The Queen's Hand Power and Authority in the Reign of Berenguela of Castile

Free Download Janna Bianchini, "The Queen's Hand: Power and Authority in the Reign of Berenguela of Castile "
English | ISBN: 0812244338 | 2012 | 368 pages | EPUB | 1215 KB
Her name is undoubtedly less familiar than that of her grandmother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, or that of her famous conqueror son, Fernando III, yet during her lifetime, Berenguela of Castile (1180-1246) was one of the most powerful women in Europe. As queen-consort of Alfonso IX of León, she acquired the troubled boundary lands between the kingdoms of Castile and León and forged alliances with powerful nobles on both sides. Even after her marriage was dissolved, she continued to strengthen these connections as a member of her father's court. On her brother's death, she inherited the Castilian throne outright-and then, remarkably, elevated her son to kingship at the same time. Using her assiduously cultivated alliances, Berenguela ruled alongside Fernando and set into motion the strategy that in 1230 would result in his acquisition of the crown of León-and the permanent union of Castile and León.