Eleanor of Castile (1307–1359)

Eleanor of Castile
Seal of Queen Eleanor, ca. 1330.
Queen consort of Aragon
Tenure	5 February 1329 – 24 January 1336
Born	1307
Died	1359 (aged 51–52)
Spouse	Alfonso IV of Aragon
Issue	Ferdinand, Marquis of Tortosa John, Lord of Elche
House	House of Ivrea Burgundy
Father	Ferdinand IV of Castile
Mother	Constance of Portugal
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Eleanor of Castile (1307–1359), was by birth Infanta of Castile and by marriage Queen consort of Aragon during 1329–1336.

She was the eldest child and daughter of King Ferdinand IV of Castile by his wife Constance of Portugal.

At the age of four Eleanor was engaged to the Infante James of Aragon, the eldest son and heir of King James II of Aragon, through the agreements reached in the Meeting of Calatayud of 1311 between Ferdinand IV of Castile and James II, while at the same time was celebrated the marriage between Infanta Maria of Aragon, daughter of Jaime II, with the Infante Peter of Castile, Lord of Cameros and brother of Ferdinand IV. Shortly after, she was sent to the Aragonese court to be raised there as the future wife of the heir of the throne. When she was five years old, in September 1312, her father King Ferdinand IV died in the city of Jaén. A year later, in November 1313, her mother Queen Constance died in Sahagún.

However, James of Aragon, despite his betrothal with Eleanor, was eager to receive the sacred orders and to enter a monastery, before which the intervention of Pope John XXII took place, which reminded the Aragonese Infante his duties. In view of the situation, James II and his son (whose relationship due to the reluctance of the heir to fulfill his court obligations), signed before a notary a document in October 1319, on the eve of the marriage ceremony, where the heir of the crown promised to marry, although later, in an interview between father and son, both agreed that the Infante James should be only present at the bridal mass, which would be officiated in the city of Gandesa, but leaving without discussion the question as to whether the Infante should consummate the marriage, given his opposition to the consummation, and taking into account that the commitments with the Kingdom of Castile and León only forced to the celebration of the marriage.