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  • Princess of England
  • Queen consort of Castile

Eleanor of England was born 13 October 1162 in Domfront, France to Henry II of England (1133-1189) and Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-1204) and died 31 October 1214 Burgos, Spain of unspecified causes. She married Alfonso VIII, King of Castile (1155-1214) September 1176 JL .

Biography

Eleanor of England was the daughter of King Henry II of England and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, and she was born in October 1162 in England. In 1170, when Eleanor was just eight years old, she was betrothed to Alfonso VIII of Castile as part of a diplomatic alliance between England and Castile. Eleanor and Alfonso were married in 1177, when Eleanor was fifteen years old.

Eleanor was known for her beauty, intelligence, and political acumen. She was also deeply devoted to her husband and their children. During her time in Castile, Eleanor became a patron of the arts and literature, and she was a friend and patron of the poet Gonzalo de Berceo.

Eleanor and Alfonso had several children, including their eldest son, Henry, who succeeded his father as king of Castile. Eleanor also had a close relationship with her mother-in-law, Berengaria of Barcelona, who was the former queen of Castile and the wife of Alfonso's father, Sancho III.

Eleanor died on October 31, 1214, at the age of 52. Her death was a great loss to Alfonso and their children, and it was said that he never fully recovered from her death. Eleanor was buried in the monastery of Las Huelgas in Burgos, Spain.

Eleanor of England is remembered as a remarkable woman who made a significant impact on the cultural and political landscape of medieval Castile. She was admired for her beauty and intelligence, and her devotion to her husband and family was legendary.

With Eleanor of England,[1] Alfonso had 11 children:[2]

  1. Berenguela of Castile (1180-1246) Married firstly in Seligenstadt on 23 April 1188 with Duke Conrad II of Swabia, but the union (only by contract and never solemnized) was later annulled. Married in Valladolid between 1/16 December 1197 with King Alfonso IX of León as his second wife.[3] After their marriage was dissolved on grounds of consanguinity in 1204, she returned to her homeland and became regent of her minor brother King Henry I. Queen of Castile in her own right after the death of Henry I in 1217, quickly abdicated in favor of her son Ferdinand III of Castile who would re-unite the kingdoms of Castile and León.
  2. Sancho of Castile (1181-1181) - Heir of the throne since his birth, died aged three months.
  3. Sancha of Castile (1182-1184)' - died in infancy
  4. Henry of Castile (1184-1184) - Heir of the throne since his birth, died either shortly after being born or in infancy. His existence is disputed among sources.
  5. Urraca of Castile (1186-1220), Queen of Portugal - Queen of Afonso II of Portugal
  6. Blanca of Castile (1188-1252), Queen of France - Married to Louis VIII of France, connecting the house of Castile, House of Normandy and the Capetian dynasty.
  7. Fernando of Castile (1189-1211) - Heir of the throne since his birth. On whose behalf Diego of Acebo and the future Saint Dominic travelled to Denmark in 1203 to secure a bride.[4] Ferdinand was returning through the San Vicente mountains from a campaign against the Muslims when he contracted a fever and died.[5]
  8. Mafalda of Castile (1191-1204) - Betrothed in 1204 to Infante Ferdinand of Leon, eldest son of Alfonso IX and stepson of her oldest sister.
  9. Constance of Castile (1195-1198) - died young
  10. Eleanor of Castile (1202-1244) - Married in Ágreda on 6 February 1221 with James I of Aragon.
  11. Constanza of Castile (1203-1243) - A nun at the Cistercian monastery of Santa María la Real at Las Huelgas in 1217, she became known as the Lady of Las Huelgas, a title shared with later royal family members who joined the community.[6]
  12. Henry I of Castile (1204-1217) - Only surviving son, he succeeded his father in 1214 aged ten under the regency firstly of his mother and later his oldest sister. He was killed when he was struck by a tile falling from a roof.

Through his daughters, Berengaria and Blanche, he was the grandfather of two monarchs who became saints of the Roman Church.





Children


Offspring of Alfonso VIII, King of Castile (1155-1214) and Eleanor of England
Name Birth Death Joined with
Berenguela of Castile (1180-1246) 1180 Segovia, Spain 8 November 1246 Burgos, Spain Alfonso IX, King of León (1171-1230)
Sancho of Castile (1181-1181)
Sancha of Castile (1182-1184)
Henry of Castile (1184-1184)
Urraca of Castile (1186-1220) 1186 3 November 1220 Afonso II of Portugal (1185-1223)
Blanca of Castile (1188-1252) 4 March 1188 Palencia, Spain 26 October 1252 Paris, France Louis VIII Capet (1187-1226)
Fernando of Castile (1189-1211)
Mafalda of Castile (1191-1204)
Constance of Castile (1195-1198)
Eleanor of Castile (1202-1244) 1202 1244 Jaime I de Aragón (1208-1276)
Constanza of Castile (1203-1243) 1202 1243 Las Huelgas, Spain
Henry I of Castile (1204-1217) 14 April 1204 Valladolid, Spain 6 June 1217 Palencia, Spain Mafalda of Portugal (c1195-1256)



Siblings


Offspring of Henry II of England (1133-1189) and Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-1204)
Name Birth Death Joined with
William Plantagenet, Count of Poitiers (1153-1156) 17 August 1153 Normandy, France April 1156 Wallingford Castle, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom
Henry of Normandy (1155-1183) 28 February 1155 Bermondsey, Greater London, England, United Kingdom 11 June 1183 Martel, France Marguerite of France (1158-c1197)
Matilda of England (1156-1189) June 1156 London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom 13 July 1189 Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, Germany Heinrich der Löwe (c1130-1195)
Richard I of England (1157-1199) 8 September 1157 Beaumont Palace, Oxford, England, United Kingdom 6 April 1199 Châlus Limoges, Limosin, France Berengaria of Navarre (c1163-c1231)
Geoffrey, Duke of Brittany (1158-1186) 23 September 1158 19 August 1186 Paris, France Constance de Bretagne (1161-1201)
Eleanor of England (1162-1214) 13 October 1162 Domfront, France 31 October 1214 Burgos, Spain Alfonso VIII, King of Castile (1155-1214)
Joan of England (1165-1199) October 1165 Angers 4 September 1199 William II of Sicily (1155-1189)
Raymond VI de Toulouse (1156-1222)
John of England (1167-1216) 24 December 1166 Oxford (Beaumont Palace) October 1216 (Newark Castle+Newark-on-Trent+ Nottinghamshire+ England) Isabel of Gloucester (c1173-1217)
Isabelle of Angoulême (1186-1246)
Clementia (1166-1201)
Adela de Warenne (c1170-c1218)


Offspring of Henry II of England (1133-1189) and Ida de Tosny (c1150-)
Name Birth Death Joined with
William Longespée, 3rd Earl of Salisbury (c1176-1226) 1176 England, United Kingdom 7 March 1226 Salisbury Castle, Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom Ela, 3rd Countess of Salisbury (c1187-1261)


Offspring of Henry II of England (1133-1189) and Ykenai
Name Birth Death Joined with
Geoffrey Longespée, Archbishop of York (-1212)


See Also

Spanish royaltyWp globe tiny
Preceded by
Richeza of Poland
Queen consort of Castile
1177–1214
Succeeded by
Mafalda of Portugal


Footnotes (including sources)

‡ General
  1. ^ Crónica Latina
  2. ^ Vann 2003, p. 63.
  3. ^ New International Encyclopedia, Vol.13, (Dodd, Mead and Company, 1915), 782.
  4. ^ Vicaire, pp. 89–98.
  5. ^ Osma 1997, p. 55-56, vol.20.
  6. ^ Shadis 2010, p. 4.
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