Royal Studies Journal (Jun 2023)
Reconstructing the Thirteenth-Century Castilian Queen's Household through the Repartimientos
Abstract
The thirteenth century was a transformative period for Western European monarchies, which experienced the development of institutions and an increasing bureaucratisation of their administrative systems. During this time in Castile, the queen’s establishment began to be recognised as progressively differentiated from the king’s own household. This study examines the composition and structure of the Castilian queen’s household in the thirteenth century through two case studies: the households of Juana of Ponthieu (r.1237-1252), wife of Fernando III; and Violante of Aragon (r.1252-1284), wife of Alfonso X. It draws upon the references to their personnel contained in the repartimientos, the grants of land that followed the conquest of new territories in the Southern Iberian Peninsula. This approach demonstrates that the examination of well-known sources through the lens of queenship provides important new insights into the personnel and households of thirteenth-century queens consort. This article argues that, during the thirteenth century, the queen’s household constituted a space of connection which linked together people from diverse origins, kingdoms, and backgrounds; and provided the queen with a sphere of influence, through which she could exercise her largesse and patronage.
