PortugueseQueenPrincess13th Century

Eleanor of Portugal, Queen of Denmark

Eleanor of Portugal was a Portuguese infanta and Queen of Denmark who died in childbirth in 1231, with a posthumous examination revealing bone cancer.

1. Early life and background

Eleanor was born circa 1211, the sole daughter of Afonso II of Portugal and his wife, Urraca of Castile, Queen of Portugal. As a child of the Portuguese monarch, she held the title of Infanta of Portugal.

2. Marriage and Queen consort of Denmark

The idea for Eleanor's marriage to Valdemar the Young, the son of Valdemar II of Denmark, was first proposed by Bishop Gunner of Viborg. This union was seen as a natural fit due to a previous family connection: Eleanor's aunt, Berengaria of Portugal, had been Valdemar the Young's stepmother and the senior Queen of Denmark until her death eight years prior.

The wedding ceremony took place in Ribe (specifically Ribe Cathedral according to some accounts) on June 24, 1229. The day following the wedding, Eleanor received the southern half of the island of Funen as a wedding gift from her husband. Although she was technically the junior queen consort, Eleanor was the only Queen of Denmark at the time, as her aunt Berengaria had passed away eight years earlier, and her father-in-law, Valdemar II, had not remarried.

3. Death and posthumous examination

Eleanor's reign as Queen of Denmark was tragically short. She died in childbirth on August 28, 1231, just two years after her marriage. Her husband, Valdemar the Young, also met an early end, dying three months later from an accidental shot during a hunting expedition.

Decades later, an examination of Eleanor's grave in Ringsted Church revealed significant findings. Her skeleton showed clear traces of bone cancer, which is believed to have been a contributing factor to her early demise. Additionally, a small leaden coffin was discovered at the foot of Eleanor's grave. Inside, it contained the bones of an infant, estimated to be around 6 months old at the time of its death. The infant's bones also indicated that it had been sickly and suffering from scrofula since birth. These findings strongly suggest that Eleanor gave birth to a child who survived her by only six months.

Silk and lock of hair found in the tomb of Queen Eleanor
Silk and lock of hair found in the tomb of Queen Eleanor

4. Genealogy

The following is a genealogical table of Eleanor of Portugal's known ancestors:

  • 1. Eleanor of Portugal, Queen of Denmark
    • 2. Afonso II of Portugal
      • 4. Sancho I of Portugal
        • 8. Afonso I of Portugal
          • 16. Henry, Count of Portugal
          • 17. Teresa of León
        • 9. Mafalda of Savoy
          • 18. Amadeo III of Savoy
          • 19. Mahaut of Albon
      • 5. Dulce of Aragon
        • 10. Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona
        • 11. Petronilla of Aragon
    • 3. Urraca of Castile
      • 6. Alfonso VIII of Castile
        • 12. Sancho III of Castile
        • 13. Blanche of Navarre
      • 7. Eleanor of England
        • 14. Henry II of England
        • 15. Eleanor of Aquitaine