Chapter 65 - How the king decided to enter Santarém and how it took place

Summary

As to the discussions which that night the king held with his mother-in-law Queen Leonor, nobody has clearly set them down in writing, except for what they say the king said to her, namely that he could not, on her behalf, inflict vengeance on the Master of Avis nor on the others involved in the way she wished, nor could he subjugate any town, large or small, which had declared against her, unless she first yielded to him and to her daughter the governance of the realm, governance which she was due to hold in accordance with the treaties. Changing her mind and her plan, the queen resolved to do so.

According to certain authors, the advice given to the queen by several of those who found out about this was of no avail, when they said that she could not hand over the governance which had passed to her on the death of King Fernando. They argued that this would run counter to his last wishes, which were held to be legally binding; furthermore, such a renunciation was against the treaties, to which she could neither add anything, nor from which she could subtract anything, without the consent of the prelates and people of the realm, just as the treaties laid down. However, she replied that they had no grounds for raising doubts on this issue, for they knew only too well that King Juan, with her daughter Queen Beatriz, was supreme lord of the kingdom of Portugal and that nothing could any longer be done about this situation. Early next day, the Wednesday, a notary was summoned at once, and a document was drawn up in which she renounced all rights to the governance of the realm, governance which was due to pass to her, and bestowed it on King Juan and her daughter.

Very early on the Thursday morning Queen Leonor came back to the castle and dismissed Gonçalo Vasques de Azevedo, who was its chief governor.