Infante Henry, Duke of Villena
| Infante Henry | |
|---|---|
| Duke of Villena | |
| Count of Alburquerque | |
| Reign | 1435–1445 |
| Predecessor | Eleanor of Alburquerque |
| Count of Ampurias | |
| Reign | 1436–1445 |
| Successor | Henry of Aragon |
| Born | 1400 |
| Died | 15 June 1445 |
| Spouse |
Infanta Catherine of Castile Beatriz de Pimentel |
| Issue | Henry, 1st Duke of Segorbe |
| House | Trastámara |
| Father | Ferdinand I of Aragon |
| Mother | Eleanor of Alburquerque |
Infante Henry of Aragon (1400 – 15 June 1445), 1st Duke of Villena, 4th Count of Alburquerque, Count of Ampurias, was the Grand Master of the Order of Santiago.
A member of the House of Trastamara, Henry was the third son of King Ferdinand I of Aragon and Eleanor of Alburquerque, 3rd Countess of Alburquerque. His older brothers were King Alfonso V of Aragon and King John II of Navarre but Henry's main estates were in Castile, left to him by his parents. As a child, Infante Henry came to the Castilian royal court, his paternal uncle, King Henry III of Castile, having secured a place for him in the royal council of Henry's five years younger cousin, King John II of Castile.
In 1409, Lorenzo Suárez de Figueroa, Grand Master of the Order of Santiago, died. Infante Henry was proclaimed the new Grand Master despite being a child of merely nine years. After the death of his aunt, Catherine of Lancaster, Henry aspired to influence his weak cousin John's reign and get a grip on power.
In November 1418, Henry married his first cousin, Infanta Catherine of Castile, the sister of King John II of Castile. The marriage was a part of an agreement by which Henry's older brother Alfonso V married Catherine's older sister Maria and by which Henry's sister Maria married Catherine's brother John II. Marriage to the King's sister increased Henry's power even more, to the point that the King began to consider him a threat and started seeking support in Álvaro de Luna.
In 1420, Henry, with the help of some other noblemen, laid siege to the castle in which John II was residing, claiming that the King had been kidnapped by de Luna and demanding the King's surrender. After a few days, however, he lost the support of the noblemen and had to give up. The Infante was arrested and charged with treason and imprisoned in the Castle of Mora. He was released thanks to the efforts of his brother, after which he fled into exile.
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