Eleanor of Aragon, Queen of Portugal
Eleanor of Aragon ( in Portuguese: Leonor, Infanta de Aragão ) (* 1402, † February 19, 1445 in Toledo) was a princess of Aragon ( Aragon ) and Queen and later regent of Portugal.
Life
Eleanor of Aragon, was born as the daughter of King Ferdinand I of Aragon and Eleanor of Urraca of Castile, Countess of Albuquerque. She had six siblings, including the Aragonese Kings Alfonso V and John II
On 22 September 1428 Eleanor married the Portuguese heir Edward and brought as a dowry to the enormous sum of 200,000 gold florins into the marriage. When the Crown Prince in 1433 as Edward I ascended to the Portuguese throne, was his wife, queen of Portugal ( as a wife, not as regent in its own right ).
In his will, the late of the plague in September 1438 Edward had determined his wife Eleonore as regent for his infant son Alfonso (V.). In addition, Eleanor had at the time of the death of her husband four more minor children and even expected of their daughter Johanna was born the next year. However, the Dowager Queen was in government affairs and inexperienced as Aragonesin, so foreigner, the Portuguese nobility unpopular in front of a large influence of the Aragonese royal dynasty was scared. What followed was a reign of Edward dispute with brother Peter, Duke of Coimbra, with the Eleanor in 1439 had to share power. She could only raise their children and monitor the royal revenues, their loss of power but not accepted and triggered almost a civil war. But the Infante Peter kept the upper hand and was eventually appointed by the Cortes for the sole regent. Eleonore was deported with her little daughters on a widow's seat, while her two sons in the care of her brother, the regent Peter came. In 1440 they renewed the struggle for power, but was not able to militarily compete with Peter and had to go into exile in Castile. She died in 1445 in Toledo. There were rumors that she had been poisoned; as the mastermind were the Portuguese Regent and later the ambitious Constable of Castile, Don Alvarez de Luna, suspected.
Progeny
- Johann (* 1429, † 1433 )
- Philippa (* November 27, 1430, † March 24, 1439 ). She died of the plague.
- Alfonso V (* January 15, 1432; † August 28, 1481 ); heir to the throne
- Maria ( * December 7, 1432; † December 8, 1432 )
- Ferdinand ( born November 17 1433 † September 18, 1470 ), second Duke of Viseu
- Eduard ( * July 12, 1435; † July 12, 1435 )
- Helena Eleanor (* probably 8 or September 18, 1436, † September 3, 1467 ), married in 1452 the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III.
- Catherine ( * November 25, 1436, † June 17, 1463 )
- Johanna (* March 20, 1439, † June 13, 1475 ), in 1455 she married King Henry IV of Castile
See also: List of Queens of Portugal, List of kings of Portugal, Portugal under the House of Avis, Portugal's history, Timeline of Portuguese history.