160 - How the Portuguese princess broke off the betrothal she had made and accepted the King of Castile as her husband, through his proctor

Summary

On the following day, Friday, 3 April [1383], the king was in his chamber after attending Mass, and Dom Afonso, the Bishop of Guarda, was there, dressed in his pontifical robes, holding in his hands a paten with the Holy Body of Christ on it. Princess Beatriz, who was present, asked permission of the king and queen to reject and disavow all the betrothals and marriages, of which there were four, as you have heard, since legally until then they did not involve any kind of obligation on her part. When her wish was granted, she said that she considered them all invalid, although they had been carried out by her or by others acting on her behalf, and she renounced any pledges and obligations that she had made to other people, or which others had made to her on account of these betrothal arrangements.

Princess Beatriz then repeated to her father and mother that, as it was her wish that she should marry King Juan of Castile, she asked them to give her their permission and blessing to take her vows and to promise to be betrothed to him and become his wife. They said that they were happy to do so and gave her their permission. Then Princess Beatriz touched the Holy Body of Christ, which the Bishop of Guarda was holding, and solemnly promised that she would marry the King of Castile and accept him as her husband. Then the king and queen, all the great lords and nobles present and the Archbishop of Santiago himself, representing his liege lord, the King of Castile, gave their solemn word.

When the Feast of the Assumption of the Lord arrived, which was on a Thursday, the thirtieth day of that month, there were present the great lords and nobles mentioned previously, and in addition, Don Pedro, the Cardinal of Aragon; Don Alfonso, the Bishop of Coria; Dom João Afonso Telo, the Count of Barcelos; Count Gonçalo; Don Enrique Manuel de Villena, the Count of Seia; João Afonso Pimentel; João Rodrigues Portocarreiro; Gonçalo Gomes da Silva; Lourenço Eanes Fogaça; Aires Gonçalves de Figueiredo and Álvaro Gonçalves, the comptroller of the king, as well as many others whom we have decided not to mention.