Elisabeth of Swabia

Elisabeth von Schwaben
Queen consort of Castile
Tenure 1219-1235
Spouse Ferdinand III of Castile
House House of Hohenstaufen
Father Philip of Swabia
Mother Irene Angelina
Born March or May 1205
Nürnberg
Died 5 November 1235
Toro
Burial Seville Cathedral

Elisabeth of Swabia (renamed Beatrice; March/May 1205 – 5 November 1235[1]), was a German princess member of the House of Hohenstaufen and by marriage Queen consort of Castile and Leon.

Born in Nürnberg, she was the fourth daughter of Philip, Duke of Swabia and King of Germany, and Irene Angelina, daughter of Emperor Isaac II Angelos of the Byzantine Empire.

Life

After the murder of her father Philip (21 June 1208) and the death of her mother Irene after childbirth complications two months later (27 August), she and her sisters were placed under the guardianship of their cousin, Frederick, King of Sicily (later Emperor Frederick II), who arranged the marriage of Elisabeth and King Ferdinand III of Castile.

The marriage ceremony between Elisabeth and Ferdinand III was celebrated on 30 November 1219 in the city of Burgos. In Castile, she assumed the name Beatrice, probably in honour to both her eldest sister the Holy Roman Empress (who had died in 1212) and the youngest one (who died alongside their mother in 1208 during childbirth).

In 1230, after the death of her father-in-law, King Alfonso IX of Leon, she became also in the Queen consort of that country, who became definitely united to Castile.

During her marriage, Queen Beatrice gave birth ten children:[2][3]

Coat of Arms of Elisabeth-Beatrice of Swabia as Queen Consort of Castile.

Queen Beatrice died in Toro on 5 November 1235 aged 30. Her death was probably related to her last childbirth, or even died after giving birth. She was buried in the Royal Monastery of Huelgas de Burgos, next to King Henry I. Later, her son Alfonso X transferred her body to Seville Cathedral in 1279, where that of her husband rested.

Ancestry

Resources

See also

References

  1. Charles Cawley, Medieval Lands, Castile
  2. Complete Genealogy of the House of Ivrea (rulers of Castile and Leon) [retrieved 20 June 2014].
  3. FERNANDO_III_1217-1252 in Charles Crawley MedLands Project [retrieved 20 June 2014].
  4. According to Lucas de Tuy, Chronicon Mundi, Liber IV, p. 112, 115. she was already born (probably in early 1235) when her mother died, and predeceased her for a few days (morte Regina domina Beatrix and ante paucos dias...filia Regis Fernandi et Regine Beatricis Maria puellula).
Elisabeth of Swabia
Born: 1203 Died: 5 November 1235
Preceded by
Mafalda of Portugal
Queen consort of Castile
1219–1235
Succeeded by
Joan of Ponthieu
Preceded by
Berengaria of Castile
Queen consort of León
1219–1235