Beltrán de la Cueva
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| Beltrán de la Cueva Duque de Alburquerque |
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| Born | c.1443 Úbeda, Spain |
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| Died | November 1, 1492 (aged 49) Cuéllar, Spain |
Beltrán de la Cueva y Alfonso de Mercado, 1st Duke of Alburquerque, (in full, Spanish: Don Beltrán de la Cueva y Alfonso de Mercado, primer conde de Ledesma, primer duque de Alburquerque, primer conde de Huelma, comendador de Uclés, caballero de la orden de Santiago, señor de las villas de Roa, Cuéllar, Pedro Bernardo, Ledesma, La Adrada, Ximena, Atienza, Molina, Peña del Alcázar, Huelma, Torre Galindo y La Codosera, trigésimo séptimo Gran Maestre de la orden de Santiago (1460-1464), Capitán mayor y Alguacil mayor de Úbeda, señor de Gibraltar y Cartagena), (c. 1443 - 1 November[1] 1492), was a Spanish nobleman and presumed lover of Queen Joan of Portugal.
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[edit] Early life
King Enrique IV, in his second year as King, travelled to Úbeda and stayed with Beltrán's father, Diego Fernández de la Cueva, 1st Viscount of Huelma. When he left this house, he took Diego's second oldest son, Beltrán, with him to stay at Court to show his gratitude to Diego. (Diego offered Beltrán after Enrique asked for Diego's oldest son, whom Diego wanted to keep close by).
He married as his first wife Teresa de Molina de Quesada, of Úbeda, daughter of Francisco Cazorla de Quesada and wife Guiomar Mayor de Molina y Vera, without issue. Beltrán soon became the King's favourite and married Cardinal Mendoza's niece, Doña Mencía Hurtado de Mendoza y Luna, daughter of the 1st Dukes del Infantado, by whom he had a son Francisco Fernández de la Cueva.
[edit] Royal affair
Beltrán de la Cueva is, however, best known for having an affair with Enrique's second wife, Joan of Portugal. It was rumoured that Henry's only daughter, Juana, princess of Castile was fathered by Beltrán and not by the King himself, who was considered impotent. This made Juana illegitimate in the eyes of some, which led to a four-year War of the Castilian Succession, which was won by Isabella I of Castile, Enrique's half-sister.
He was a Great-Master of the Order of Santiago and Chamberlain-Major. In 1462 the King granted him the title of 1st Count of Ledesma. In 1463 Beltrán was removed from Court and received as compensation the title of Duke of Alburquerque and Grandee of Spain by mercy of King Henry IV at Segovia, Letter of 16 November or 26 November 1464. He was also created in 1464 1st Lord of Cuéllar, Roa, Atienza, Torregalindo, Codecera, etc.
In 1467 he fought in the Battle of Olmedo against the rebels supporting Alfonso of Castile, Prince of Asturias. In the War of the Castilian Succession, he supported the Catholic Kings against his presumed daughter Juana. As a reward he was also created 1st Count of Huelma by Decree of the same King on August 20, 1474, later confirmed by Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand V of Castile on April 20, 1475. He also distinguished himself in the conquest of Granada along with his son Don Francisco.
[edit] Later life
A widower in 1474 he married in 1479 as her second husband Dona María Fernández de Velasco y Mendoza, daughter of the Constable of Castile, Don Pedro Fernández de Velasco. This marriage produced two sons. The first, Don Cristóbal de la Cueva y Velasco, was born in Cuéllar. He married Leonor de Velasco y Carrillo de Córdoba, 3rd Countess of Siruela, who died in 1529, and had issue. The second son, Don Antonio de la Cueva y Velasco, 1st Lord of La Adrada, married Elvira de Ayala and had issue.
He also had a bastard son named Manuel Beltrão, who went to Portugal and married Francisca da Mota, ancestors of the Beltrão family.
Beltrán de la Cueva died in 1492 and was buried at the Convent of San Francisco de Cuéllar.
[edit] Additional information
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ According to the inscription at his tomb in the Convent of San Francisco de Cuéllar.
[edit] Sources
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
- "Castillo de Cuéllar" (in Spanish). 2007. http://galeon.com/castillossegovia/cuellar.htm. Retrieved on 15 February 2009.
- Castro Pereira Mouzinho de Albuquerque e Cunha, Fernando de (1995) (in Portuguese). Instrumentário Genealógico - Linhagens Milenárias. p. 329-30
- Costa Felgueiras Gaio, Manuel José da (in Portuguese). Nobiliário das Famílias de Portugal. VII. Portugal: Beltroens
- Hobbs, Nicolas (2007). "Grandes de España" (in Spanish). http://grandesp.org.uk/historia/titulos/titintro.htm. Retrieved on 15 October 2008.
- Sousa, Dom António Caetano de (1946) (in Portuguese). História Genealógica da Casa Real Portuguesa. VI (2ª Edição ed.). Coimbra, Portugal: Atlântida-Livraria Editora, Lda. p. 323
- Instituto de Salazar y Castro (in Spanish). Elenco de Grandezas y Titulos Nobiliarios Españoles. periodic publication
- "Origin of the Surname Cortés" (in Spanish). 2007. http://www.marfonline.com/cartucheria/milan2/Genealogia/ApellidoCortes.html. Retrieved on 15 February 2009.
- "Beltrán de La Cueva" (in Spanish). 2007. http://www.geneall.net/H/per_page.php?id=17649. Retrieved on 15 February 2009.
- "Geneallnet" (in Spanish). 2007. http://www.geneall.net/H/per_page.php?id=69005. Retrieved on 15 February 2009.
| Spanish nobility | ||
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| New title | Duke of Alburquerque 1464-1492 |
Succeeded by Francisco Fernández de la Cueva |
| Count of Ledesma 1462-1492 |
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| Preceded by Juan de la Cueva |
Count of Huelma 1474-1492 |
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