Beatrice of Castile, Marchioness of Montferrat

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

Beatrice of Castile
Marchioness of Montferrat
Reign	1271-1286
Born	1254
Died	1286
Spouse	William VII, Marquess of Montferrat
Issue	John I, Marquess of Montferrat Yolande, Byzantine Empress Alessina Orsini
House	House of Ivrea Burgundy
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. 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

Family 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