Leonor de Castro Mello y Meneses facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Leonor de Castro Mello y Meneses |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||||
| Duchess of Gandía | |||||
| Born | 1512 Portugal |
||||
| Died | 27 March 1546 (aged 33–34) Monastery of Sant Jeroni de Cotalba |
||||
| Burial | Gandia | ||||
| Spouse | Francis de Borja, IV Duke of Gandía | ||||
| Issue | Carlos de Borja y Castro, 5th Duke of Gandia Isabel de Borja y Castro Juan de Borja y Castro Alvar de Borja y Castro Juana Francisca de Borja y Castro Ferran de Borja y Castro Dorotea de Borja y Castro Alfons de Borja y Castro |
||||
|
|||||
| Father | Álvaro de Castro "the Old" | ||||
| Mother | Isabel de Melo Barreto e Menezes | ||||
| Religion | Roman Catholicism | ||||
Leonor de Castro Mello y Meneses (born in 1512; died on March 27, 1546, in Gandía) was an important noblewoman from Portugal. She was the Duchess of Gandia and a close friend and lady-in-waiting to Empress Isabella of Portugal.
Contents
Leonor's Early Life and Role at Court
Leonor de Castro was born in 1512. Her father was Álvaro de Castro, a Captain-general for King Manuel I of Portugal in Africa. Her mother was Isabel de Mello Barreto e Meneses. Leonor also had a brother, Rodrigo de Castro, who was a governor in Safí, Morocco.
In 1526, Leonor was chosen to be the Camarera mayor de Palacio. This was a very important role, meaning she was the chief lady-in-waiting to Empress Isabella of Portugal. Empress Isabella was the Queen of Spain and the mother of Philip II of Spain. She also ruled Spain when her husband, Emperor Carlos I, was away. Leonor became not just a lady-in-waiting, but also a trusted friend and confidant to the Empress.
Marriage to Francis de Borja
In 1529, plans were made for Leonor to marry Francis de Borja. Emperor Carlos I of Spain helped with the marriage talks. He was represented by his chief official, Pedro González de Mendoza. The Emperor made sure that the Duke of Gandía agreed to Leonor's conditions for the marriage.
After they agreed, Leonor and Francis met in Toledo in August 1529. Their wedding took place in the Royal Alcazar of Madrid that same year. Leonor and Francis had eight children together: five sons and three daughters.
Later Life and Legacy
In 1539, Leonor and her husband attended the funeral of Empress Isabella in Granada. This was a sad time for Leonor, as she had been very close to the Empress.
Leonor spent her final days at the Monastery of Sant Jeroni de Cotalba, which was very close to Gandia. She was recovering from an illness there. She passed away on March 27, 1546.
After Leonor's death, her husband, Francis Borja, was very sad. He decided to give up his wealth and titles to his children. He then traveled to Rome. In June 1546, he joined the Society of Jesus, becoming a Jesuit priest.
Leonor's Children
Leonor and her husband, Francis, had eight children:
- Carlos, who became the 5th Duke of Gandía (1530-1592).
- Isabel de Borja y Castro (1532-1558).
- Juan de Borja y Castro (1533-1606).
- Alvar de Borja y Castro (1534-1594).
- Juana Francisca de Borja y Castro (born 1536).
- Ferran de Borja y Castro (born 1537).
- Dorotea de Borja y Castro (1538-1552), who became a nun.
- Alfons de Borja y Castro (born 1539).
See also
Template:KIDDLE XL START 
In Spanish: Leonor de Castro Mello y Meneses para niños Template:KIDDLE XL END
