Ferdinand de la Cerda, Infante of Castile

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Don Ferdinand de la Cerda (1253-1275) was the Crown Prince (infante) of Castile, eldest son of King Alfonso X of Castile and Violant of Aragon. His nickname, de la Cerda, means "of the bristle" in Spanish, a reference to his being born with hair sprouting from his chest.

In November 1268 he married Princess Blanche of France, the daughter of King Louis IX of France. They had two sons:

Alfonso (1270-1324), who married Mahaut, daughter of John I of Brienne, Count of Eu. They had four sons and three daughters.
Fernando (1275-1322), who married Juana Núñez de Lara, called "la Palomilla", Lady of Lara & Herrera, daughter of Juan Núñez de Lara “el Mayor” and Teresa Álvarez de Azagra. They had one son and three daughters. One daughter, Blanca Núñez de Lara, was the mother-in-law to King Henry II of Castile.

Ferdinand predeceased his father in 1275 at Ciudad Real. His sons did not inherit the throne of their grandfather, since their uncle, the second son, Sancho, enforced his claim, even by rebelling.