Henry of Castile the Senator

Henry of Castile
Arms of Infante Henry of Castile.
Born	March 1230
Died	8 August 1303
Burial	Monastery of San Francisco, Valladolid
Spouse	Juana Núñez de Lara
Issue	Enrique Enríquez de Sevilla (illegitimate)
House	Ivrea
Father	Ferdinand III of Castile
Mother	Elisabeth of Swabia

Henry of Castile (March 1230 – 8 August 1303), called the Senator (el Senador), was a Castilian infante, the fourth son of Ferdinand III of Castile by his first wife, Beatrice of Swabia.

Henry spent his childhood at Burgos, where among his tutors was the future cardinal Giles of Torres. He received the typical education of a royal prince in both arms and letters.

In 1246, Henry accompanied his father on the expedition to Jaén. His father granted him in fief the first of the new conquests: Morón de la Frontera and Cote. After the fall of Seville, he was enfeoffed with more conquered towns: Jérez de la Frontera, Lebrija, Arcos and Medina Sidonia. In the repartimiento (division) of Seville itself, Henry and his retinue received a part. He spent the next few years mostly at Seville, often at the court of his father's second wife, Joan of Ponthieu. The troubadouric allusions to their illicit relationship are, however, of no evidentiary value.

As early as 1246, Henry had refused his father's request that he pay homage (homagium) to his elder brother, the future Alfonso X. After their father's death in 1252, Henry and his brother Frederick chafed under the rule of Alfonso. In March 1253, Alfonso withdrew the privileges which Ferdinand had granted Henry on his vast southern estates. He also interfered to prevent Henry from contracting an advantageous marriage. At Calatayud, according to the Libro de las armas of Juan Manuel, Henry's nephew, he asked for the hand in marriage of king of Aragon's daughter, Constance of Aragon, but Alfonso prevented it.