|
Portugal THE HOUSE OF AVIS
When Fernando died in 1383, he left no male heir to the
throne. His only daughter, Beatriz, was married to Juan I,
king
of Castile. The marriage writ stipulated that their
offspring
would inherit the Portuguese crown if Fernando left no
male heir
and that, until any children were born, Portugal would be
ruled
by a regency of Fernando's widow, Leonor Teles. When
Fernando
died, Leonor assumed the regency in accordance with the
marriage
writ. The assumption of the regency by the queen was badly
received in many Portuguese cities because Leonor was a
Castilian
and considered an interloper who intended to usurp the
Portuguese
crown for Castile and end Portugal's independence.
Leonor's
principal rival for control of the throne was Joćo, the
master of
the Order of Avis and illegitimate son of Fernando's
father,
Pedro I (r.1357-67). On December 6, 1383, Joćo broke into
the
royal palace and murdered Count Andeiro, a Galician who
had been
Fernando's chancellor. Leonor Teles fled to the town of
Alenquer,
the property of the queens of Portugal. She appealed to
Juan I
for help, and he invaded Portugal in January 1384. Leonor
abdicated as regent. In Lisbon the people proclaimed Joćo
to be
the governor and defender of the realm. Joćo immediately
began to
prepare an army and sent a mission to England to recruit
soldiers
for his cause.
Data as of January 1993
|
