List of Castilian monarchs


This is a list of kings and queens of the Kingdom and Crown of Castile. For their predecessors, see List of Castilian counts.

Kings of Castile

Jiménez dynasty

MonarchImageNicknameReign beganReign endedNotes
Ferdinand Ithe Great103727 December 1065also King of León
Sancho IIthe Strong27 December 10656 October 1072
Alfonso VIthe Brave6 October 107230 June 1109also King of León
Urracathe Reckless30 June 11098 March 1126also Queen of León

House of Ivrea

The following dynasts are descendants, in the male line, of Urraca's first husband, Raymond of Burgundy.
MonarchImageNicknameBeganEndedNotes
Alfonso VIIThe Emperor10 March 112621 August 1157also King of León
Sancho IIIThe Desired21 August 115731 August 1158
Alfonso VIIIThe Noble31 August 11586 October 1214
16 July 1212 won a decisive victory for the Reconquista at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa
Henry I 6 October 12146 June 1217
BerengariaThe Great6 June 121730 August 1217abdicated in favor of her son, Ferdinand III; died 1246
Ferdinand IIIThe Saint30 August 121730 May 1252also King of León from 1230; all later kings were King of León as well
Alfonso XThe Wise30 May 12524 April 1284elected King of the Romans in 1257, a title which he claimed until he renounced it in 1275
Sancho IVThe Brave4 April 128425 April 1295
Ferdinand IVThe Summoned25 April 12957 September 1312
Alfonso XIThe Just7 September 131226 March 1350
PeterThe Cruel26 March 135023 March 1369Killed by Henry II of Castile

Succession crisis

Following the death of Peter, a succession crisis arose between Peter's illegitimate half-brother Henry of Trastámara and the Englishman John of Gaunt, a great great grandson of Ferdinand III of Castile, who claimed the title of King of Castile and Léon by virtue of his marriage to Constance, daughter of Peter. Henry took the throne by force, and faced several military actions by John of Gaunt, who had forged an alliance with John I of Portugal in an attempt to enforce his claim, however John of Gaunt was unsuccessful in his campaigns, and Henry established the House of Trastámara as the new ruling dynasty of Castile.

House of Trastámara

Henry II was the illegitimate son of Alfonso XI. He was made count of Trastámara.
MonarchImageNicknameBeganEndedNotes
Henry IIThe Bastard23 March 136929 May 1379also claimed the throne from 1366
John I 29 May 13799 October 1390
Henry IIIThe Infirm9 October 139025 December 1406
John II 25 December 140621 July 1454
Henry IVThe Impotent21 July 145411 December 1474
Isabella IThe Catholic11 December 147426 November 1504After ruling for a month on her own, Isabella was then joined by her husband, Ferdinand, who ruled Castile jure uxoris as Ferdinand V.
Ferdinand VThe Catholic15 January 147526 November 1504Ferdinand was in Aragon when Isabella succeeded to the throne on 11 December 1474. He arrived at Segovia on 2 January 1475 and a negotiation ensued that was arbitrated by Archbishop Carrillo and Cardinal Mendoza. One of the points determined was whether Ferdinand was to be consort or jure uxoris king. In Concordia de Segovia, Carrillo and Mendoza wrote the opinion on 15 January 1475 that Ferdinand was jure uxoris King of Castile.
Succeeding to the throne of Aragon as Ferdinand II on 19 January 1479, Ferdinand then ruled all of non-Portuguese Iberia except Granada and Navarre effectively creating a de facto united realm of España.
In 1478 established the Spanish Inquisition to displace the Papal Inquisition
JoannaThe mad26 November 150412 April 1555in name, with her husband Philip I.
in confinement, with regent Archbishop Cisneros.
in confinement, with her father Ferdinand V.
in confinement, with her son Charles I

House of Habsburg

MonarchImageNicknameBeganEndedNotes
Philip IThe Handsome26 November 150425 September 1506jure uxoris king ruling on behalf of his wife, Joanna I
Charles IThe Emperor13 March 151616 January 1556jointly with his mother Joanna I in confinement to 1555,
abdicated in favor of his son 1556, died 21 September 1558.
Philip IIThe Prudent16 January 155613 September 1598son of Charles I and Isabella of Portugal
Philip IIIThe Pious13 September 159831 March 1621son of Philip II and Anna of Austria
Philip IVThe Great31 March 162117 September 1665son of Philip III and Margaret of Austria
Charles IIThe Bewitched17 September 16651 November 1700son of Philip IV and Mariana of Austria

The Crown of Castile existed in its own right within the Spanish crown and with its own law until the arrival of the Bourbon dynasty after the War of Spanish Succession.

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