OTD 30 August 1334 King Peter of Castile and his battle against his half-brother
On 30 August 1334, Peter (in Spanish: Pedro) was born in the defensive
tower of the Monasterio de Santa Maria la Real de Las Huelgas in
Burgos, Spain.
Family
His parents were Alfonso XI of Castile and Maria of Portugal.
His paternal grandparents were Ferdinand IV of Castile and
Constance of Portugal.
His maternal grandparents were Alfonso IV of Portugal and
Beatrice of Castile.
Reign
Peter started his reign at the age of almost 16 years old. He
was under the control of his mother and her favourites.
Love & Marriage
He was to be married to Joan, daughter of King Edward III of England.
But on her way to Castile, she was confronted with the Black Death.
Joan who was then 14 years old, died.
Peter later married in secret to Maria de Padilla. This happened in
1353.
On 3 June 1353, Peter married Blanche of Bourbon. The young King
thus denied his previous marriage.
He also had a kind of marriage with Juana de Castro, the widow of
Don Diego de Haro, convincing her that his previous marriage to
Queen Blanche was a nullity.
In 1361, Queen Blanche died at Medina Sidonia. French historians
claim that Peter ordered two Jews to murder her. Another version of
this story said that she was poisoned. The same year Maria de Padilla
died in Seville.
A warlord
From 1356 to 1366 Peter engaged in constant wars with Aragon in the
War of the Two Peters in which he showed neither ability nor good hand
in his support of his English ally or Castilian interests in the Mediterranean
against the French and the Aragonese.
In 1366 the Castilian Civil War began. They wanted to see King Pedro
dethroned. He was assailed by his bastard brother Henry of
Trastámara. Peter fled with his treasury to Portugal where he was received
by his uncle King Peter I of Portugal.
Death
In the summer of 1366 Peter took refugee with Edward the Black Prince,
who restored him to his throne in the following year after the
Battle of Nájera.
In September 1368 Henry of Trastámara returned to Castile. The cortes
of the city of Burgos recognized him as King of Castile. Others followed
soon.
On 14 March 1369, the forces of Peter and Henry met at Montiel, a
fortress then controlled by the Order of Santiago. Peter took refuge in the
fortress. Negotiations were opened between Peter and his besieger, Henry.
Finally it was Henry who killed his half-brother on 23 March 1369.
Source pictures: Wikipedia
tower of the Monasterio de Santa Maria la Real de Las Huelgas in
Burgos, Spain.
Family
His parents were Alfonso XI of Castile and Maria of Portugal.
His paternal grandparents were Ferdinand IV of Castile and
Constance of Portugal.
His maternal grandparents were Alfonso IV of Portugal and
Beatrice of Castile.
Reign
Peter started his reign at the age of almost 16 years old. He
was under the control of his mother and her favourites.
Love & Marriage
He was to be married to Joan, daughter of King Edward III of England.
But on her way to Castile, she was confronted with the Black Death.
Joan who was then 14 years old, died.
Peter later married in secret to Maria de Padilla. This happened in
1353.
On 3 June 1353, Peter married Blanche of Bourbon. The young King
thus denied his previous marriage.
He also had a kind of marriage with Juana de Castro, the widow of
Don Diego de Haro, convincing her that his previous marriage to
Queen Blanche was a nullity.
In 1361, Queen Blanche died at Medina Sidonia. French historians
claim that Peter ordered two Jews to murder her. Another version of
this story said that she was poisoned. The same year Maria de Padilla
died in Seville.
A warlord
From 1356 to 1366 Peter engaged in constant wars with Aragon in the
War of the Two Peters in which he showed neither ability nor good hand
in his support of his English ally or Castilian interests in the Mediterranean
against the French and the Aragonese.
In 1366 the Castilian Civil War began. They wanted to see King Pedro
dethroned. He was assailed by his bastard brother Henry of
Trastámara. Peter fled with his treasury to Portugal where he was received
by his uncle King Peter I of Portugal.
Death
In the summer of 1366 Peter took refugee with Edward the Black Prince,
who restored him to his throne in the following year after the
Battle of Nájera.
In September 1368 Henry of Trastámara returned to Castile. The cortes
of the city of Burgos recognized him as King of Castile. Others followed
soon.
On 14 March 1369, the forces of Peter and Henry met at Montiel, a
fortress then controlled by the Order of Santiago. Peter took refuge in the
fortress. Negotiations were opened between Peter and his besieger, Henry.
Finally it was Henry who killed his half-brother on 23 March 1369.
Source pictures: Wikipedia
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