The Death of Alfonso VIII and Eleanor of England (1214) and the Ascension of Henry I of Castile

On October 5, 1214, King Alfonso VIII of Castile passed away at the age of fifty-nine in Gutierre-Muñoz. His death marked the end of a reign that had seen Castile's consolidation, military triumphs against the Almohads, and diplomatic ties with European royalty.

His wife, Queen Eleanor of England, daughter of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine, was reportedly so overcome with grief that she was unable to attend her husband’s burial. Their eldest daughter, Berengaria of Castile, took on the responsibility of presiding over the funeral.

Just twenty-eight days later, Queen Eleanor succumbed to illness and passed away, possibly from the overwhelming sorrow of losing her husband. She was buried at Las Huelgas Abbey in Burgos, a monastery she had patronized.

The Succession of Henry I and Berengaria’s Guardianship

With Alfonso VIII's death, his ten-year-old son, Henry I, ascended the throne. Named after his maternal grandfather, Henry II of England, the young king required a regent to rule in his stead. His elder sister, Berengaria of Castile, wife of Alfonso IX of León, assumed this role, effectively controlling the kingdom during his minority.

Henry I's reign, though brief, was marked by political instability, as Castile’s powerful nobility sought to assert influence over the young monarch and the future of the realm.

Berengaria had yielded young King Henry I to a Castilian count under specific terms when a faction of Castilian nobles plotted to take control of her brother and his throne.

The count, however, had ignored his compact, and his autocratic manner has brought Castile to the brink of ruination and revolution.

At Henry’s accidental death in 1217, however, Berengaria, as royal heiress, becomes queen.

A few months later, she accedes to the wishes of her subjects and yields her rights of succession to her eighteen-year-old son by King Alfonso IX of León, who is unaware of these actions.

Berengaria’s son is declared King Ferdinand III of Castile on August 31, 1217.