Beatrice of Castile, Marchioness of Montferrat

For other people named Beatrice of Castile, see Beatrice of Castile (disambiguation).

Beatrice of Castile
Marchioness of Montferrat
Tenure	1271-1286
Born	1254
Died	1286 (aged 31–32)
Spouse	William VII, Marquess of Montferrat
Issue	John I, Marquess of Montferrat Yolande, Byzantine Empress Alessina Orsini
House	Castilian House of Ivrea
Father	Alfonso X of Castile
Mother	Violant of Aragon

Beatrice of Castile (5 November or 6 December 1254 – 1286) was a daughter of Alfonso X of Castile and his wife Violant of Aragon. She was Marchioness of Montferrat by her marriage and was mother of Irene of Montferrat.

Family

Beatrice was the second of eleven children, her siblings included Sancho IV of Castile and Ferdinand de la Cerda, Infante of Castile. Of the eleven children, only six had their own children, this included Beatrice. She was a member of the Castilian House of Burgundy.

Beatrice's maternal grandparents were James I of Aragon and his second wife Violant of Hungary, herself daughter of Andrew II of Hungary and Yolanda de Courtenay.

Beatrice's paternal grandparents were Ferdinand III of Castile and Elisabeth of Hohenstaufen, herself daughter of Philip of Swabia and Irene Angelina.

Life

Beatrice was originally betrothed to John II, Margrave of Brandenburg. Her betrothal was arranged by her father to attract the support of Brandenburg for his candidacy for the throne of Germany.[1] Although the name of the king's daughter is not specified in the source, it could only have been Beatrice as her older sister Berenguela was already betrothed at that date. The engagement was however broken off.

Beatrice married in Murcia in August 1271 to William VII, Marquess of Montferrat. He had been married twice already but only had a daughter Margaret, who married Beatrice's brother John. Beatrice and William had the following children:

1. a son (1272–1273), died young
2. a son (1272–1273), died young and twin of previous
3. Yolande (1274–1317), married Andronikos II Palaiologos and had issue
4. John I (c. 1275–1305), succeeded his father as Marquess
5. Alessina (died before 1305), married Poncello Orsini

Beatrice died in 1286, her husband died six years later. Of her five children, three lived to adulthood.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Beatrice of Castile, Marchioness of Montferrat

16. Ferdinand II of León 8. Alfonso IX of León 17. Urraca of Portugal 4. Ferdinand III of Castile 18. Alfonso VIII of Castile 9. Berengaria of Castile 19. Eleanor of England 2. Alfonso X of Castile 20. Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor 10. Philip of Swabia 21. Beatrice I, Countess of Burgundy 5. Elisabeth of Hohenstaufen 22. Isaac II Angelos 11. Irene Angelina 23. Unknown Palaiologina?, afterwards Irene 1. Beatrice of Castile 24. Alfonso II of Aragon 12. Peter II of Aragon 25. Sancha of Castile 6. James I of Aragon 26. William VIII of Montpellier 13. Marie of Montpellier 27. Eudokia Komnene 3. Violant of Aragon 28. Béla III of Hungary 14. Andrew II of Hungary 29. Agnes of Antioch 7. Violant of Hungary 30. Peter II of Courtenay 15. Yolanda de Courtenay 31. Yolanda of Flanders

References

1. Bayley, p. 75.