Juana de Castro facts for kids
.jpg)
Juana de Castro (who passed away on August 21, 1374) was a queen of the Kingdom of Castile. She was married to King Peter of Castile.
Contents
Life Story of Juana de Castro
Her Family and Early Life
Juana de Castro was born into the important House of Castro family. Her parents were Pedro Fernández de Castro and Isabel Ponce de Leon. She had a sister named Inês de Castro and a brother named Fernando Ruiz de Castro.
Meeting King Peter
In 1354, Juana was a widow. She had been married before to Diego López de Haro. Around this time, she met Peter of Castile, who was the king. King Peter was very impressed by her beauty. One of his advisors, Men Rodríguez de Sanabria, helped arrange a marriage between them.
Some historians believe that Juana agreed to marry King Peter because she was ambitious. She wanted to become queen. The chronicler Pero López de Ayala wrote that Juana asked King Peter to end his first marriage to Blanche of Bourbon. King Peter agreed to this. Two bishops, Juan Lacero and Sancho Blázquez Dávila, helped to make his first marriage officially invalid.
The Royal Wedding and Aftermath
Juana and King Peter were married in early April in a town called Cuéllar. As part of her dowry (gifts given to the bride), Juana received several castles. These included Jaén Castle, Castrojeriz Castle, and Dueñas Castle. She was officially named Queen of Castile.
However, their marriage lasted only one day before King Peter left her. Juana was pregnant with their son, Juan, who sadly passed away a few years later. The only property Juana kept was Dueñas Castle. She then went to live quietly in the town of Dueñas, Palencia.
Her Passing
Juana de Castro died on August 21, 1374, in Dueñas. Her tomb, where she was laid to rest, can be found in the grand Santiago de Compostela Cathedral.
See also
- In Spanish: Juana de Castro for kids
