64 - Concerning the discussion which the king had with a member of his Royal Council about his marriage to Queen Leonor

Summary

While King Fernando was accompanied by Dona Leonor before he publicly married her, he spoke on a number of occasions with certain members of his Royal Council, indicating that he was minded to marry her and asking them to tell him what their views were, so as to see whether some of them would advise him to proceed with the marriage. One day, he talked to two of them, explaining that his wish was to marry her and make her his queen; however, before he went ahead, he wanted to consult them.

‘Sire,’ they said, ‘it is not our place to speak about this matter, because we see that you are now so closely attached to Dona Leonor that we understand that you are bound never to have any other wife but her; indeed, certain people inform us that you have already taken her to wife. As for our advice or that of anyone who wishes to serve you and uphold your honour, nobody will advise you to undertake such a marriage and for many reasons. But, if you are nevertheless determined to marry her, good advice is of no avail.’

A few days later, the king married Dona Leonor, as we have said, and soon afterwards he told a member of his Royal Council that he regretted having married her. The other man answered:

‘My liege, you are to blame, because you were determined to do it, and not for want of many people who advised you not to do so.’

‘That's true,’ said the king, ‘because many people sought to dissuade me. But I would have preferred them to act towards me, despite my clear intention, as the counsellors of my grandfather King Afonso acted towards him.’ ‘And how was that, sire?’

‘I shall tell you,’ said the king. ‘At the start of his reign, my grandfather, being a young man, was more interested in pleasurable pursuits than in the governance of the realm. When all the members of his Royal Council had assembled in Lisbon to discuss matters pertaining to the government of the kingdom and to the public good, he walked out of the Council and went off hunting in the Sintra area, staying there for the best part of a month.