Eleanor of Portugal, Holy Roman Empress

Helena Eleanor of Portugal (* September 18, 1436, † September 3, 1467 ) was the wife of Frederick III, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire..

Life

Childhood and youth

Eleanor was a daughter of Portuguese King Edward I and his wife Eleanor of Aragon. Her father, however, died relatively early, on September 9, 1438 of the plague. Since Eleanor's brother Alfonso V was only six, though he followed his father on the throne, but was unable to exercise its sovereign power whether his minority. Edward had his wife in his will established for this case as a successor, but this displeased the stands and the nobility that Peter, the brother of Edward, gave preference to since the queen was regarded as a foreign body. But she did not abdicated simple, but resisted with the help of a not inconsiderable number of domestic supporters. She fled from her widow's residence in the castle Almeirim Crato, where they entrenched themselves and their daughter Johanna took. Their daughter Eleanor was ill at that time and so she let them back in Almeirim. Peter forced his sister in law with military power into exile. Your children took care of Peter, who took care of an excellent education and Eleanor Guiomar de Castro, wife of 1st Earl of Atouguia was an educator. When Alfonso V came of age and took the crown, but Peter had no intention to resign, a battle took place between uncle and brother. Peter was mortally wounded at the very beginning of the struggles of an arrow, so that Eleanor's brother Alfonso took power. But also this excellent care to his siblings.

Marriage projects

The impetus for the project marriage between Eleanor and Frederick IV, who was still king then, and only after his imperial coronation of Frederick III. to be called, was probably Isabella, a sister of Peter, who was married to Duke Philip of Burgundy. This hoped to offer a successful marriage over his house an appreciation of his duchy into a kingdom. But the marriage business was then not Burgundy, but via Alfonso of Aragon and Naples, Uncle Eleanor's mother and one of the dominant forces in the Mediterranean region. 1448 published two emissaries of Frederick and a painter at neopolitanischen courtyard, equipped with letters of recommendation and then traveled to Portugal. The painter should paint Eleonore, as Frederick III. obviously put much emphasis on the appearance of his future wife and did not want a distorted view through a Portuguese painter. When the envoys arrived in Portugal, the above-mentioned change of power between Peter and Alfonso V had taken place, which was, however, also inclined towards the marriage project. Both image and report met with approval Frederick III. , But this had all taken so much time that there is now a new candidate has entered the scene, the son of the French king. But here switched according to the chronicler Aeneas Piccolomini (later Pope Pius II ) Eleonore itself and decided to Friedrich, as they wanted themselves and decorate their house with the related view title Empress.

The marriage negotiations themselves took place in Naples and lasted for two weeks. Finally they agreed to a dowry of 60,000 florins. 50,000 of them were for Friedrich freely available and 10,000 guilders were meant Eleanor for the crossing. Friedrich had to provide lands and farms worth 60,000 florins, which should Eleonore serve as a retirement home in return. You should arrive on November 1, 1451 in one of Friedrich selected port ( Talamone ). However, the crossing proved to be very difficult, since one has been invaded by pirates and fell into severe storms, so that the fleet was scattered. There was only one ship in Talamone, which however did not know where was the rest of the fleet and on the Eleonore was not so very quickly rumors began circulating about her death.

Wedding with Friedrich III.

Now They met in Siena, where Eleonora and Friedrich saw for the first time. Friedrich is to be turns pale at the sight, either with excitement or out of fear that the petite Eleonore difficulties will have to bear children. The marriage with Friedrich was on March 16, 1452 by Pope Nicholas V in Rome. Three days later, Frederick IV was the Emperor Frederick III. crowned and Eleonore could henceforth call Empress. Friedrich gave her the name Helena, but they never took advantage of his life. The subsequent wedding celebrations taught them Eleanor's uncle Alfonso, a brother of her mother, in Naples.

She died at 30 years, probably due to a gastrointestinal infection. From the marriage with Frederick III. were born six children. However, it survived only born in 1459 and Maximilian, who was born in 1465 Cunegonde.

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