Guzman, Leonora de (1310–1351)

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Guzman, Leonora de (1310–1351)

Countess of Clermont, mistress of Castilian king Alphonso XI, and mother of Henry II of Trastamara. Name variations: Leonor de Guzmán; La Favorita. Born in 1310; died in 1351; daughter of Pedro Martínez de Guzmán and Beatriz Ponce de León; married Juan de Velasco (died 1328); mistress of Alphonso XI (1311–1350), king of Castile (r. 1312–1350); children: (with Alphonso XI) Pedro (b. 1330); Sancho (b. 1331); Enrique II also known as Henry II Trastamara (1333–1379), king of Castile (r. 1369–1379); Fadrique (b. 1333); Fernando (1336–c. 1342); Tello (1337–1370), count of Castaneda; Juan (1341–1359); Pedro (1345–1359); Juana (who married Fernando de Castro and Felipe de Castro).

Born into one of the chief Castilian noble families in 1310, Leonora de Guzmán was the daughter of Pedro Martínez de Guzmán and Beatriz Ponce de León . As a youth her parents married her to Juan de Velasco, whose death left her a widow by 1328. Attracted by her beauty and bearing, Alphonso XI, king of Castile, became enamored of her when they met during his visit to Sevilla. Meanwhile, in 1328 Alphonso married Maria of Portugal , the daughter of Beatrice of Castile and Leon and Alphonso IV, king of Portugal, but did not immediately succeed in having any children with her.

Maria of Portugal (1313–1357)

Queen of Castile and Leon. Name variations: Mary Henriques, Enriques or Enriquez. Born in 1313; died on January 18, 1357, in Evora; interred in Seville, Spain; daughter of Beatrice of Castile and Leon (1293–1359) and Alphonso IV, king of Portugal (r. 1325–1357); married Alphonso XI (1311–1350), king of Castile and Leon (r. 1312–1350), in September 1328; children: Fernando (1332–1333); Pedro el Cruel also known as Peter I the Cruel (1334–1369), king of Castile (r. 1350–1369).

Only in 1334 did Maria finally give birth to a son, Peter (I the Cruel), who survived to become Alphonso's heir to the throne. In contrast, Leonora and Alphonso had ten children. Following Peter's baptism, Alphonso spent no further time with Queen Maria, preferring instead to be with Leonora de Guzmán. Maria passed the rest of her husband's life, humiliated by his snub and resenting his obvious preference, both public and private, for Leonora. By flaunting his relationship with Leonora, Alphonso angered the king of Portugal, Maria's father, and war erupted between the two realms. Aside from her wealth and physical attractions, Leonora was apparently bright and able. She participated energetically in Alphonso's rule, and the king often sought her advice on political matters.

Although most of the court accepted the liaison between Leonora and Alphonso, the superficial peace lasted only as long as the king lived. When he died during the siege of Gibraltar on March 27, 1350, from the Black Death, the tensions between the partisans of Maria and Leonora broke into violence. Leonora accompanied her lover's body toward Sevilla, performing the role of grieving widow. She refused to enter Sevilla, however, rightly fearing for her own safety. Peter, Alphonso's only surviving legitimate child, was king, and his mother, the long-humiliated Maria, maneuvered to arrest and imprison Leonora. Initially Leonora received protection from Alphonso Fernández Coronel, but he later switched allegiance to Maria and Peter, giving Leonora over to their custody. In the royal fortress of Sevilla, Leonora's conditions were initially mild. She received friends and relatives and her son Henry II Trastamara was allowed to visit frequently. Eventually, however, the chance for revenge against Alphonso's favorite, and fear that Leonora's partisans might endanger the crown on her own son's head, caused Maria to transfer Leonora to Talavera de la Reina and shortly thereafter have her executed. She died in 1351. Some have credited her execution to Maria's spite. For others, it resulted from Leonora's complicity in her son Henry's secret marriage and Henry and Tello's rebellion against Peter.

Leonora's life was symptomatic of the turmoil that afflicted Castile during the 14th century. Ambitious aristocratic families divided the kingdom, conspiring against the monarchy. The Black Death that killed Alphonso and indirectly brought on Leonora's premature demise caused havoc and consternation throughout the peninsula. From the enmity between Leonora and Maria sprang two sons, Henry and Peter, who over the following two decades fought to the death. In the end Leonora triumphed when Henry murdered Peter the Cruel in 1369 and claimed the crown of Castile for himself as Henry II.