Chapter 27 - How King Pedro of Portugal said that Dona Inês had been his acknowledged wife, and the manner in which the marriage took place
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 December 2023
Summary
You have already heard at length, when we spoke of the death of Dona Inês, the reason why King Afonso had her killed and the great conflict that it caused between him and King Pedro, then still a prince. It so happens that never, prior to this point in time, while Dona Inês was alive, nor after her death, nor during his father's reign, nor after he himself became king, did King Pedro name her as his wife. Rather, it is said that King Afonso often sent someone to ask him if he had married her, for in that case he would honour her as his son's wife, and he had always answered that he had not done so and that she was not his wife.
About four years after becoming king, while staying at Cantanhede in the month of June, the king decided to announce publicly that she had indeed been his wife. Present before him were Dom João Afonso, who was the Count of Barcelos his chief steward; Vasco Martins de Sousa, his chancellor; Master Afonso das Leis and João Esteves, his counsellors; Martim Vasques, the Lord of Góis; Gonçalo Mendes de Vasconcelos and his brother, João Mendes; Álvaro Pereira and Gonçalo Pereira; Diogo Gomes and Vasco Gomes de Abreu; and many others whom we do not care to mention. The king then summoned a notary and before all of them swore to the truth of the following, while touching the Gospels.
Around seven years earlier more or less, his father being still alive and he a prince (though he was unable to remember the exact day and month), while staying in Bragança, he had taken as his legitimate wife by verba de praesenti, as Holy Church commands, Dona Inês de Castro, the daughter of Don Pedro Fernández de Castro. Dona Inês had in turn taken him as her husband using similar words. After the ceremony he always viewed her as his wife until the time of her death, living together with her and behaving as a married couple should.
King Pedro then added that since this marriage was neither publicized nor made known to his whole household during the life of his father, owing to the fear and anxiety he caused him, he now wished to unburden his conscience and tell the truth.
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- The Chronicles of Fernão LopesVolume 1. The Chronicle of King Pedro of Portugal, pp. 125 - 126Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2023