Inês de Castro: The Queen Who Was Crowned After Death

[Elspeth]

Inês de Castro: The Queen Who Was Crowned After Death

by Elsa M.

Before Romeo and Juliet, there was another pair of star-crossed lovers whose affair ended in tragedy but whose love story has been immortalised in literature and art. Inês de Castro was a 14th-century Castilian lady-in-waiting at the Portuguese court when she and Dom Pedro, the heir to the Portuguese throne, fell deeply in love. Their affair threatened to destabilise relations between Castile and Portugal, so King Afonso arranged to have her assassinated. When Dom Pedro became King, he disclosed that he and Inês had been secretly married and that she was his rightful Queen. Legend tells that he had her remains exhumed, seated on the throne, and crowned. Whether this legend is grounded in reality or not, Inês was reburied at the Monastery of Alcobaça, where she and King Pedro lie in matching tombs.


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[Elspeth]

Elsa has written a very interesting article about one of the more colourful episodes of European royal history: a love story that really is stranger than fiction! This article is well worth a read for anyone who thinks that Henry VIII was the last word in outrageous behaviour with wives and mistresses.

[Marengo]

Thanks a lot Elsa! Since I had the privelige of reading your article before it was published it made my visit to Coimbra (and Quinta das Lagrimas! - where she was murdered) more interesting.

[Al_bina]

Elsa,
Thanks a lot for your article! It is a truly sad love story. The main thing is that Dom Pedro did really love her.

[sirhon11234]

What a tragic love story.... They should make a movie out of this story.

[ANNIE_S]

I love this story. I read it some years ago in a history book. I agree with you, sirhon, it´s a movie story...

[saravfernandez]

Originally Posted by sirhon11234

What a tragic love story.... They should make a movie out of this story.

they made a movie out of it... "ines de portugal" from a portuguese director

[Elsa M.]

Thank you all for reading the article.
The credits go for Elspeth and Marengo too, since they helped me through the process of writing it.

Originally Posted by saravfernandez

they made a movie out of it... "ines de portugal" from a portuguese director

There are 3 movies about this story, as can you can read in the article

[Elspeth]

Anybody who thinks royal history is just a dry recitation of dates and wars should read this article. There's always been such a lot of human emotion involved, and this episode had more than its share!

[Menarue]

The arms of the Castro family are still to be seen in Cascais on the ruins of the walls that used to surround the castle.

[Regina]

Elsa, thanks for your article

this is an article one can read a couple of times! It is really a tragic story but definitely worth reading and, IMO, your story can touch one deeply.

It's so hard to imagine how the Prince felt when he knew his Inês was dead...

I believe Queen Inês is the only queen who was crowed after death! That is already a special fact about her.

I also liked the chosen pictures a lot.

Very well done, dear friend!

[Marengo]

Can't think of any other corpses that were crowned either, curiously enough...

I think it was more a story of power than a story of love btw, the Castillians trying to mingle in Portuguese affairs, as usual.

[Menarue]

I think of it more as a love story, there was a political side to it, that was the excuse for Inez´s murder but she was an extraordinarily beautiful woman and Pedro fell for her the moment he saw her and his grief made him seek vengeance. One of the murderers got away but the other two must have rued the day they decided to obey the King and murder her. A great tragedy also was that Pedro became King when his father died only 6 months later. 6 months too late for Inez.

[Elspeth]

I wonder, had she still been alive when Pedro became King, whether his legitimate son really would have been in danger. I gather the reason he couldn't marry her was because of her illegitimate descent, and I assume that taint would also apply to her children.

Mind you, if Pedro could make her Queen, I suppose he could insist that one of her children become King after him.

[Kelly]

What a wonderful although sad story. Thanks! I had never heard of this one before. So what happened eventually to her descent?

[Marengo]

Her sons Denis and João were claimants to the Portuguese throne during the crisis that followed the death of Pedro II. His niece Queen Beatriz of Castile (daughter of Fernando and Leonor Telles was another became king João I.

To Elspeth: Fernando, the son of Pedro and Constanca had his own Ines: he married Leonor Telles who in terms of notority surpasses even Ines.

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From Niccolo Zingarelli, the Quartet of his Ines de Castro Opera:

YouTube - Niccolo Zingarelli - Ines de Castro - Quartetto

[Regina]

Originally Posted by Elspeth

Mind you, if Pedro could make her Queen, I suppose he could insist that one of her children become King after him.

What about Ferdinand, the son he had with Dona Constanza of Castile? As a father, he couldn't ignore the existence of his eldest son, I guess.

Originally Posted by Kelly

What a wonderful although sad story. Thanks! I had never heard of this one before. So what happened eventually to her descent?

Inês and Pedro has the following children:
* Afonso, who died young
* Beatriz, who married Sancho of Castile
* João, married twice. First with Dona Maria Teles de Menezes and later with Constanza of Castile
* Diniz, who married with Dona Juana of Castile

João and Diniz were claimants to the throne, but they didn't reach it. After D. Pedro's death, Fernando was the King of Portugal, and after him D. João (the son of D. Pedro and another mistress, Teresa Lourenço) took his place.
D. João I would marry with the famous and very beloved Philippa of Lancaster, Princess of England, and future Queen of Portugal.

[Marengo]

Originally Posted by Regina

What about Ferdinand, the son he had with Dona Constanza of Castile? As a father, he couldn't ignore the existence of his eldest son, I guess.

He could have had him killed though, with a plotting 2nd wife still alive that would have been a likely scenario .

[Elspeth]

Even if he hadn't stooped to having his own son killed, I doubt Inês's brothers would have had many finer feelings about doing it.

[Chimene]

What an interesting story, and since I don't know anything about Portuguese history, it was very informative and fascinating read. Thank you!