| Peter of Coimbra Peter V of Aragon(disputed) | |
|---|---|
| Constable of Portugal;Count of Barcelona | |
.jpg) Portrait in theChapel of Santa Àgata, 1464-1465 | |
| Born | 1429 |
| Died | 30 June 1466 (aged 36–37) Granollers |
| Burial | |
| House | Aviz |
| Father | Peter, Duke of Coimbra |
| Mother | Isabella of Urgell |
Peter of Coimbra (also known asPeter the Constable) (Portuguese:Pedro, pronounced[ˈpeðɾu]; c. 1429 –Granollers, 30 June 1466), sometimes known asPeter V of Aragon or theIntruder King (el Rey Intruso),[1][2] was the son ofInfante Peter, Duke of Coimbra, who became the fifthConstable of Portugal and thirdGrand Master of theOrder of Saint Benedict of Aviz. TheConsell de Cent later granted Peter theCrown of Aragon, which he claimed from 1463 to 1466 in opposition toJohn II. His status as king of Aragon, however, along with that of John II's other challengers, is disputed.
Peter was the eldest son ofInfante Peter, Duke of Coimbra andIsabella of Urgell.[3] His father served as regent of theKingdom of Portugal forAfonso V between 1439 and 1448.[1]
Peter inherited a claim to the Aragonese throne through his maternal grandfatherJames II, Count of Urgell, who was the last male descendant of theHouse of Barcelona and heir to the Crown of Aragon by the rights ofagnatic primogeniture.
In 1443, after the death of his cousinInfante Diogo and by the instigation of his father, Peter was elected theConstable of Portugal, enragingAfonso, Marquis of Valença, the son of his half-uncleAfonso, 1st Duke of Braganza, who believed the title was rightfully his.[4] This political move, along with Afonso V's marriage toIsabella of Coimbra, Peter's sister, instead of the granddaughter of the Duke of Braganza, caused significant conflict between the two parties.[4][5] In the same year, after the death of his uncleFerdinand, Peter was granted the mastership of the order of Avis.[4]
In 1448, when KingAfonso V of Portugal became of age and took reign, the Duke of Coimbra stepped down as regent. Afonso V, because of influence of the Duke of Braganza, who became the political enemy of Peter's father, voided all laws created under Coimbra's regency. Peter was stripped of both the constableship and the master of Avis.[6]Intense disagreement and intrigue led to theBattle of Alfarrobeira, culminating in the death of Pedro and the exile of his children.[7] Unlike his siblings, who went to the court of their auntIsabella in Burgundy, Peter fled toCastile.[1]
Peter's exile in Castile constitutes the main period of his activity as a writer.[1] Described as a disciple ofRodríguez del Padrón, he completed two projects,Satira de Infelice e Felice Vida andTragédia de la insigne reina doña Isabel.[8] The works are considered some of the earliest examples of sentimental fiction.[9]
In 1456 or 1457, Peter reconciled with King Afonso V and the Duke of Braganza, thus allowing him to return to Portugal and reclaim all his family's previous possessions.[2][6] Upon his return, he participated in several of Afonso's expeditions to northern Africa.[1][2]
In 1463, the Catalan institutions, which were incivil war withJohn II of Aragon, offered their crown to Peter.[10] He was crownedKing of Aragon,Count of Barcelona, andKing of Valencia by theConsell de Cent. He reigned de facto in thePrincipality of Catalonia and parts of theKingdom of Aragon, but only de jure inValencia, which was occupied byJohn II of Aragon. The territory under his control only includedBarcelona, most ofCatalonia and parts ofAragon.[citation needed]
With the support of his auntIsabella, Duchess of Burgundy he became engaged toMargaret of York, sending her an engagement ring and a marriage contract.[citation needed] Margaret would later marry Isabella's sonCharles the Bold.
After a period of ineffectual rulership, Peter died in 1466 of natural causes.[1][11] He is buried inChurch of Santa Maria del Mar inBarcelona,Catalonia. After his death, the Catalans offered the crown toRené of Anjou.[12]
| Ancestors of Peter, Constable of Portugal |
|---|
Peter, Constable of Portugal Cadet branch of theHouse of Burgundy Born: 1429 Died: 30 June 1466 | ||
| Titles in pretence | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | King of Aragon Count of Barcelona (in opposition toJohn II) 1463–1466 | Succeeded by |
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