Peter of Castile

Peter met María de Padilla in 1352 and fell in love with her. He secretly married her in 1353. However, the same year, his mother forced him into marrying Blanche of Bourbon; he deserted his new wife soon after and continued his relationship with Maria who bore him four children. Maria died in 1361.

He also had children with Juana de Castro, daughter of Pedro Fernández de Castro, and Teresa de Ayala, a niece of Pero Lopez de Ayala.Peter of Castile was assassinated by Henry on 23 March 1369.

Peter was born on 30 August 1334 in the tower of the Monasterio de Santa Maria la Real de Las Huelgas in Burgos, Spain, to Alfonso XI, the king of Castile, León and Galicia, and his wife Maria of Portugal, daughter of Afonso IV of Portugal.

He received a good education and grew up to be a well-read young man. He enjoyed entertainment, music, and poetry.

His father Alfonso XI died in March 1350 and Peter succeeded him as the king of Castile. The young king was not even 16 at the time of ascending to the throne. Due to his young age and inexperience, his mother began to dominate the affairs of the court with some of her favorite nobles. Peter struggled to free himself from his domineering mother’s control and sought the help of the minister Albuquerque who aided him in his emancipation.

His reign was marked by almost constant warfare. He had several illegitimate half-brothers vying for the throne, and Henry of Trastámara was the most powerful among them. He led several revolts against Peter which Peter crushed effectively. Unable to usurp Peter, Henry escaped to France.

Henry found support from Peter IV of Aragon who wished to dominate the Mediterranean in opposition to Castile and Castile's ally Genoa. A fierce war between Peter of Castile and Peter IV of Aragon ensued in 1356.

The war, which came to be known as the "War of the Two Peters" continued for several years. During this time Peter of Castile killed may people which earned him the reputation of being an immensely cruel king.

Henry continued his conspiracies against his brother and in 1366 he assembled a large army, with both French and Aragonese components and English mercenaries. Then he invaded Castile with the support of the kings of France and Aragon. He was successful in forcing Peter to flee from the land.

Peter of Castile was engaged in a fierce battle with Peter IV of Aragon from 1356 to 1366, in what came to be known as The War of the Two Peters. Peter of Castile aimed to claim the Kingdom of Valencia, which included parts of Murcia, Elche, Alicante and Orihuela, while Peter IV of Aragon wished to dominate the Mediterranean in opposition to Castile and Castile's ally Genoa. Peter of Castile successfully conquered Cariñena, Teruel, Segorbe, Morvedre, Almenara, Xiva, and Bunyol over the course of the war.