About Eleanor, Queen of Castile:
Known for: wife of Alfonso VIII of Castile, daughter of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine, sister of kings and a queen; mother of several queens and a king. This Eleanor was the first of a long line of Eleanors of Castile.
Dates: October 13, 1162 - October 31, 1214
Also known as: Eleanor Plantagenet, Eleanor of England, Eleanor of Castile, Leonora of Castile, Leonor of Castile
Eleanor's Roots and Marriage:
Eleanor, born in Normandy, was named for her mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine. As a daughter of Henry II of England, her marriage was arranged for political purposes. She was paired with King Alfonso VIII of Castile, married sometime before September 17, 1177, when she was fourteen.
Eleanor as Queen:
The marriage of Eleanor and Alfonso produced a number of children. Several sons who were in turn expected heirs of their father died in childhood. Their youngest child, Henry or Enrique, survived to succeed his father.
Eleanor wielded considerable power in her new position She helped arranged the marriage of their daughter Berenguela to Leon's king, and her husband appointed her as ruler with their son upon his death.
Another daughter, Urraca, was married to the future king of Portugal, Alfonso II; a third daughter, Blanche or Blanca, was married to the future king Louis VIII of France; a fourth daughter, Leonor, married the king of Aragon (though their marriage was later dissolved by the church). Other daughters included Mafalda who married her sister Berenguela's stepson and Constanza who became an Abbess.
After Alfonso's Death:
Although Eleanor became the regent for her son Enrique on her husband's death, in 1214 when Enrique was only ten, Eleanor's grief was so great that her daughter Berenguela had to handle the burial of Alfonso, and Eleanor died less than a month after Alfonso's death, leaving Berenguela as her brother's regent. Enrique died at age 13, killed by a falling roof tile.
Background, Family:
- Mother: Eleanor of Aquitaine
- Father: Henry II of England
- Full siblings were William IX, Count of Poitiers; Henry the Young King; Matilda, Duchess of Saxony; Richard I of England; Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany; Joan of England, Queen of Sicily; John of England
- Older half-siblings were Marie of France and Alix of France
Marriage, Children:
- husband: Alfonso VIII of Castile (married about September 1177)
- children:
- Berenguela (1180 - 1246)
- Sancho (1181 - 1181)
- Sancha (1182 - 1185)
- Enrique (1184 - 1184?)
- Urraca - Urraca of Castile, Queen of Portugal (1187 - 1220)
- Blanca - Blanche of Castile, Queen of France (1188 - 1252)
- Fernando (1189 - 1211)
- Mafalda (1191 - 1211)
- Constanza (1195 - 1243)
- Leonor - Eleanor of Castile (1202 - 1244)
- Enrique I of Castile (1204 - 1217)
