161 - How the queen left for Elvas with her daughter and with other people who accompanied them

Summary

It was stated in the marriage settlement that from the day of the marriage by proxy to the twelfth of the following month of May, the princess was to be taken to her husband, the King of Castile, between Elvas and Badajoz. Since King Fernando was not able to make the journey because he was too weak through illness, most of the nobles and prelates in Portugal assembled to travel with the princess and the queen, who was to accompany her. They asked the king which of his vassals he wished to remain with him, and he replied that the only person he wished to stay with him was Lourenço Eanes Fogaça, his chancellor of the great seal, who had the cross of Saint George inscribed on his heart, just as he himself did. The king said this because Lourenço Eanes had gone to England as his messenger when the English came, as you have heard.

Then the king selected officers for his daughter. He appointed Count Juan Fernández Andeiro as her chief steward; Vasco Martins de Melo as her chief butler; Vasco Martins de Melo the Younger as her pantler; and Estêvão Leitão was appointed as her carver. He also appointed João Afonso as her secretary; gave her Violante Afonso, the wife of Diogo Gomes de Abreu, as her senior lady-in-waiting; Maria Afonso, the wife of Vasco Martins de Melo, as her mistress of the bedchamber; and Iria Gonçalves, the mother of Nuno Álvares, as her gentlewoman of the bedchamber. Furthermore, he arranged for the daughters of Count Álvaro Pérez, namely Dona Isabel and Dona Beatriz, to be her damsels, as well as a number of other ladies.

Then the queen left that place one Monday, with the princess, and a number of important prelates of the kingdom travelled with her. Also accompanying her were Dom João, the Master of Avis and brother of King Fernando; Count Álvaro Pérez de Castro; Don Juan Fernández, the Count of Ourém; Dom Gonçalo, the Count of Neiva; Dom João, the Count of Viana; Dom Pedro Álvares Pereira, the Prior of the Hospitallers; Dom Fernando Afonso de Albuquerque, the Master of Santiago; Dom Lopo Dias, the Master of the Order of Christ; and the Admiral, Master Manuel [Pessanha].