María de Molina Facts for Kids

María Alfonso Téllez de Meneses (around 1265 – 1321), known as María de Molina, was a powerful queen of Castile and León. She was queen from 1284 to 1295 because she was married to Sancho IV of Castile. After her husband died, she became a regent, which means she ruled for her young son, Ferdinand IV, from 1295 to about 1301. Later, she also ruled for her grandson, Alfonso XI of Castile, from 1312 until her death in 1321.

Becoming Queen of Castile
María's First Time as Regent
- Protecting the Young King
- Papal Approval and Peace
María's Second Time as Regent
María's Children
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Becoming Queen of Castile

María was the daughter of Alfonso of Molina and Mayor Alfonso de Meneses. Her grandparents were King Alfonso IX of León and Queen Berengaria of Castile. In 1282, María married her cousin, Sancho. Their marriage was a bit unusual because they were related. The Pope had not yet given his approval for them to marry.

When Sancho's father, Alfonso X, died, Sancho and María became the new King and Queen of Castile and León. They were crowned in the city of Toledo. Even though some people and the Pope wanted them to separate, Sancho chose to stay with María. He trusted her a lot and gave her many important jobs. He even named her to rule for their son if he died. Sancho's reign was short, and he passed away in 1295.

María's First Time as Regent

María de Molina's Coat of Arms as Queen of Castile

After King Sancho IV died, his oldest son, Ferdinand IV, became king. But Ferdinand was still a child. Sancho had said that María should be the only regent. However, she had to share power with Sancho's uncle, Henry the Senator.

Many powerful people challenged Ferdinand's right to be king. These included his uncle John, his cousins (the sons of Ferdinand de la Cerda), and the kings of Aragon and Denis of Portugal. They all wanted to take advantage of the young king's age.

Protecting the Young King

María was very smart and strong. She worked hard to keep her son on the throne. She made alliances by arranging marriages and giving away land. She also used clever political moves. María built her own group of supporters. She got the Castilian Cortes (a kind of parliament) to agree that she had the right to rule. She also played powerful families, like the Haro and Lara families, against each other.

The country faced a civil war for several years. Her co-regent, Henry, often caused more problems than he helped. He sometimes even worked against Ferdinand.

Papal Approval and Peace

Around 1300, the group fighting against Ferdinand started to fall apart. One of his main enemies, Juan Núñez de Lara, was captured and later made peace with the young king. Portugal also became an ally again. This happened after María promised that Ferdinand would marry the Portuguese princess Constance.

María's victory for her son seemed complete in 1301. She finally received a special letter from Pope Boniface VIII. This letter officially said that her marriage was legitimate and that her children were rightful heirs. In the end, only Aragon was still supporting the claim of Alfonso de la Cerda. But a few years later, Castile and Aragon signed a treaty, and that claim was finally dropped.

María's Second Time as Regent

In 1312, María's son, Ferdinand IV, died. His son, Alfonso XI, became the new king. Alfonso was also a child, so María became regent again. She continued to rule for her grandson until she passed away in Valladolid in 1321.

María's Children

María and Sancho IV had several children:

Isabella of Castile (1283–1328). She married James II of Aragon and later John III, Duke of Brittany.
Ferdinand IV of Castile (1285–1312). He married Constance of Portugal.
Alfonso (1286–1291).
Henry (1288–1299).
Peter (1290–1319). He married Maria of Aragon.
Philip (1292–1327). He married his cousin Margarita de la Cerda.
Beatrice of Castile (1293–1359). She married Afonso IV of Portugal.

Images for kids

María de Molina
Coat of Arms as Queen of Castile

María de Molina facts for kids

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