#HundredYearsWar #Courtesans #Queens #Castile #HistoryofSpain #Knights #Biographical #Historical #Royalromance #Seville #Sevilla #MariadePadilla
by Beverly Adam (author of Maria de Padilla, The Secret Queen of Castile).
Everyone knows that Maria de Padilla was King Pedro I of Castile and Leon’s favorite mistress. What they do not know is that she ruled as a de facto queen. One may ask, how did she become as powerful as a queen, but without the official title?
The kings who ruled during the Hundred Years War were warrior knights, fighting with their men for land and power. They also were targeted for death. And if they were not killed in battle, they risked being assassinated by a rival for the throne, or, as often happened, have their lives taken by diseases. The queens, such as King Pedro’s mother, Queen Maria of Portugal, often found themselves ruling during the king’s absence and after their husband’s death, making important decisions.
Pedro’s father was King Alfonso XI of Castile and Leon. He died during a Siege of Gibraltar in 1350, from the Black Death (a pestilence carried by fleas), which meant that Pedro’s mother, Queen Maria, had to step-in and rule as regent. This was a common practice in royal courts. Pedro, who had been named heir to the throne, was fifteen at the time. He probably was not considered a full-fledged knight. He took control the following year, having been deemed mature enough to rule, and most importantly, to fight.
This part of Pedro’s life influenced how he would later view Maria de Padilla.
Maria de Padilla was no ordinary courtesan. She had a lot going for her beyond the fact that she was considered to be, as recorded by one court chronicler, “one of the most beautiful women in the world.” She was the daughter of a warrior knight, Juan de Padilla, the late Lord of Villagera, who had died in battle. The House of Padilla had quite a reputation, as it had provided a Master to head the knight’s Order of Calatrava, and its members had a long history of serving in the Castilian ranks. In other words, the House of Padilla could be counted upon to fight and win battles.
But the one person who maneuvered Maria into position to become the king’s favorite was her maternal uncle, the warrior knight from Burgos, battlefield strategist, Commander Juan de Henestrosa, who would negotiate her barrangia (concubine contract). The contract sealed the deal, which led Maria to becoming the proud owner of one of Pedro’s most important seaports, Huelva, in 1352, and paved the way to her becoming the king’s favorite. The wealth from the port enabled her to endow two Clares convents, one in Astudillo, and another in Tordesillas, which her eldest daughter, Beatriz, would later rule as prioress. It was a position worthy of a daughter of a king, as she guided both monks and nuns.
How Maria had been trained also played a part. It is well-known that she had served as a lady-in-waiting to the immensely wealthy Dona Isabel de Meneses, the wife of Count Jao of Alburquerque. Dona Isabel’s wealth was once described thus in reference to one of her inheritors, “Meneses could walk from Aragon to Portugal and her foot would not touch land that belonged to another.” Maria, more than likely, started her training as a lady-in-waiting at an early age, around eight to ten years of age. She learned a lot through observation while serving the powerful heiress. What surprised me the most was Pedro did not meet Maria until she was seventeen. This smacks of Dona Isabel not wanting the king to know the beauty with Castilian connections.
How did Maria de Padilla become de facto queen? King Pedro often was fighting in wars against France and Aragon. He also had to support his ally, Sultan Mohammed of Granada, during a coup. Who could he and his knights count upon while they were fighting? The wives and concubines had to take control and rule. It is known that King Pedro sent out orders to the chatelaines of his castles. Maria took his place as one of them. She was the mother of his children, his possible future heirs. She had to show her mettle as a possible regent.
In my biographical novel, Maria de Padilla, The Secret Queen of Castile, learn facts about her life and the manner in which women created propaganda promoting themselves in order to defeat their rivals. Ask yourself, why is it King Pedro was remembered as “cruel”, and Maria comes out of the story almost unscathed, without any scandal. Maria and her descendants knew how to create an unforgettable image of her that lasts to this day.
Author Beverly Adam 