Beltrán de la Cueva, 1st Duke of Alburquerque

Don Beltrán ( Fernández ) de la Cueva y Alfonso de Mercado (* 1435 in Úbeda, † November 1, 1492 ) was a Spanish nobleman of the house of La Cueva and 1st Duke of Alburquerque. He was allegedly the lover of Joan of Portugal, wife of King Henry IV of Castile and León.

Biography

King Henry IV was traveling in his second year of reign by Ubeda, where he at Beltran's father, Diego Fernández de la Cueva, 1st Vizconde de Huelma, lived. As he traveled, he took Diego's second son, Beltrán, with it, so that future live at the royal court ( Henry had asked for Diego's oldest son, but the Diego wanted to keep to himself, and he offered him his second son ).

Beltrán was the favorite of the King, Grand Master of the Order of Santiago ( 1462-1463 ) and chief chamberlain, but is known as a lover of Queen Giovanna. The rumors that Beltrán and not the king the father of Joan's only child, Joan of Castile ( born February 1462 called La Beltraneja ) was, came on, and it did not succeed Henry to prove the opposite, especially since he considered to be impotent was (and also the corresponding qualifier wore).

Even in 1462, Henry IV appointed him to the first Conde de Ledesma, but already in 1463 he was removed from the farm - and received as compensation on November 20, 1464 in Segovia, the title of Duke of Alburquerque and awarded grandees of Spain. Beltrán was from 1461 the Castillo de Mombeltrán build.

Joanna of Castile was now regarded by some nobles as illegitimate and thus not entitled to inherit. The clashes led to the annulment of Henry's marriage only (which is the illegitimacy of Joan legally made ​​) and after Henry's death ( 1474 ) for four-year Castilian Succession. This Joanna of Castile had brought against Henry's half-sister and successor Isabella I. Johanna lost this war in which Beltrán on the part of Isabella and had fought with it against his putative daughter.

Shortly before his death, Henry IV Beltrán was appointed on August 20, 1474 to the Conde de Huelma what Isabella I and Ferdinand V confirmed on April 20, 1475.

Family

Beltrán married in 1462 (after the birth of Joan ) Mencia de Mendoza y Luna, daughter of Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, 2nd Marqués de Santillana, 1st Duque del Infantado, and Brianda de Luna y Mendoza, and niece of Cardinal Mendoza; from this marriage he had six children:

• Francisco, 2nd Duque de Albuquerque, * 1467, † 1526; ∞ Francisca de Toledo, daughter of García Álvarez de Toledo, second y Conde Duque de Alba de Tormes 1 (House Álvarez de Toledo)
• Antonio de la Cueva y Mendoza; ∞ Elvira de Ayala
• Iñigo de la Cueva y Mendoza, † 1547; ∞ Ana de la Cuevy y Mendoza
• Brianda de la Cueva y Luna; ∞ Fernando Gómez Dávila 1488 III. , Señor de Navamorcuende,
• Mayor de la Cueva; ∞ 1498 Pedro de Navarra y Lacarra, 7 Mariscal de Navarra, 5 Vizconde de Muruzábal (House France Évreux )
• Mencia de la Cueva y Mendoza

His second wife he married in 1476 Mencia Enriquez, daughter of García Álvarez de Toledo, second y Conde Duque de Alba de Tormes 1, and María Enríquez. From this marriage he had a son, García de la Cueva y Toledo, † young

He completed his third marriage in 1482 with María de Velasco, 1st Duquesa de la Villa de Roa daughter of Pedro III. Fernández de Velasco, 2nd Count de Haro, 6th Condestable de Castilla, and Mencia de Mendoza, a sister of the first Duke of El Infantado. From this marriage he had:

• Cristóbal de la Cueva y Velasco, Señor de Roa, † 1542; ∞ Leonor de Velasco, 3rd Countess de Siruela
• Pedro de la Cueva y Velasco, Señor de la Villa de Torre Galindo y de la Herdad de Portillejo,

He also had an illegitimate son:

• Juan de la Cueva

Beltrán de la Cueva died in 1492 and was buried in the convent of San Francisco in Cuéllar.