Ferdinand of Castile (died 1211) facts for kids

Ferdinand (born in 1189 – died October 14, 1211) was a royal prince, known as an infante. He was the second son of Alfonso VIII of Castile, who was the King of Castile, and his wife, Eleanor of England.

Ferdinand was expected to become king after his father. Sadly, he died when he was only 22 years old. This was less than three years before his father also passed away.

Early Life and Royal Hopes

King Alfonso's first will, written in 1204, named Ferdinand as the next in line for the throne. It also said that his mother, Queen Eleanor, would rule for him if he became king while still a child.

People who wrote about history at the time said many good things about Ferdinand. They described him as strong, handsome, and very religious. He was also said to be very eager to join in crusades, which were religious wars. One historian, Lucas de Tuy, even wrote that Ferdinand wanted all Jewish people to leave Spain.

Ferdinand's Sad Death

Ferdinand was coming back from a military campaign against the Muslims in the San Vicente mountains. He became sick with a fever in Madrid and died.

His sister, Berengaria, went with his body to Burgos. He was buried in the monastery of Las Huelgas.

King Alfonso VIII was getting ready for a very important battle, the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, when he heard about his son's death. An archbishop named Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada, who saw what happened, wrote that King Alfonso cried with "unbearable sadness." He felt like he saw himself in Ferdinand, "as if he were the mirror of his life."

Another historical record says that even though the king was heartbroken, he found some comfort from the many armies gathering for the battle. It was also said that Queen Eleanor was so sad that she threw herself onto Ferdinand's body. She held his hands and put her mouth to his, trying "either to revive him or to die with him."

After the Prince's Passing

Soon after Ferdinand's death, King Alfonso made a special gift to a hospital on November 28. In the official document, he "sincerely entrusted to the King of Kings the spirit of my dearest firstborn son, don Fernando." He also mentioned that he could not have Ferdinand as his heir.

The very next day, November 29, the king gave money to the Las Huelgas monastery, where Ferdinand was buried. He wrote that it was "by the plan of divine mercy" that Ferdinand could not be his successor. Instead, Ferdinand would "gain the heavenly kingdom for himself."

A Poet's Tribute

In 1212, a poet named Giraut de Calanso wrote a sad poem about Ferdinand's death. This type of poem is called a planh. In the poem, he wrote that "never was such a prince seen or heard."

The poet also praised Ferdinand by saying he was as good as the legendary King Arthur. He even said Ferdinand was better than his three famous uncles: Henry the Young King, Richard the Lionheart, and Duke Geoffrey II of Brittany. These were the brothers of Ferdinand's mother, Queen Eleanor.

The poem said that Ferdinand had all the good qualities of King Arthur. People in need found good advice from him. He was generous, honest, worthy, and charming. People believed he had even more good qualities than his famous uncles.

The poem also listed many places that would mourn Ferdinand. These included places from the "river Jordan" all the way to France, England, Germany, Spain, and Aragon. This showed how important and respected Castile and the Plantagenet family (Ferdinand's mother's family) were.

Sources

• Bianchini, Janna. The Queen's Hand: Power and Authority in the Reign of Berenguela of Castile. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2012.
• Chaytor, Henry John. The Troubadours Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1912.
• Jewers, Caroline. "Another Arthur among the Troubadours". Tenso 24, 1 (2009): 20–46.
• Rucquoi, Adeline. "La royauté sous Alphonse VIII de Castille". Cahiers de linguistique hispanique médiévale 23 (2000): 215–41.
• Salvador Martínez, H. Alfonso X, the Learned: A Biography. Odile Cisneros, trans. Leiden: Brill, 2010.
• Vann, Theresa M. "The Theory and Practice of Medieval Castilian Queenship". Queens, Regents and Potentates, Women of Power, I, ed. Theresa M. Vann. Cambridge: Academia, 1993.

See also

In Spanish: Fernando de Castilla (1189-1211) para niños