Henry I of Castile

King of Castile

**Henry I of Castile** (December 13, 1159 - 1178) was King of Castile from 1170 upon his father's death to 1178 upon his murder. He was born the 8th child and 2nd son of Alfonso VIII of Castile and Eleanor of England, he was never born to inherit anything but when his older brother Infante John of Castile died after being murdered by Henry's older sister Berengaria of Castile, Henry became heir. Henry was 11 years old when his father was on his death-bed, he initally asked asked Henry's older sister Urracca to act as regent while Henry was in his minority as king, but Urracca was also murdered by Berengaria who had plans to claim Castile for herself. Alfonso died a week later which left Henry King, Berengaria immediatly arrested Henry, his mother and some of his sisters, Henry was held captive in Castello de Santa Maria where he led a comfortable life, until his sister waited to long for Henry to die of natural causes as Berengaria pulled doctors away from Henry as she wanted him to die of a virus, so Berengaria murdered Henry and succeeded him as Queen of Castile.

## Biography

Henry of Castile was born the 8th child and 2nd son of Alfonso VIII of Castile and Eleanor of England, his early life is unknown due to the lack of writings of his life, but it is almost certain he was born in December 13, 1159 after his older sister Constance of Castile, he was born a few months after his brother Infante John was murdered by his sister Infanta Berengaria and Henry became heir. Henry's father died in 1170 and Berengaria of Castile assumed the role of regent after she murderer Urracca of Castile, Henry was arrested and imprisoned in Castello de Santa Maria Palencia in Castile, he led a comfortable life in his prison, though his sister restricted access to medical services, hoping Henry would die of fever other then Berengaria having to murder him. But When Henry only got mildly sick, Berengaria grabbed her knife, and stabbed Henry 53 times in the chest before he collapsed, Henry was succeeded by Berengaria as King of Castile and Toledo.

## Possible Betrothals

Though Henry never married as Berengaria refused to allow him to, he may have once been betrothed in his early years to a woman named Blanche of Barcelona, who had died before Henry could marry her, when Henry was 10, his father betrothed him to Mary of England, but when Alfonso VIII of Castile died, Berengaria broke off the betrothal causing bad relationships between the Kingdoms of Castile and England. Henry though throughout his life never appeared to show an interest in marriage anyway, and he always knew his sister would succeed him.

## In Film

Henry I of Castile in the movie the Middle Ages (2008) he is portrayed by a Romanian actor Zachary Adameșteanu and Berengaria of Castile is portrayed by Spanish Actress Clara Lopez, in the plot Henry is arrested willingly and taken to a prison where he stays with Greek Actor Antonie Fox who play's Ferdinand Alboros, a Spanish noblemen, both men are stabbed to death on the 2nd Season.

## Henry's view of his Regent

Henry did not like his sister after he arrested most of Henry's family, but he never bothered to break free of his prison as he wrote down in the few notes that survive of him that he feared his sister would kill him, he was right, Berengaria tor up and burned most of the notes Henry had written so no one would think of Henry, Henry though also liked his regent because she did provide him with food as he wrote down. But these feelings did not matter as Berengaria still killed him when he was 18.