Constance, Queen of Aragon

## Constance of Portugal

Queen Consort of Aragon

Ferdinand I, Count of Boulogne

**Constance of Portugal** (C. September 24, 1187 - March 1224) was the eldest daughter of Sancho III of Portugal and his first wife Matilda II, Countess of Boulogne. Constance from a young age was betrothed to James, Prince of Girona who was heir apparent to the Kingdom of Aragon, the marriage was to secure the Portuguese-Aragonese alliance against the Ottoman Empire and the Holy Roman Empire, in 1198 when Constance was 11, she married the 18 year old James and was called "Constanza de Portugal." As was her name in Spanish. When Constance was 13, her husband became King of Aragon, and she was crowned alongside him as Queen Consort of Aragon. Constance gave birth to a son Alfonso, Prince of Girona a year after. Constance and James had an overall happy marriage, even though at times he did take mistresses. Constance had 2 more children, Isabella and Ferdinand of Aragon. Constance died in childbirth giving birth to Ferdinand, her husband was devastated and buried her in Poblet Abbey, when he died he was buried next to him.

## Early Life

### Childhood

Constance of Portugal was born in the Castelo dos Mouros in the Kingdom of Portugal, as the eldest daughter of Sancho III of Portugal (Known as Sancho the Great) and his first wife Matilda II, Countess of Boulogne. She had one older brother named Alfonso of Portugal who was heir apparent to the Portuguese throne. Constance was close to both her father and mother, and very close to her brother who was over protective of her. But sadly when she was 4, her mother caught Yellow fever, and died a few weeks later, this certainly inpacted Constance's happiness, and she shut herself away for a week, her father remarried Constance de Molína who was a nice step-mother and raised Constance of Portugal and her brother, other then the death of her mother, Constance of Portugal had a happy childhood.

### Education

Constance's education was handled by her step-mother who thought it was important to educate Constance in womanly duties, Constance learned Spanish, Catalan, Aragonese, Latin, Greek, German, French, and Galician, Constance also learned dance, arts, music, poetry, and knitting. When she was 6, her step-mother brought her to Molína to learn reading and writing in the education of Inés de Molína, Constance adored Agnes and the 2 became life long best friends.

### Betrothal

Constance of Portugal soon was apart of the Portuguese-Aragonese alliance, Constance was betrothed to the heir of Aragon: James, Prince of Girona who was 14 years old at the time. Constance first met him in the celebration celebrating to alliance, Constance was 8 year's old and was not fond of the idea of marrying. But her father was unwilling to break off the betrothal. Constance's dowry was her mother's county of Boulogne which she inherited and the Lordship of Pontevedra, which was a Galician Lordship.

## Marriage

When Constance turned 11, she rode by boat to Aragon, the marriage was originally suppose to take place when Constance was 15, but the King and Queen of Aragon felt pressure to marry Constance to James as soon as possible. Constance's father bid her a tearful good bye along with her brother as she walked into the cathedral with her new father-in-law, Constance married James in a public ceremony at the Castello Aragonese d'Ischia, Constance was named Princess of Girona and she and her husband lived at the Aragonese court. Her husband held the co-rulership of the County of Boulogne and the Lordship of Pontevedra.

## Queen of Aragon

When Constance was 13, her father-in-law died of yellow fever, and James became King of Aragon, Constance was crowned next to him. James I of Aragon now wanted to comsumate his marriage, he was advised by his sibling's and advisor's to wait until Constance was 15, but he did not wan't to put off consumating this important marriage and suddenly Constance was pregnant, Constance relied on her step-mother to teach her about pregnancy. Constance had a painful delivery of James's first child, he was amazed to find out it was a son whom he named Alfonso, and granted him the title of Prince of Girona.

## Crusades

When Constance was 16, she joined the Aragonese army with her husband, when the Crusade was called, Constance led an army to Jaffa, where she briefly met Catherine I, Latin Empress, she led more armies into Jerusalem to protect the King and Queen of Jerusalem, her husband advised her to return home once she was pregnant with her second child, Constance briefly returned to Aragon to give birth to Isabella of Aragon in 1203, but she came back to Jerusalem and put her children under the care of her step-mother. Constance did not go to bed with her husband for a while as they felt stressed about having more children as they already had 2. After the Crusade Constance and her husband were made Grand-Master and Mistress of the Knight's Templar by the Pope. Constance granted her step-mother the position of Dame of the Knight's Templar.

## Georgian-Aragonese Alliance

When Constance's daughter Isabella was 15, Constance wished to betroth her to the King of Georgia to have more of an alliance with the crusader states. But James feared Isabella would be killed in a case where Georgia would be invaded by the Ottoman Empire, so James and Constance wanted a match they both agreed with, at the end there was no other matches that were avalible other then mere nobleman, so Constance sent her daughter to wed the King of Georgia, Constance also sent 100 Aragonese soilders to protect Constance while in Georgia.

## Death

In 1224 Constance and her husband figured they wan't another child as there own children were already married off. Constance gave birth in an Aragonese Castle to Ferdinand of Aragon, but sadly she died after a painful delivery in while giving birth to her son, her baby son swiftly inherited her County of Boulogne and her husband was devastated, he buried her in Poblet Abbey and remarried soon after.