Elvira of Castile, Queen of Sicily facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Elvira of Castile |
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| Queen consort of Sicily | |
| Tenure | 1130 – 8 February 1135 |
| Born | c. 1100 |
| Died | 6 February 1135 |
| Spouse | Roger II, King of Sicily |
| Issue More... |
Roger III, Duke of Apulia Tancred, Prince of Bari Alfonso, Prince of Capua William I, King of Sicily |
| House | Jiménez |
| Father | Alfonso VI, King of León and Castile |
| Mother | Isabella (possibly Zaida of Seville) |
Elvira of Castile (born around 1100 – died February 6, 1135) was an important royal figure. She was a member of the House of Jiménez, a powerful royal family. Elvira became the very first Queen of Sicily. She gained this title when she married Roger II of Sicily, who became the King of Sicily.
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Early Life and Family
Elvira was the daughter of Alfonso VI. He was the King of León and Castile. Her mother was King Alfonso VI's fourth wife, named Isabella. This Queen Isabella was probably the same person as Zaida of Seville. Zaida was a Muslim princess who was Alfonso's partner before they married.
A Diverse Upbringing
Elvira grew up in her father's royal court in Toledo. Toledo was a city where many different religions lived together peacefully. This peaceful coexistence was also common in Sicily. So, Elvira was used to living in a place where people from different backgrounds got along.
Queen of Sicily
In 1117 or 1118, Elvira married Roger II. At that time, Roger was the Count of Sicily. He later became King in 1130. Sicily also had many Muslim people living there. Roger's marriage to Elvira was part of his plan. He wanted to follow the same religious policies as Elvira's father, King Alfonso VI.
Cultural Connections
Elvira's family connections to Muslim rulers in Al-Andalus (parts of Spain ruled by Muslims) showed a link between cultures. This connection was important for the queens of Sicily and the Islamic world. Elvira might have even influenced the creation of many beautiful Islamic art pieces during her husband's time as king.
Children of Elvira and Roger
There isn't much information about Queen Elvira's daily life. She doesn't seem to have been very active in politics. She also wasn't known for supporting churches. Elvira is mostly remembered for having six children with Roger. Besides a daughter who died young, they had five sons:
- Roger (1118 – May 12, 1148): He became the duke of Apulia in 1135. He might also have been the count of Lecce.
- Tancred (1119–1138): He was the prince of Bari starting in 1135.
- Alfonso (1120/1121 – October 10, 1144): He became the prince of Capua in 1135 and also the duke of Naples.
- William (born 1131 – died May 7, 1166): He became the duke of Apulia in 1148.
- Henry (born in 1135, died young)
Later Life and Death
In 1135, both King Roger and Queen Elvira became very sick. It was a serious illness that could spread easily. King Roger survived, but Queen Elvira died on February 6. Roger was very sad about her death. He stayed in his room and didn't want to see anyone except his closest helpers. Because of this, rumors spread that he had also died.
Roger remained unmarried for fourteen years after Elvira's death. He only remarried in 1149. Sadly, he lived longer than four of the five sons he had with Elvira.
See also
In Spanish: Elvira de León, reina de Sicilia para niños
