MarÃa de Molina
Maria de Molina (* 1265, † July 1, 1321 in Valladolid) was Queen ( 1284-1295 ) of Castile and Leon.
Life
Mary was the daughter of the Infante Alfonso de Molina, and Mayor Alfonso de Meneses; paternal their grandparents were Alfonso IX. of León and Berenguela of Castile. They married in 1281 with her nephew, the future Sancho IV of Castile, second son of Alfonso X of Castile. However, Mary, who was actually used for this marriage too close with her husband, had not applied for the necessary dispensation of the Pope. During the reign of her husband (since 1284) was therefore very struggle for the recognition of their marriage. A half sister Mary was the mistress of Molina and inherited after her death ( 1293 ) the government her brother, but she ceded to Mary.
When Sancho IV died in 1295, Maria took over the regency for her oldest, still infant son Ferdinand IV of Castile. For the recognition they had to fight hard against the powerful noble family. Since the dispensation was still not granted, namely the legitimacy of the underage heir to the throne by his ambitious uncles, the Infante Juan and Enrique, and was provided by the Infante de la Cerda, sons of the eldest son of Alfonso X in question. Support were the adversaries of Ferdinand IV in James II of Aragon and Denis of Portugal, who invaded Castile in 1296. The wise and courageous, but Mary allied with the Third Estate was the invasion of Portugal ward and also the victory. In 1301 it reached the finding of the validity of their marriage by the Pope, and thus the legitimacy of the succession to the throne of her oldest son. Ferdinand IV entered 1302, the rule, but behaved towards his mother is not very grateful and did not possess her government skill. He already died in 1312 and his wife Constanze 1313. Therefore Maria now functioned as regent for her young grandson Alfonso XI. , But died before the age of majority.
Progeny
The Children of Maria de Molina with Sancho IV were:
- Isabella of Castile (* 1283, † 1328 ), wife of James II of Aragon, then of John III. by Brittany
- Ferdinand IV of Castile (* 1285, † 1312), husband of Constance of Portugal
- Alfonso (* 1286, † 1291 )
- Enrique (* 1288, † 1299 )
- Pedro of Castile (* 1290, † 1319 ), husband of Mary of Aragon
- Felipe ( * 1292, † 1327 ), husband of his cousin Margarita de la Cerda
- Beatrice of Castile (* 1293, † 1359 ), wife of Alfonso IV of Portugal