111 - How King Juan of Castile reigned and a son, given the name of Enrique, was born to him

Summary

When King Enrique passed away, Prince Juan, his first-born, was made king in the township of Santo Domingo de la Calzada on the very morning of the Monday his father had died. This King Juan was the first king with this name to reign in Castile. He began to reign at the age of twenty-seven years and two and a half months. In the following July, on Saint James's feast day he was crowned near Burgos, in the convent of Las Huelgas. On that day, he also arranged the coronation of Queen Leonor, his wife, the daughter of King Pere of Aragon. He also dubbed 100 knights, who were the sons of noblemen and grandees in his kingdom, and on the same day there were great festivities within the city of Burgos.

It should be known that around the time when King Enrique, his father, died, he had eight armed galleys as well as five others which King Fernando of Portugal had contributed to help him. All thirteen were in Santander to go to the aid of King Charles of France who, for reasons we shall not go into, had a difference at that time with the King of England. When those aboard the Portuguese galleys learned that King Enrique was dead, they left the company of the others and came to Lisbon. When the captain of the Castilian galleys realized this, he sent word to inform the king his master that the Portuguese galleys had gone back and to find out what he wished to be done. The king ordered him to take his eight galleys to the aid of the King of France. They sailed there and captured four English armed barques, besides causing other damage. The King of France thanked him greatly for this assistance; they confirmed their pacts and agreements, remaining good friends and close allies.

That year [1379], King Juan's wife bore him a son, who was given the name Enrique. Nature brought him into this world in the city of Burgos on 4 October and he later became King of Castile, as you will hear in due course.