Leonor Teles facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Leonor Teles

Queen consort of Portugal
Tenure	5 May 1372 – 22 October 1383

Born	c. 1350 Disputed: Trás-os-Montes, Portugal, or Castile
Died	c. 1405 Valladolid, Castile
Spouse	Ferdinand I of Portugal
Issue	Beatrice of Portugal
House	Meneses
Father	Martim Afonso Telo de Meneses
Mother	Aldonça Eanes de Vasconcelos

Leonor Teles (also known as Teles de Meneses) was an important queen of Portugal who lived from about 1350 to 1405. She became queen by marrying King Ferdinand I. Leonor, along with her family, played a big part in the events that led to a difficult time in Portugal's history, known as the succession crisis of 1383–1385. This crisis ended when her son-in-law, King John I of Castile, and his armies were defeated in the famous Battle of Aljubarrota. Some people called her "the Treacherous" because they felt her actions during the crisis were not loyal to Portugal.

Life of Queen Leonor
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Life of Queen Leonor

Early Life and Family Background

We don't know the exact date or place where Leonor and her brothers and sisters were born. Some historians believe she was born in Trás-os-Montes, Portugal. This is because King Ferdinand I gave her land there, saying she was "a native of the province of Tralosmontes." If this is true, she would be the first queen of Portugal born in the country itself. However, her parents lived in Castile for some years, so some historians think she might have been born there instead.

Leonor came from the important Teles de Meneses family. Her father, Martim Afonso Telo de Meneses, was a Portuguese nobleman. Her mother was Aldonça Eanes de Vasconcelos.

Leonor had three full brothers and sisters:

João Afonso Telo, who was a count and admiral. He died in the Battle of Aljubarrota.
Gonçalo Teles de Meneses, who was also a count.
María Teles de Meneses, who was married to John of Portugal, who was King Ferdinand I's half-brother. María introduced Leonor to King Ferdinand I.

Leonor also had a half-sister, Juana Teles de Meneses. Leonor arranged for Juana to marry Juan Alfonso Pimentel. Leonor's family was very powerful and important in Portugal and Castile.

Becoming Queen of Portugal

First Marriage and Royal Wedding

Before she met King Ferdinand I, Leonor was married to João Lourenço da Cunha. They had two children: a daughter who died young, and a son named Alvaro da Cunha. When Leonor met King Ferdinand I, he fell deeply in love with her.

King Ferdinand I decided to marry Leonor, even though she was already married. He worked to have her first marriage ended. This caused some discussion about whether their daughter, Beatrice, would be considered a legitimate heir to the throne.

King Ferdinand I had considered marrying other princesses from Aragon and Castile before Leonor. However, he broke off his engagement to a Castilian princess. On May 5, 1372, King Ferdinand and Leonor had their official wedding in a small town called Leça do Balio. Many Portuguese people were not happy about this marriage, especially the king's half-brothers.

The king was very generous to Leonor. He gave her many cities and lands, including Abrantes, Alenquer, Torres Vedras, and Sintra. These lands were usually given to the queens of Portugal.

Birth of Princess Beatrice

In February 1373, Leonor gave birth to her first child with King Ferdinand, a daughter named Beatrice. She was born in Coimbra during a time of war with Castile. Three years later, in 1376, Beatrice was officially named the heir to the Portuguese throne.

King Ferdinand I made a will in 1378. In it, he said that his half-siblings (the children of Inês de Castro) could not inherit the throne. He accused them of trying to harm him.

Later, a marriage was arranged for Princess Beatrice to John I of Castile, the King of Castile. The marriage contract said that Portugal and Castile would remain separate kingdoms. It also stated that Leonor would be the regent (ruler) of Portugal until Beatrice and John I had a son. This son would then be raised in Portugal and become king when he was older.

Leonor's Role in Government

Leonor started to take an active role in governing Portugal right after her marriage. Even though some people were unhappy because she and her family had a lot of power, Portugal actually became more successful during this time. This was thanks to improvements in farming, trade, and the creation of a strong fleet of ships. Lisbon's impressive city walls were also built during this period.

People were sometimes unhappy with Leonor because she gave important government jobs to people who had supported a previous Castilian king, Peter I. One of these people was Juan Fernández de Andeiro. He became a close advisor to King Ferdinand I and Leonor.

In July 1382, Leonor gave birth to a son named Afonso, but he only lived for four days.

The Succession Crisis and Exile

King Ferdinand's Death

In September 1383, Leonor gave birth to another daughter who also lived only a few days. A month later, on October 22, King Ferdinand I died. Leonor did not attend his funeral, perhaps because she was still recovering from childbirth, or because she was worried about what the people might say.

Leonor became the regent of Portugal, ruling in the name of her daughter Beatrice, who was now married to the King of Castile. This was part of the marriage agreement.

Political Division

During this time, Portugal was divided into two main groups. One group supported King John I of Castile and his wife Beatrice as the new rulers. The other group, mainly the people of Lisbon, wanted Portugal to be ruled only by Portuguese people. They wanted to keep Portugal independent. This group suggested that Leonor marry the Master of Aviz, who would later become King John I of Portugal. However, Leonor refused this idea.

In Lisbon, people who supported the Master of Aviz worried that Portugal would lose its independence if Beatrice became queen. They planned to kill Juan Fernández de Andeiro, Leonor's advisor. After two failed attempts, he was killed on December 6, 1383, near Leonor's room in the royal palace.

Loss of Power and Exile

In January 1384, Leonor asked her son-in-law, King John I of Castile, to come to Portugal. She wanted him to help her after Andeiro's death. When King John I arrived, Leonor gave up her power as regent to him. She had been advised not to do this, as only the Portuguese parliament (Cortes) could allow her to give up her rule. However, she insisted. After this, King John I of Castile began to use the title "King of Portugal."

Soon after, Leonor and her son-in-law, King John I, started to disagree. Leonor began to encourage people to support the Master of Aviz instead of the Castilian king. She even tried to get cities to refuse to obey King John I. Leonor was involved in a plan to harm her son-in-law. Her daughter Beatrice found out and was very upset, asking her mother why she wanted to see her become a widow and lose her inheritance so quickly.

Because of her actions, King John I decided that Leonor should be arrested and sent to a monastery in Castile. In March 1384, Leonor was taken to the Royal Convent of Santa Clara in Tordesillas, Castile. She never returned to Portugal.

After King John I of Castile died, Leonor moved to Valladolid around 1390. Many Portuguese nobles who had been exiled after the Battle of Aljubarrota in 1385 also lived there. Leonor bought some houses in Valladolid and planned for a convent to be built there after her death.

Death and Burial

We don't know the exact year Leonor Teles died, but it was likely around 1405. We also don't know for sure where she was buried. Some historians say she died in Tordesillas in 1386 and was buried in a convent in Valladolid. However, records show she was still alive in 1390. King John I of Castile mentioned her in his household expenses that year. When his son, King Henry III, made his will in 1406, he mentioned Beatrice but not Leonor, which suggests Leonor had already passed away by then.

Leonor had wanted to be buried next to her husband, King Ferdinand, in the Convent of Saint Francis in Santarém. However, this wish was not fulfilled. A historian from the 16th-17th century, Juan Antolínez de Burgos, wrote that Leonor was buried in the convent of Nuestra Señora de la Merced in Valladolid.

During some renovation work in 1626, two coffins were found in a niche. People believed these contained the remains of Leonor and her son. A plaque was placed there, dated 1384, marking it as their burial place. However, the date on the plaque is incorrect, as Leonor lived longer than that.

Images for kids

Church and tower of the monastery in Leça do Balio where King Ferdinand and Leonor were married in 1372
A morte do Conde Andeiro (The death of Count Andeiro) (c. 1860) by José de Sousa Azevedo. Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis (Oporto).