Moniek Bloks's Blog, page 49

See the Firebrand trailer here

Firebrand is based on Elizabeth Fremantle’s novel Queen’s Gambit and focuses on her life as the sixth and final wife of King Henry VIII of England. Filming began in April 2022, and the film premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.

Alicia Vikander stars as Katherine Parr, while Jude Law stars as King Henry VIII. The film will be released in the US on 21 June 2024.

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Queen Mary’s Sautoir

Queen Mary’s Sautoir consists of “37 graduated cushion-cut brilliants in rub-over and pierced collet settings, each separated by three small brilliants, similarly set. The sautoir unfastens to form two necklaces, one of 19 and one of ten large stones, and two bracelets, each of four large stones.”1

The sautoir was made in 1928 from a diamond rivière that Queen Mary purchased in 1921. This was likely a purchase from the estate of Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna (born Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin).

The sautoir was bequeathed to Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

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Grand Empress Dowager Bo – The neglected Imperial Consort who became the most fortunate Empress Dowager

Grand Empress Dowager Bo was an illegitimate daughter who became the second Empress Dowager in the Han Dynasty. She was the concubine of two kings. One of them would eventually become the first Emperor of the Han Dynasty, who would mostly neglect her. Yet, when her son rose to the throne, Empress Dowager Bo became the most powerful woman in China. This article shows Grand Empress Dowager Bo’s unlikely path to power.

The birthdate of Grand Empress Dowager Bo is unknown. She was from Wu District (modern-day Jiangsu Province).[1] She was illegitimate.[2] Her mother was an imperial member of the Wei kingdom.[3] She had an affair with a man named Bo.[4] Thus, the future Grand Empress Dowager Bo was the result of the affair.[5]

The future Grand Empress Dowager Bo originally became a concubine to King Wei Bao of Wei.[6] During the war between Han and Chu, King Wei Bao was a supporter of King Xiang Yu of Chu.[7] King Wei Bao was defeated by King Liu Bang (the future Emperor Gaozu of Han).[8] King Wei Bao was declared a traitor and was killed by one of King Liu Bang’s generals. Concubine Bo was forced into a life of slavery.[9] She was sent into the weaving room at the rear of King Liu Bang’s palace.[10]

Concubine Bo was said to be extremely beautiful and charming.[11] King Liu Bang would occasionally enter the weaving room and was attracted to Concubine Bo.[12] He decided to make her his concubine.[13] Concubine Bo struck up a friendship with Consort Guan and Consort Zhao Zi’er.[14] They promised that they would never betray each other even if they won the King’s favour.[15] For a year and a half, Concubine Bo remained unfavoured.[16] Yet, both Consort Guan and Consort Zhao Zi’er became the king’s favourites.[17]

One day, King Liu Bang heard Consort Guan and Consort Zhao Zi’er mocking the pact they made with Concubine Bo.[18] The intrigued king made the consorts tell him about the pact.[19] Afterwards, King Liu Bang summoned Concubine Bo to his palace.[20] Concubine Bo told him that she dreamed that she would give birth to a future emperor.[21] This fascinated King Liu Bang, and he spent a night with her.[22] She immediately conceived and bore him a son named Prince Liu Heng (the future Emperor Wen of Han).[23] After the birth of her son, Concubine Bo was promoted to Lady Bo.[24] It was the only time Lady Bo was ever favoured.[25] She remained in her lowly position in the harem throughout her husband’s reign.[26] Even after King Liu Bang ascended the throne of China as Emperor Gaozu of Han, she never received any titles.[27] Thus, she was neglected and saw very little of Emperor Gaozu.[28]

When Empress Gaozu died on 1 June 195 B.C.E., Empress Dowager Lu Zhi imprisoned all the concubines that won Emperor Gaozu’s favour.[29] Only Lady Bo was not imprisoned because she was unfavoured.[30] Empress Dowager Lu Zhi made Lady Bo the Dowager Princess of Dai. She also made her son, Liu Heng, the Prince of Dai. Then, she sent them away from the palace to live in the state of Dai.[31]

When Empress Dowager Lu Zhi died on 30 July 180 B.C.E., Prince Liu Heng ascended the throne as Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty. Princess Bo was made Empress Dowager Bo. Empress Dowager Bo immediately granted titles to her family.[32] She even made her younger brother, Bo Zhao, the Marquis of Zhi. When her grandson, Liu Qi, was appointed Crown Prince, she advised Emperor Wen to make his mother, Dou Yifang, his Empress.[33] This was because she believed that a mother must be honoured if the son was.[34] Thus, her influence helped make Dou Yifang the next Empress of China.

Empress Dowager Bo was known to be very careful and wary.[35] She did not interfere in troublesome situations.[36] She did, on one occasion, tell Emperor Wen to punish his son when he acted badly.[37] When Empress Dowager Bo fell sick for three years, Emperor Wen personally made soup and fed her medicine every day.[38] This demonstrated Emperor Wen’s filial piety to his mother.[39]

In 157 B.C.E., Emperor Wen died. Prince Liu Qi ascended the throne as Emperor Jing. Emperor Jing made his grandmother the Grand Empress Dowager.[40] Grand Empress Dowager Bo died on 9 June 155 B.C.E.[41] She was buried in the South Tomb.[42] In 2021, archaeologists unearthed Grand Empress Dowager Bo’s tomb.[43] They found numerous gold ware, including gold ornaments of horses and bears.[44] This tomb is significant because it shows that within the Western Han Dynasty, both the agricultural society and the nomadic tribes made exchanges and often merged with each other.[45] Emperor Jing also built a pagoda in honour of her, known as the Wangmu Tower.[46]

Grand Empress Dowager Bo’s story was an unusual one. She was the result of an ill-fated love affair. She was a concubine to both a king and an emperor. She was largely ignored by Emperor Gaozu. Yet, his neglect would prove to be her greatest fortune.[47] It allowed for her and her son to live in peace away from the palace until he became Emperor. When her son’s fortunes rose, hers did too.[48] Grand Empress Dowager Bo proved she was a good mother.[49] It is no wonder why she was greatly respected during and after her lifetime. Yet, her greatest legacy was her tomb and Wangmu Tower, which allows modern audiences a glimpse of the past.[50]

Sources:

Bao S. (2015). “Bo, Concubine of Emperor Gaozu”. Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women: Antiquity Through Sui, 1600 B.C.E. – 618 C.E. (L. X. H. Lee, Ed.; A. D. Stefanowska, Ed.; S. Wiles, Ed.). NY: Routledge. p. 99.

iMedia. (n.d.). “The Empress Dowager Bo and ‘Wangmu Tower'”. Retrieved on 7 October 2023 from https://min.news/en/history/49c92af12....

iMedia. (n.d.). “The second empress dowager of the Han Dynasty: How legendary is the life of Empress Bo?”. Retrieved on 7 October 2023 from https://min.news/en/history/d300b6860....

iNews. (n.d.). “Lucky in misfortune: Empress Dowager Bo made two wise choices, and made a generation of Ming Jun and Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty”. Retrieved on 7 October 2023 from https://inf.news/en/history/d5965dcdb....

iNews. (n.d.). “What did Bo Ji do? He escaped the persecution of Empress Lu and raised his son to become an emperor through the ages.”. Retrieved on 7 October 2023 from https://inf.news/en/history/d7bce654d....

XinhuaNet News. (17 December 2021). “Goldware unearthed in the tomb of Han Dynasty emperor’s mother”. Retrieved on 7 October 2023 from http://www.news.cn/english/2021-12/17....

[1] Bao, 2015

[2] Bao, 2015

[3] Bao, 2015

[4] Bao, 2015

[5] Bao, 2015

[6] Bao, 2015

[7] Bao, 2015

[8] Bao, 2015

[9] Bao, 2015

[10] Bao, 2015

[11] Bao, 2015; iNews, n.d., “What did Bo Ji do? He escaped the persecution of Empress Lu and raised his son to become an emperor through the ages.”

[12] iNews, n.d., “What did Bo Ji do? He escaped the persecution of Empress Lu and raised his son to become an emperor through the ages.”

[13] iNews, n.d., “What did Bo Ji do? He escaped the persecution of Empress Lu and raised his son to become an emperor through the ages.”, n.d.

[14] Bao, 2015

[15] Bao, 2015

[16] iNews, n.d., “What did Bo Ji do? He escaped the persecution of Empress Lu and raised his son to become an emperor through the ages.”

[17] Bao, 2015

[18] Bao, 2015

[19] Bao, 2015

[20] Bao, 2015

[21] Bao, 2015

[22] Bao, 2015

[23] Bao, 2015

[24] Bao, 2015

[25] Bao, 2015

[26] Bao, 2015

[27] Bao, 2015

[28] Bao, 2015

[29] Bao, 2015

[30] Bao, 2015

[31] Bao, 2015

[32] Bao, 2015

[33] Bao, 2015

[34] Bao, 2015

[35] Bao, 2015

[36] Bao, 2015

[37] Bao, 2015

[38] iNews, n.d., “What did Bo Ji do? He escaped the persecution of Empress Lu and raised his son to become an emperor through the ages.”

[39] iNews, n.d., “What did Bo Ji do? He escaped the persecution of Empress Lu and raised his son to become an emperor through the ages.”

[40] Bao, 2015

[41] Bao, 2015

[42] Bao, 2015

[43] XinhuaNet News, 17 December 2021, “Goldware unearthed in the tomb of Han Dynasty emperor’s mother”

[44] XinhuaNet News, 17 December 2021, “Goldware unearthed in the tomb of Han Dynasty emperor’s mother”

[45] XinhuaNet News, 17 December 2021, “Goldware unearthed in the tomb of Han Dynasty emperor’s mother”

[46] iMedia, n.d., “The Empress Dowager Bo and ‘Wangmu Tower'”

[47] iNews, n.d., “Lucky in misfortune: Empress Dowager Bo made two wise choices, and made a generation of Ming Jun and Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty”

[48] iNews, n.d., “Lucky in misfortune: Empress Dowager Bo made two wise choices, and made a generation of Ming Jun and Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty”

[49] iMedia, n.d., “The second empress dowager of the Han Dynasty: How legendary is the life of Empress Bo?”

[50] XinhuaNet News, 17 December 2021, “Goldware unearthed in the tomb of Han Dynasty emperor’s mother”; iMedia, n.d., “The Empress Dowager Bo and ‘Wangmu Tower'”

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The Gouden Vrouwen/Golden Women exhibition

The Golden Women (Gouden Vrouwen) exhibition in the Stadsmuseum in Rhenen finally sees some of its treasures return home.

The items on display were found in the area in 1951 in the largest medieval burial ground in the Netherlands. Around 1100 men, women and children from the period between 400 and 800 were buried there, alongside around 300 artefacts. These artefacts were allocated to the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden. Now, some of these have found their way home after 75 years.

The 150 items are spread out over two rooms and consist of sparkling jewels with pearls and almandine but also coins, pins, beads and utensils. The highlight of the exhibition is the skull relic of Saint Cunera, which is on loan for the very first time.

Saint Cunera is the patron saint of the city and was said to be a Princess from the Orkney Islands (the museum calls her both “English” and “Scottish”). She was the only survivor of a massacre in which Saint Ursula and her eleven thousand virgins were martyred in Cologne. She was taken to Rhenen by the King of the Rhine, and he became devoted to her. This aroused the jealousy of his wife, who strangled her to death with a scarf.

The exhibition walks visitors through the lives of the people who were found in 1951 and the rituals used for their burials. It begins downstairs with a short video, which is also the only part of the exhibition with English subtitles. The items on display only have Dutch information.

Click to view slideshow.

The items are absolutely wonderful, and it’s almost a miracle how well-preserved they are after all these years. My favourite piece of jewellery was this rock crystal pendant—one can see it on the neck of a wise woman. The skull of Cunera is a great addition to the exhibition, and it’s a shame it’s tucked into such a dark corner. This is done to preserve the skull, but I walked right by it at first.

The little shop in the museum has some great items as well, which is always a plus. Overall, I’d highly recommend this exhibition, and it more than made up for the weird reception I received when I entered (through the wrong door, apparently!).

The exhibition will run until 7 December 2024. Plan your visit here.

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Eleanor of Viseu – A Queen in conflict (Part two)

Read part one here.

Tragically, the marriage didn’t last long. A few months later, the court was staying at Ribeira de Santarém as the summer heat was getting worse. King John wanted to cool off in the waters of the Tagus, and Afonso accompanied him. During the trip, Afonso’s horse fell, and Afonso was pinned underneath the horse. He was unconscious but still alive. Eleanor and Isabella rushed to be by his side and sat by him all night as they hoped for his recovery. He died on 13 July 1491 as his mother “uncovered his chest and kissed him many times on the heart.”1 The family went into mourning, and Isabella cut off her hair. The heartbroken Isabella returned to Castile.

The death of Afonso as portrayed in Isabel (2011) (Screenshot/Fair Use)

After a period of mourning, Eleanor and John returned to Lisbon at the end of October. Eleanor broke down in the room where Afonso had been born as she said, “Son, this is where you were born; this is where I would have no choice but to go.”2 The loss of their son and heir to the throne was a huge blow, and their grief hung like a shadow over their relationship.

After the death of Afonso, Eleanor no longer wanted to see the King’s illegitimate son, George. John had him moved to the household of the Count of Abrantes. However, he also applied to the Vatican to have the boy recognised as legitimate and the new heir to the throne. Pope Innocent VIII seemed agreeable to the idea. Eleanor became the head of a rival campaign to support the succession of her brother, Manuel. Eleanor and John’s relationship suffered, and they lived apart, meeting only for ceremonies.

Eleanor had the support of Castile, and in 1494, they offered Isabella as a wife for Manuel, while George was offered King Ferdinand’s illegitimate daughter, Joanna. They also feared that John would divorce Eleanor in order to remarry and father more children. During this time, Eleanor became seriously ill and John rushed to be by her side. Believing she was already dead, he sobbed by her bedside. After a period of ill health, Eleanor recovered, although she was never quite the same again.

As Eleanor recovered, John himself fell ill, and he was diagnosed with dropsy. He was advised to travel to Caldas de Monchique, where he could receive treatment. Before he left, he met with Eleanor, and they argued over George again. John left for treatment, taking George with him. At Caldas de Monchique, John’s illness worsened, and he wrote up his last will and testament. In it, he declared Manuel to be his successor while asking him to protect George. He also asked his wife and mother-in-law to forgive him for his misdeeds. However, the will was only valid for one year, and he hoped to live longer than that.

King John sent for Eleanor and Manuel, but neither were there when he died on 25 October 1495. Eleanor had stayed away, but Manuel had begun his travels when he learned that the King had already passed away. Eleanor was no longer the wife of the King, but she was now the King’s sister. In a twist of fate, she was now the heiress to the Portuguese throne while her brother had no children.

In 1497, Eleanor saw the return of Isabella, the widow of her son, who was now the new bride of King Manuel. That same year, Isabella’s brother died, leaving behind a pregnant widow. She later gave birth to a stillborn daughter, which meant that Isabella was now set to become Queen of Castile in her own right. Isabella and Manuel travelled to Castile to be sworn in as the new heirs of the kingdom, leaving Eleanor as regent of Portugal. Isabella was already pregnant with her first child.

More tragedy was to come. Isabella died in her father’s arms following the birth of her son on 23 August 1498. Her son, Miguel de la Paz, was now the heir to several Kingdoms, and he was left in the care of Castile. However, he died on 19 July 1500, shortly before his second birthday. Manuel went on to marry Isabella’s younger sister, Maria, in 1500. However, the succession of Castile passed to her sister Joanna. Maria gave birth to a son named John in 1502, and Eleanor was his godmother.

Eleanor continued to have influence at court, but it was not the same as when she was Queen consort.

Just as the betrothal of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and her niece Isabella, was being celebrated in November 1525, the news of Eleanor’s death spread. She died on 17 November 1525 at the age of 67. She had lived during the reign of four kings. She was buried in the Convent of the Mother of God, keeping up the separation between husband and wife in death. Her grave is in a passage so that people would step on her grave, a sign of humility.

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Book News Week 19

*contains affiliate links*

Book News week 19 – 6 May – 12 May 2024

The Palace: From the Tudors to the Windsors, 500 Years of Royal History at Hampton Court 

Paperback – 9 May 2024 (UK)

The Cleopatras 

Hardcover – 9 May 2024 (UK)

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Looking back at the coronation of King Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida

Although King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand died on 13 October 2016, his son and the next King did not have his coronation until 4 May 2019.

In a shocking move, King Vajiralongkorn married Suthida Tidjai shortly before his coronation. During a ceremony on 1 May 2019, Suthida prostrated herself in front of the King and presented him with the traditional gifts associated with royal power. They later signed the marriage documents as some of the royal family looked on.

And so, as his coronation celebrations began, he had a new Queen to join him.

The day began with the Royal Purification ceremony at the Chakraphat Phimarn Royal Residence. King King Vajiralongkorn made offerings as sacred water was showered on his head. During this, there was a 40-gun salute. The anointment ceremony took place at the Octagonal Throne, and the King was present with nine bowls of consecrated water. He was then presented with the Royal Nine-Tiered Umbrella, one of the most sacred royal regalia. He then moved to the Bhadrapitha Throne and sat under the umbrella. He was then presented with more royal regalia. King Vajiralongkorn then crowned himself with the Great Crown of Victory, which weighs in at an impressive 7.3kg.

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After this ceremony, Queen Suthida was consecrated and installed as Queen. She was also awarded with the insignias of the Order of the Royal House of Chakri and the Order of the Nine Gems. King Vajiralongkorn then gave alms of gold and silver flowers and coins.

The day continued with further ceremonies and audiences and ended as the King proclaimed himself the Royal Patron of Buddhism and received a final blessing. At sunset, he paid tribute to royal ancestors.

On 5 May, there was a ceremony to bestow the King’s royal cypher, followed by a lunch. In the afternoon, King Vajiralongkorn rode in procession to the city centre, where he paid respects to the ashes of his predecessors at each temple.

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In the afternoon of 7 May, King Vajiralongkorn received well wishes from the people.

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Taking a look at Princess Haya of Jordan as she turns 50

Princess Haya bint Hussein of Jordan was born on 3 May 1974 as the daughter of King Hussein of Jordan and his third wife, Queen Alia. From her father’s four marriages, she has nine half-siblings, one full sibling, and one adopted sibling. Her mother died in a helicopter crash when Princess Haya was almost three years old.

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Princess Haya received her education in the United Kingdom, where she attended Badminton School and Bryanston School. She earned a BA honours degree in philosophy, politics, and economics (PPE) from St Hilda’s College, Oxford.

She is an accomplished equestrian and began riding internationally when she was just 13 years old. She qualified for the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics in showjumping and also carried Jordan’s flag. In 2007, she became a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). She is also a member of the Honorary Board of the International Paralympic Committee.

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She became a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations World Food Programme and founded an NGO named Tkiyet Um Ali to help overcome local hunger. She was later appointed UN Messenger of Peace and was a founding member of the Global Humanitarian Forum.

On 10 April 2004, she married Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, as his second and junior wife. Their first child, Sheikha Al Jalila bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, was born on 2 December 2007. Their second child, Sheikh Zayed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, was born on 7 January 2012.

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In 2019, her husband divorced her under Sharia law, although she was not informed of this. On 15 April, she left Dubai with her children to live in the United Kingdom, where court proceedings were begun by her husband for the return of the children. Princess Haya requested that her children be made Wards of Court and asked for a forced marriage protection order for her daughter and a non-molestation order. The court also considered the situation of Sheikha Shamsa and Sheikha Latifa, her husband’s daughters from his first marriage, who were found on the balance of probabilities to have been the victim of orchestrated abductions.1

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Princess Haya was granted full custody of her children at the end of 2012 and received a large settlement. She now lives in London as an envoy of the Jordanian Embassy, which gives her diplomatic immunity.

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The Year of Isabella I of Castile – The attempted alliance with Pedro Girón

During her youth, several suitors had been considered for the future Queen Isabella I of Castile.

In 1466, one of the rebels suggested a marriage with Isabella as the best way to get his family’s loyalty back. In this plan, Isabella was to marry Pedro Girón Acuña Pacheco, who was also 18 years her senior. Her half-brother, King Henry IV, agreed to the match, but Isabella was horrified as she considered this match to be beneath her dignity.

Pedro’s brother, Juan Pacheco, was prepared to offer 3,000 lancers and a loan of 70,000 doblas. King Henry told Pedro to “come as fast as possible.”1

Pedro Giron being examined by the surgeon as portrayed in Isabel (2011) (Screenshot/Fair Use)

Isabella sank to her knees and began to pray, begging God to free her from the match. She had not been so vehemently opposed to the match with the King of Portugal as this was, at least, a dignified match. As Pedro rode towards the court, he fell ill and died ten days later on 2 May 1466, much to Isabella’s relief. Queen Joan had not openly opposed her husband’s decision, but she had been against the match.2

King Henry was crestfallen.

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Eleanor of Viseu – A Queen in conflict (Part one)

Eleanor of Viseu was born in Beja on 2 May 1458 as the daughter of Infante Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu and Beatrice of Portugal. Her father was the third son of Edward, King of Portugal, while her mother was a granddaughter of King John I of Portugal through his fourth son. She had eight siblings, although not all of them would survive to adulthood.

Eleanor was just eight years old when her marriage was arranged. The groom was her 11-year-old cousin, John, the heir to the Portuguese throne. Meanwhile, her sister Isabella was to marry the Duke of Braganza, thus linking the family to the crown and the aristocracy even more. Unfortunately, their father Ferdinand, died before seeing the marriages take place. He died on 18 September 1470 at the age of 36. His widow Beatrice continued the negotiations, and in January 1471, the necessary papal dispensation was obtained. The betrothal took place in 1472 without much celebration as the family was still mourning for Ferdinand. Following the betrothal, Eleanor went to live at the Portuguese court, where the wedding took place in September 1473.

On 18 May 1475, the 17-year-old Eleanor became a mother when she gave birth to a son named Afonso. The country celebrated the birth of an heir to the throne, but the father was away on campaign and would not see his son for a while. The difficulties of the campaign dragged on, and on 8 March 1476, Eleanor was sworn in as regent while her son was officially designated as the heir. Perhaps to be closer to the campaign, she moved the court to the border with Castile. Afonso travelled with her, and she breastfed him herself, going against the custom. In Castile, there was a war between Queen Isabella I and her niece Joan, who also claimed the throne and was married to John’s father, King Afonso V of Portugal.

A peace treaty was eventually brokered, in which Eleanor’s son Afonso would marry Isabella’s daughter, also named Isabella. At the end of 1480, the five-year-old Afonso was handed over to his grandmother Beatrice, while the ten-year-old Isabella arrived at the beginning of 1481. Eleanor and John remained in Beja to be able to receive news from Afonso more easily. She had not become pregnant again following the birth of Afonso six years earlier, and the birth of an illegitimate son to John hurt her deeply. However, when the boy was nine years old, she welcomed him to court and took charge of his upbringing.

On 28 August 1481, King Afonso V died, and John and Eleanor became the new King and Queen of Portugal. While John tried to consolidate royal power, he earned himself the ire of the nobility. His mother-in-law, Beatrice, wrote a letter protesting the new measures. Meanwhile, Eleanor learned she was finally pregnant again. In the spring of 1483, Eleanor suffered a miscarriage, or a stillbirth, which left her own life in danger as well. While her sister and brother-in-law, the Duke and Duchess of Braganza, came to visit her, the Duke once again pledged his loyalty to the King.

As the necessity to keep her son and Isabella away to keep the peace treaty faded away, Eleanor was finally able to be reunited with Afonso, while Isabella was able to return home. However, shortly after, the Duke of Braganza was accused of treason, and he was arrested. He was sentenced to death and executed by beheading on 20 June 1483. His wife, Eleanor’s sister, quickly sent their three sons to safety in Castile while she kept their daughter Margaret with her. Following the conflict, Eleanor and John went on a pilgrimage to the sanctuary of Sao Domingos da Queimada. Eleanor also prayed for more children.

Meanwhile, distrust was brewing in Portugal. Eleanor’s brother, the Duke of Viseu, was accused of leading a conspiracy against the King and was apparently stabbed to death by the King himself. When Eleanor learned of her brother’s death, she became hysterical and pulled her hair out. John told her that if she continued behaving that way, she would be accused of conspiring with her brother. She calmed down, on the outside at least. In an attempt to alleviate the tensions, John granted the inheritance to Eleanor’s youngest brother, Manuel. He also appointed him heir to the throne, following their own son, Afonso.

Attention again turned to Afonso’s marriage, and it was time to recall Isabella from Castile. Isabella, who was also second in the line of succession to the Castilian throne, was an excellent match, and the two knew each other well after having lived together for a few years. For Castile, it also meant that Queen Isabella could keep an eye on her rival, Joan, who was still in Portugal.

The wedding was celebrated by proxy in Castile but the celebrations in Portugal would be overshadowed by the death of King John’s sister Joanna. Nevertheless, preparations continued, even though they were moved to Évora because of the plague. Isabella arrived in Badajoz on 19 November and was met by Eleanor’s brother Manuel. She met with her future mother-in-law on 23 November in Évora. The festivities lasted until Christmas and included banquets and jousts.

Part two coming soon.

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