Alfonso XI of Castile

Who was Alfonso XI of Castile?

Alfonso XI was the king of Castile, León and Galicia.

He was the son of Ferdinand IV of Castile and his wife Constance of Portugal. Upon his father's death in 1312, several disputes ensued over who would hold regency, which were resolved in 1313. His grandmother, María de Molina, his mother Constance, his granduncle John and uncle Peter, assumed regency. Queen Constance died first in 18 November 1313, followed by Infante John and Infante Peter during a military campaign against Granada in 1319, which left Dowager Queen María as the only regent until her death in 1 July 1321. Since Infante John's and Infante Peter's deaths in 1339, Infante Philip, Juan Manuel and Juan el Tuerto split the kingdom among themselves according to their aspirations for regency, even as it was being looted by moors and Levantine nobility. Once Alfonso was declared adult in 1325, he began a reign that would serve to strengthen royal power. His achievements include solving the problems of the Gibraltar Strait and the conquest of Algeciras.