The tragic love story of a posthumous queen -

If you're into tragic romances such as 'Romeo and Juliet,' then you're in for a treat. The love affair between Inês de Castro and King Pedro I of Portugal is the ultimate love tragedy. And (partly) a real one, according to history books. A forbidden love, death, family feuds, revenge, and a posthumous queen—sounds like a recipe for a good story, right?

Click through the following gallery and discover the fascinating romance of Pedro and Inês.

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Who was Inês de Castro? -

Inês de Castro was born in 1320 or 1325 in Galicia, Spain. She was the illegitimate daughter of the Galician nobleman Pedro Fernández de Castro and of a Portuguese lady, Aldonça Lourenço de Valadares.

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Origins -

Inês de Castro lived part of her childhood in the castle of Albuquerque (found in Spain near the Portuguese border), until she became a lady-in-waiting for Constanza Manuel, who was betrothed to the prince of Portugal, Dom Pedro.

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D. Pedro falls for the Galician maid -

Inês de Castro came to Évora in Portugal as part of Constanza's entourage. Dom Pedro married Constanza as planned, but at the same time, he was falling madly in love with Inês. 

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D. Constanza -

Needless to say, Constanza was not happy with this development. So, in an attempt to make Inês de Castro’s relationship with D. Pedro incestuous, she invited her to be the godmother of her son.

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King’s move -

Dom Pedro’s father, the King of Portugal Dom Afonso IV, was concerned about Inês de Castro's love affair with his son. In 1344, he exiled her to the Spanish border.

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Constanza’s death -

Constanza died in 1349, supposedly due to her displeasure over her husband's continued affection for Inês. After her death, Pedro and Inês resumed their relationship, and came to live in the palace attached to the Santa Clara Convent, located next to the Mondego River and Quinta das Lágrimas (pictured).

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Pedro and Inês’ home -

The palace was built by Pedro’s grandmother, Dona Isabel, who would later be canonized with the name of Saint Elizabeth of Portugal.

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Political opportunity -

Inês de Castro’s brothers, who were powerful noblemen, tried to allure Pedro with the possibility of becoming entitled to the throne of Castile and León, which would one day be ruled by a son of Pedro and Inês.

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Afonso IV became defensive -

Pedro’s father, who didn’t want to compromise Portugal’s independence, was convinced by his advisers that the only way to avoid Spanish involvement would be to separate Pedro and Inês. For good.

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Trial -

Taking advantage of Pedro’s absence, a trial was held in Montemor-o-Velho, and Inês de Castro was sentenced to death.

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Death -

Afonso IV, together with Pêro Coelho, Álvaro Gonçalves, Diogo Lopes Pacheco, and other men, executed Inês on January 7, 1355.

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Pedro’s reaction -

Pedro reacted violently to the death of his love and instigated a civil war against his father, which only ended when his mother, the Queen of Portugal, intervened.

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Pedro becomes king -

Pedro ascended to the throne in 1357, becoming Dom Pedro I. In 1360, he legitimized his children, stating that he had secretly married Inês in 1354 in Bragança. This would make Inês Queen of Portugal.

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Long live the queen -

Pedro ordered tombs for himself and Inês to be built in the Monastery of Alcobaça.

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Long live the queen -

He then ordered her remains be moved from the Convent of Santa Clara in Coimbra to the new location.

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Long live the queen -

Dom Pedro I ordered that all classes (clergy, nobility, and peasants) pay homage to the dead queen during a funeral procession.

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Posthumous coronation -

Perhaps the most popular part of the Pedro and Inês story is her coronation ceremony as a dead queen.

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Posthumous coronation -

Inês’ body was exhumed, dressed in a royal robe, placed on the throne, and crowned queen!

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Posthumous coronation -

Dom Pedro I then ordered all nobles of the kingdom to kiss her hand and pay tribute to the posthumous queen.

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Posthumous coronation -

While a great part of this story is recorded in numerous ways and believed to be real, there is no reference to the said coronation ceremony until the 16th century.

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Taking revenge on Inês’ killers -

Two of the murderers, Pêro Coelho and Álvaro Gonçalves, were captured and executed.

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Taking revenge on Inês’ killers -

Legend has it that Dom Pedro had the heart of one ripped out through the chest and the heart of another cut out through the back. Some versions of the story say that the king did this himself!

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Taking revenge on Inês’ killers -

But it gets weirder. Other versions of the story say that the king was feasting, while he watched the execution, and even took a bite of their hearts...

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Taking revenge on Inês’ killers -

Pedro reportedly said that men who had killed an innocent woman could not have hearts.

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Taking revenge on Inês’ killers -

Diogo Lopes Pacheco, who had managed to escape to France, was later pardoned by Dom Pedro on his deathbed.

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Tragic love story -

The love story of Pedro and Inês—the first and last posthumous queen of Portugal—has been immortalized in visual art and literature ever since.

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Fonte das Lágrimas -

Legend has it that the water flowing from the fountain where Inês died is made of her tears. Her blood is said to stain the fountain, and her ghost still apparently roams the estate.

Sources: (Fundação Inês de Castro)

See also: How dark were the Middle Ages, really?

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