Pedro I and Inés Love Story

The love affair between King Pedro I de Portugal and his mistress Inês de Castro Descended from The Kingdom of Castile Is classified as one of the strangest love stories Europe has ever known During their lifetime These lovers were not allowed to be completed because Pedro I's father, King Alfonso IV of Portugal Flatly refused this marriage out of fear for his relationship with Castile.

Meanwhile, the madness of love drove Pedro I to make a shocking move that soon became the inspiration of a myriad of great European painters over the following centuries.

In order to create a union and alliance King Afonso IV made his son Pedro I marry Costanza daughter of Juan Manuel Prince of Vilena.

Despite Prince Pedro I's pleas to his father to abandon that marriage, King Alfonso IV insisted on his opinion and left his son sad because he never loved that woman and did not want to marry her, but it came to the desire of King Alfonso IV as he wished.

"Constance" the bride who was once the wife of The Prince of Castile Alfonso XI came from Castile to Portugal Accompanied by many servants and bridesmaids.

Came with Constance Her bridesmaid and companion Lady Inés de Castro The aristocratic daughter of a very wealthy family And Pedro I and Inés soon fell in love with each other.

But despite his marriage Pedro maintained his relationship with Inés and sent her to a secret mansion in Santa Clara Where he went through secret pipes under the palace and had illegitimate children.

It was normal for princes to take mistresses at this time, so King Alfonso IV thought that it was not a passing whim and would end, but his spies had conveyed to him what was happening between Pedro and the Inés family.

The two lovers began to meet privately and secretly And Pedro I claimed shortly thereafter that that he had married her despite his father's wishes and orders not to do so So King Afonso sent three men to find Inés And they did and beheaded her in front of one of her sons.

Out of his grief and anger Pedro I revolted against his father And although Afonso won the confrontation He died shortly thereafter and the reins of the king passed to Pedro I And the first thing he did was search for the three men who killed Inés And when they fled and took refuge in Castille, Pedro I arranged to exchange prisoners with Castelle to hand over the three assassins to him And he in turn handed over three Castellian captives.

According to Portuguese folklore, Pedro I's obsession with Inés continued even after her death. With his accession to the throne, the latter did not hesitate to execute all those responsible for the murder of his mistress by grabbing their hearts.

Upon their arrest by his soldiers Pedro I held a public trial for the three men and After they were found guilty Uprooted their hearts with his hands.

Portugal's new king announced the appointment of his dead mistress Inés de Castro as Queen of Portugal Confirming his marriage to her earlier.

Pedro I ordered the remains of his mistress Inés to be exhumed from the tomb for a solemn ceremony to enthrone her as queen.

During the inauguration ceremony The servants covered the remains of Inés' body in the queens' robes before taking on the task of placing her on the throne seat next to Pedro I while forcing all the nobles and churchmen to pass in front of the body in order to kiss her hand and offer allegiance to her.

Over the next centuries The love story of Pedro I and Inés de Castro became a source of inspiration for many painters, authors and composers who did not hesitate for a moment to immortalize it through a huge number of paintings and novels.