Marriage
Her marriage to King Denis of Portugal was contracted in 1281 when she was 12 years old, receiving the towns of Óbidos, Abrantes and Porto de Mós as part of her dowry. It was only in 1288 that the wedding was celebrated. Denis was 26 years old, while Elizabeth was 17. Denis, a poet and statesman, known as the Rei Lavrador (English: Farmer King), because he planted a large pine forest near Leiria to prevent the soil degradation that threatened the region.
Elizabeth quietly pursued the regular religious practices of her youth and was devoted to the poor and sick. Naturally, such a life was a reproach to many around her and caused ill will in some quarters. A popular story is told of how her husband's jealousy was aroused by an evil-speaking page, of how he condemned the queen's supposed guilty accomplice to a cruel death and was finally convinced of her innocence by the strange accidental substitution of her accuser for the intended victim.
Elizabeth took an active interest in Portuguese politics and was a decisive conciliator during the negotiations concerning the Treaty of Alcañices, signed by Denis and Sancho IV of Castile in 1297 (which fixed the borders between the two countries). In 1304, the Queen and Denis returned to Spain to arbitrate between Fernando IV of Castile and James II of Aragon, brother of Elizabeth.
They had two children:
- a daughter named Constance, who married King Ferdinand IV of Castile;
- a son Afonso (who later became King Afonso IV of Portugal).
| St. Elizabeth of Portugal. | |
|---|---|
| Queen, Widow and tertiary | |
| Canonized | 25 May 1625, Rome by Pope Urban VIII |
| Major shrine | Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Nova, Coimbra, Portugal |
| Feast | 4 July; 8 July (1694–1969 calendars) |
Elizabeth would serve as intermediary between her husband and Afonso, during the Civil War between 1322 and 1324. The Infante greatly resented the king, whom he accused of favoring the king's illegitimate son, Afonso Sanches. Repulsed to Alenquer, which supported the Infante, Denis of Portugal was prevented from killing his son through the intervention of the Queen. As legend holds, in 1323, Elizabeth, mounted on a mule, positioned herself between both opposing armies on the field of Alvalade in order to prevent the combat. Peace returned in 1324, once the illegitimate son was sent into exile, and the Infante swore loyalty to the king.
Read more about this topic: Elizabeth Of Aragon
Famous quotes containing the word marriage:
“Women hope men will change after marriage but they don’t; men hope women won’t change but they do.”
—Bettina Arndt (20th century)
“What is marriage but prostitution to one man instead of many?”
—Angela Carter (1940–1992)
“We lov’d, and we lov’d, as long as we could,
Till our love was lov’d out in us both;
But our marriage is dead, when the pleasure is fled:
‘Twas pleasure first made it an oath.”
—John Dryden (1631–1700)