Anglo-Iberian Relations 1150-1280: A Diplomatic History Olga Cecilia Méndez González Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of East Anglia School of History March 2013 ©This copy of the thesis has been supplied on condition that anyone who consults it is understood to recognise that its copyright rests with the author and that use of any information derived there from must be in accordance with current UK Copyright Law. In addition, any quotation or extract must include full attribution. Abstract This thesis examines the political relations between England and the Iberian Peninsula, from the accession of Henry II of England to the death of Alfonso X of León-Castile, an episode in diplomatic history that remains largely unexplored. This period, spanning over a century and a half, was punctuated by a series of key political events. The study of these sheds light upon the diplomatic complexities of the period. Chapter One explores the historiography and the particularities of Spanish documentary sources. Chapter Two analyses the use of the word Hispania in thirteenth-century chronicles and charters, in an attempt to discover how the term was used and to whom it referred. Chapters Three examines the close relations between the crown of Aragón and the vicomté of Béarn in the twelfth century, while the following chapter looks at the unification of Catalonia and Aragón and the implications of the marriage between Eleanor of England and Alfonso VIII of Castile. Chapter Five explores the impact of Richard I and John’s alliances with Navarre. As León-Castile consolidated is power in the Peninsula, there was a shift of alliances, reflected on Anglo-Iberian relations. Chapter Six explores the particular circumstances that brought about the treaty of 1254 between Henry III of England and Alfonso X of Castile. No study of the political relations of the period would be complete without examination of the impact of the imperial controversy and interregnum upon relations between Henry III of England (the brother of a claimant) and Alfonso X of Castile (a claimant in his own right). Finally, Chapter Eight studies the failed marriage of the infante Sancho of Castile and Gilhelme (Willemina), the ii younger daughter of the vicomte of Béarn, Gaston VII. This involved negotiations between Edward I of England, Philip III of France and Alfonso X of Castile. iii Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge funding provided by the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT) without which I would have not undertaken this PhD. A special thank you, to my supervisor Nicholas Vincent for his invaluable guidance and almost saintly patience. My gratitude to all whom offered their advice and expertise, in particular to the late Alan Deyermond, Maria-João Branco, Peter Linehan, Richard Cassidy, David Carpenter, Raquel García Arancón, Ben Wild, Roger Wright, Björn Weiler and Stephen Church. A special thank you for the staff of the Bodleian Library who always offered a friendly and courteous welcome. My appreciation to the staff at the Arxiu de la Corona d’Aragó who went to great lengths to locate several manuscripts untraceable through digital media. Thank you also to friends and family who cheered and supported me. Last but not least, a special thank you to my husband, Ignacio, who stood by my side through endless hours of research and whose support made the whole saga possible. Also to Eli and Santi who often travelled with me to conferences, libraries and archives. I hope have you enjoyed the ride. iv Table of Contents Abstract ii Acknowledgements iv Table of Contents v Abbreviations viii Introduction 1 Chapter One: An Introduction to Iberian History and Sources 10 Current Works On Iberian History 10 Diplomatic Sources 16 Unpublished Sources 22 Iberian Particularities 23 Alfonso X, Castilian and Latin 27 Chapter Two: Hispania 30 The Mythical Genesis of the Imperium Hispanorum 31 Thirteenth-Century Hispania 34 The Church 34 Hispania and the English Chronicles 37 Practical Problems 41 Chapter Three: Béarn and the Iberian Peninsula 47 Alfonso I, King of Pamplona and Aragón 49 Gaston IV, vicomte of Béarn 51 The Almoravids 55 Saragossa 58 Religious Zeal 61 Gaston IV’s Diplomatic and Military Activity 63 The Aftermath of Alfonso I’s Death 65 Ramón Berenguer IV 67 The First Anglo-Spanish Alliance? 69 Chapter Four: The Catalo-Aragonese Connections of the Vicomté of Béarn 73 Alfonso II of Catalonia-Aragón, Alfonso VIII of Castile and Henry II of England 73 Catalonia and The Languedoc 73 Marie’s Homage to Alfonso II 80 The Anglo-Castilian Marriage Alliance 85 Henry II’s Arbitration Between Navarre and Castile 90 The Treaty of 1185 Between Alfonso II and Richard 107 Dating the Alliance 111 Chapter Five: The Reigns of Richard I and John. Facing the Growing Influence of Castile and Aragón. 123 Berengaria of Navarre 125 Navarre and the Growing Power of Castile and Aragón 129 King John and Hispania 139 The Perpetual Treaty between King John and Sancho VII of Navarre 143 King’s John Witnesses 145 The Navarrese Witnesses 148 Berengaria’s Unpaid Dower 150 v Alfonso VIII of Castile and his Claim to Gascony 154 Chapter Six: Alfonso X and Henry III 164 Anglo-Castilian Relations Before the Accession of Alfonso X: Stasis? 166 England and the Iberian Peninsula: Aragón and Béarn 168 Navarre, Between War and Peace 175 Castile and Its Crusading Plans 177 Embassies to the English Court (1246-1252) 183 Lope Fernández and the Bishopric of Morocco 185 Alfonso X 191 Henry III and the Gascon Nobility 195 Castile and Gascony 199 Fears of a Castilian Invasion Extend to Navarre and Aragón 201 Negotiations and Negotiators 204 García (‘Garci’) Martínez 210 John Mansel 214 Peter of Aigueblanche, bishop of Hereford 216 The Treaty 219 The Aftermath of the Peace Treaty 221 A Royal Marriage 221 The African Crusade 226 Gaston de Béarn and the Treaty of 1254 237 Castile and its Neighbours 240 Chapter Seven: Alfonso X of Castile and his Imperial Dream 248 Sicily and the Empire 249 Double Imperial Election (1257) and The Immediate Aftermath 252 The Imperial Crown and the Castilian King 259 Alfonso X on Empire and Kingship 270 Enrique of Castile and Henry III 274 Sicily: an Abandoned Dream 283 The Two Candidatures for the Imperial Throne: An Unresolved Issue 288 Urban IV (1261-1264) 288 Clement IV (1265-1268) 293 The New Emperor 299 Chapter Eight: Sancho’s Marriage to Guillelme (Wilhemina) de Béarn 303 Forging A Marital Alliance 305 Constance de Béarn 305 An Alliance with Castile 314 The Unconsummated Marriage 324 Béarnaise Problems 324 Castilian Problems 326 A Marriage Alliance Rekindled 332 Marriage in the Fourth Degree of Consanguinity 343 Sancho’s Rebellion and Gaston de Béarn 348 Conclusion 354 Appendix A 361 Appendix B 364 Appendix C 369 Appendix D 370 vi Appendix E 371 Appendix F 373 Appendix G 375 Appendix H 377 Appendix I 379 Appendix J 381 Glossary 383 Latin names of Places 386 Bibliography 390 Primary Sources 390 Manuscript Sources 390 Printed Sources 395 Secondary Sources 411 Unpublished Thesis 442 Dictionaries and Other Reference Material 443 vii Abbreviations ACA Arxiu de la Corona d’Aragó, Barcelona. AHN Archivo Histórico Nacional, Madrid, Spain. 'Annales Dunstaplia' 'Annales de Dunstaplia' in Luard, H.R. Annales Monastici. Vol. III, Rolls Series xxxvi. London: Longmann, Green, Reader and Dyer, 1864-9 BL British Library, London. BRAH Boletín de la Real Academia de Historia. CAI ‘Chronica Adefonsi Imperatoris’, in Barton, Simon, and R. A. Fletcher. The World of El Cid. Chronicles of the Spanish Reconquest, Manchester Medieval Sources Series, pp. 148-263. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2000. Charter Rolls Calendar of the Charter Rolls Preserved in the Public Record Office. 6 vols. London: Public Record Office, 1903-1927. Close Rolls Close Rolls of the Reign of Henry III. Preserved in the Public Record Office. London: H.M. Stationery Office, 1902-1934. Chronica latina Charlo Brea, Luis, Juan A. Estévez Sola, and Carande Herrero Rocío, eds. 'Chronica Latina Regvm Castellae', in Chronica Hispana Saeculi XIII. Vol. LXXIII, Corpus Christianorum Continuatio Mediaevalis. Turnholt: Brepols, 1997. viii CLR Calendar of the Liberate Rolls Preserved in the Public Record Office. London: HMSO, 1930-1964. CM Luard, Henry Richards, ed. Matthaei Parisiensis, Monachi Sancti Albani, Chronica Majora. 7 vols. London, 1872-83. CPR Calendar of Patent Rolls. Preserved in the Public Record Office. London: Public Record Office, 1893- 1913. DD Chaplais, Pierre, ed. Diplomatic Documents Preserved in the Public Record Office. Vol. I (1101-1272). London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1964. EHR English Historical Review Foedera Rymer, Thomas, ed. Foedera, conventiones, literae, et cujuscunque generis acta publica, inter reges Angliae, et alios quosvis imperatores, reges, pontifices, principes, vel communitates habita aut tractata. Vol. X vols. London: Record Commission, 1816-1869. González, Alfonso VIII González, Julio. El reino de Castilla en la época de Alfonso VIII. II and III vols, Textos (Escuela de Estudios Medievales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas). Madrid: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Escuela de Estudios Medievales, 1960. Howden Stubbs, W., ed. Chronica Magistri Rogeri de Hovedene. 4 vols. London: RS LI, 1868-71. ix Layettes Teulet, Alexandre, Joseph de Laborde, and Elie Berger. Layettes du Trésor des chartes. 5 vols. Paris: Henri Plon, 1863-1909. LFM Miquel Rosell, Francisco. Liber feudorum maior: cartulario real que se conserva en el Archivo de la Corona de Aragón. 2 vols, Textos y estudios de la Corona de Aragón. Barcelona: Escuela de Estudios Medievales (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientíicas) Sección de Estudios Medievales de Barcelona, 1945. ODNB Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004, http://www.oxforddnb.com PL Migne, Jacques-Paul, ed.