Berengaria OF CASTILE (1180-1246)

	Statue of Berenguela of Castile in Madrid (1753)		Castle Doña Berenguela in Bolaños de Calatrava Spain

Individual Events and Attributes

Marriage

	Alfonso IX, King of Leon		Alfonso IX, from the Tumbo A cartulary of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.		Ferdinand III in a 13th century miniature		Saint Ferdinand III

Individual Note

Berengaria (Castilian: Berenguela) (1 January/June 1180 – 8 November 1246) was briefly queen of Castile and León. The eldest daughter of Alfonso VIII of Castile and Eleanor of England, she was briefly engaged to Conrad II, Duke of Swabia, but he was murdered in 1196 before they could be married.

Berengaria married King Alfonso IX of León in 1197, but this was annulled in 1204 by Pope Innocent III because they were second cousins. Berengaria and Alfonso had five children, including one who died in infancy, and when she returned to her father's court in Castile, she brought her children with her to Otella.

Berengaria often found herself politically at odds with her former husband. Alfonso had two daughters, Sancha and Dulce, by his first wife, Theresa of Portugal, and wished to disinherit Berengaria's children in favor of these daughters. To this end, he invited John of Brienne to marry his eldest daughter, Sancha, and thus inherit his kingdom. Berengaria sabotaged this plan by convincing John of Brienne to marry her own daughter, Berengaria of León, instead. Later, on 24 September 1230 when Alfonso died, Berengaria and Ferdinand acted to set aside the rights of Sancha and Dulce by offering them a lifetime appanage, which they accepted. This was done so that, with Berengaria's aid, he could assume the Leonese throne.

When her brother Henry died by accident in 1217, Berengaria became sovereign of Castile. She soon renounced her crown in favour of her son Ferdinand. Thereafter she served as the king's motherly advisor; according to the Cronica Latina, her "total intent and desire being to procure honour for her son in every way possible". Berengaria helped quell the rebellious nobles, and then arranged for Ferdinand to marry a high-born wife, Beatrice of Swabia.

Berengaria maintained strong connections with her sister Blanche, who was Queen of France. It was Blanche who suggested sending Joan of Ponthieu as a bride for Ferdinand after his first wife's death.

Her children with Alfonso IX included:

Infanta Eleanor (1198/1199-31 October 1210)

King Ferdinand III of Castile (1200–1252)

Infante Alfonso, 4th Lord of Molina (1203–1272)

Infanta Berengaria of León (1204–1237), married John of Brienne

Infanta Constance (1 May 1200 or 1205-7 September 1242), became a nun at Las Huelgas, Burgos, where she died.

SOURCES:

Shadis, Miriam. Berenguela of Castile (1180–1246) and Political Women in the High Middle Ages (Palgrave Macmillan; 2010) Explores Berenguela's use of authority as both queen and regent, at varied times, for the Spanish thrones of Castile and Leon.

Shadis, Miriam. Berenguela of Castile's Political Motherhood, 1996³

Note on Marriage to Alfonso IX OF LEÓN

annulled 1204

Sources