maria (1388–1406): She died young and did not marry or have children.
• Margaret (1390–1403): She also died young.
• Beatrice (1392–1412): She married James II, Count of La Marche, and had children.
• Isabella (1395–1435): She married John IV of Armagnac in 1419 and had children. They were the great-great-grandparents of King Henry IV of France.
• Charles (1397–1402): He was the Prince of Viana but died young.
• Louis (1402): He was also the Prince of Viana but died very young.

Sources

See also

In Spanish: Leonor de Trastámara para niños