Henry III (
October 4,
1379 –
December 25,
1406), sometimes known as
Henry the Sufferer or
Henry the Infirm () was the son of
John I and
Eleanor of Aragon, and succeeded him as
King of
Castile and
León in 1390.
Henry was born in
Burgos, the capital of Castile. Before becoming king, he was known by the title
Prince of Asturias, designating him as the
heir apparent. After succeeding to the throne at 11, Henry took power at 14. Despite his nickname, he engaged in a vigorous foreign policy and maneuvers during the first few years of the 15th century. He was able to pacify the nobility and restore royal power. During his reign, the Castilian fleet won several victories against the
English; Henry sent a naval fleet in 1400 that destroyed
Tétouan in
North Africa, a
pirate base. In 1402, Henry began the colonization of the
Canary Islands, sending French explorer
Jean de Béthencourt. He deflected a Portuguese invasion with an attack on
Badajoz, finally signing a peace treaty with
Juan I of Portugal in 1402. He restarted the conflict against the kingdom of
Granada, winning a victory at Collejares, near
Úbeda in
1406. He also sent the envoy
Hernán Sánchez de Palazuelos, and later
Ruy González de Clavijo, to
Timur.
In 1388, Henry married
Katherine of Lancaster (
Catalina de Lancaster; 1372–1418), the daughter of
John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster and Gaunt's second wife,
Constance of Castile, who was the elder daughter of
Pedro of Castile. This ended a dynastic conflict and solidified the House of Trastamara. Henry and Catherine's son became
John II of Castile, who succeeded Henry when he died in
Toledo, Catherine acting as Regent of Castile because John II was then underage.
Ancestry
Children
All of them by his wife Catherine of Lancaster:
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Category:1379 birthsCategory:1406 deathsCategory:People from BurgosCategory:Castilian monarchsCategory:House of TrastamaraCategory:Medieval child rulersCategory:Princes of AsturiasCategory:14th-century Spanish peopleCategory:15th-century Spanish peopleCategory:Articles lacking sources (Erik9bot)bs:Henrik III Kastiljskibg:Енрике III Кастилскиca:Enric III de Castellade:Heinrich III. (Kastilien)es:Enrique III de Castillaeu:Henrike III.a Gaztelakoafr:Henri III de Castillegl:Henrique III de Castelahr:Henrik III. Kastiljskiit:Enrico III di Castiglialt:Henrikas III (Kastilija)hu:III. Henrik kasztíliai királynl:Hendrik III van Castiliëja:エンリケ3世 (カスティーリャ王)pl:Henryk III Chorowitypt:Henrique III de Castelaru:Энрике III Кастильский
