María de Molina
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María de Molina (c. 1265 - 1321), was the wife of Sancho IV of Castile. She was queen consort of Castile and León from 1284 to 1285 and then queen regent until the coming of age of her son Ferdinand IV.
María de Molina was a princess from the Kingdom of León. She was the daughter of the infante Alfonso of Molina and Mayor Alonso de Meneses. Her paternal grandparents were Alfonso IX of León and Berenguela of Castile.
She married her cousin Sancho of Castile in 1281, the second son of Alfonso X the Learned, although the matrimonial dispensation for kinship was not previously granted.
Upon the death of Alfonso X, she became queen consort after her husband was crowned king of Castile and León as Sancho IV. His reign was short since he died in 1295.
After the death of Sancho IV, his eldest son Ferdinand IV, under age, was crowned with Maria de Molina as regent queen. Shortly after a series of quarrels broke out in Castile and León. The legitimacy of Ferdinand IV was questioned by his ambitious uncles, the infantes Juan and Enrique, and by his cousins the infantes de la Cerda, sons of the prince Alfonso, eldest son of Alfonso X on the grounds of the lack of matrimonial dispensation. The objection was supported by James II of Aragón and Denis of Portugal, whose army invaded Castile in 1296.
The political skill, boldness and perseverance of María de Molina succeeded in turning her adversaries against each other. The invasion from Aragon and Portugal was defeated and the rights of Ferdinand IV were established. Besides, in 1301, a papal bull declared the marriage between Sancho IV and María de Molina valid.
After Ferdinand IV coming of age, María de Molina delivered the regency to him and abandoned politics. However, she had to endure the annoyances and disregards from her son who did not deserve nor was grateful to María's saving of his throne.
María de Molina died in Valladolid in 1321.
[edit] Children
- Isabella of Castile (1283-1328). Married first James II of Aragon and secondly John III, Duke of Brittany.
- Ferdinand IV (1285-1312).
- Alfonso (1286-1291)
- Enrique (1288-1299)
- Pedro of Castile (1290-1319). Married Maria of Aragon, daughter of James II of Aragon. Their daughter, Blanca of Castile, married and later divorced Peter I of Portugal.
- Felipe (1292-1327). Married his cousin Margarita de la Cerda, daughter of Ferdinand de la Cerda, Infante of Castile.
- Beatrice of Castile (1293-1359). Married Afonso IV of Portugal.
| Preceded by Violant of Aragon |
Queen Consort of Castile and Leon 1284–1285 |
Succeeded by Constance of Portugal |
| Preceded by Sancho IV |
Queen Regent of Castile and Leon 1285–1301 |
Succeeded by Ferdinand IV |
