Sancha, heiress of León facts for kids

Sancha of León (born around 1191 or 1192, died before 1243) was a princess who was briefly meant to be the Queen of León. She was supposed to rule alongside her younger sister, Dulce. Sancha was the oldest child of Alfonso IX of León and his first wife, Teresa of Portugal.

Sancha became a co-heiress to the throne. This happened after one of her younger brothers passed away. Her other brother became king of Castile. However, Sancha and Dulce never actually ruled. Their stepmother managed to get her own son on the throne instead.

Biography

Early Life and Family

Sancha grew up at her father's royal court. Her younger sister, Dulce, and her brother, Ferdinand, lived with their mother in Portugal. This was after their parents' marriage was ended in 1195.

In Castile, it was common for women to inherit the throne. Sancha's stepmother even became queen of Castile for a short time. But in León, women were usually not allowed to inherit the throne. Even so, Sancha's ancestor, Urraca, had been the first queen to rule in Western Europe.

Claim to the Throne

After Sancha's brother died in 1214, her father, Alfonso IX, named his second son as his heir. This son was also named Ferdinand. In 1216, he was given the title of infante, which means a royal prince.

In 1217, with support from important noble families, Alfonso gave his daughters Sancha and Dulce some villages. These were Portela de San Juan, Burgo de Ribadavia, and Allariz. They were allowed to rule these lands until they died. After their deaths, the lands would go back to the Crown.

In the same year, Ferdinand's mother, Berengaria, inherited the Kingdom of Castile. She then gave the kingdom to her son, Ferdinand. He was declared king in Valladolid on July 2.

Since his chosen heir, Ferdinand, was now ruling another kingdom, Alfonso tried to make his eldest daughters his joint heirs. In a treaty with Portugal in 1219, Alfonso clearly stated that if he died, Portugal should respect his agreement with his daughters.

Alfonso also tried to secure his eldest daughter's rights by arranging her marriage. He wanted her to marry John of Brienne, who used to be the King of Jerusalem. But Alfonso's wife, Berengaria, stopped this plan. She wanted to help her own son, Ferdinand, become king.

In the spring of 1224, John of Brienne was traveling on the Way of Saint James. He passed through Alfonso's kingdom and decided to stop in Toledo. He wanted to meet Sancha, his possible future wife. But in Toledo, Queen Berengaria convinced him to marry her own daughter, Berengaria, instead. John married her on his return trip in Burgos. The King and former Queen of Castile went with them as far as Logroño.

The "Pact of the Mothers"

After this failed marriage plan, Alfonso declared Sancha and Dulce his heirs. But when he died on September 24, 1230, the people of León did not accept his daughters. They had already promised their loyalty to Ferdinand in 1206.

So, Sancha and Dulce gave up their rights to the kingdom to their half-brother, Ferdinand. Sancha was 38 years old at that time. This agreement was made at Valencia de Don Juan. It was negotiated by Berengaria (Ferdinand's mother) and Theresa (Sancha and Dulce's mother). Sancha and Dulce were also there. This agreement is known as the "pact of the mothers." The treaty was signed in Benavente. In return, Ferdinand promised to pay each of his half-sisters 30,000 maravedíes (a type of money) every year. He also gave them control of certain castles.

Later Life

After giving up her claim to the throne, Sancha went to live in a Cistercian monastery. This was the Santa María monastery in El Bierzo. Her mother had founded this monastery with her father's approval.

Sancha passed away there before 1243. In his history of the Iberian Peninsula, De rebus Hispaniae, the Archbishop of Toledo, Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada, mentions her. He wrote that Teresa of Portugal had three children: Sancha and Ferdinand, who died without having children, and Dulce, who was still alive.

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