The Treaty of Bayonne in 1388 ended a conflict over the succession to the crown of Castile. The treaty was signed on 26 October 1388 in Bayonne between King

John I of Castile John I ( es, Juan I; 24 August 1358 – 9 October 1390) was King of Castile and León from 1379 until 1390. He was the son of Henry II and of his wife Juana Manuel of Castile. Biography His first marriage, to Eleanor of Aragon on 18 June 137 ...

and John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, claimant to the throne of Castile in the right of his wife ('' jure uxoris'').

Conflict over the succession to the crown of Castile

The conflict over the Castilian succession had first arisen over the claims of two half-brothers. These were on the one hand

Henry of Trastamara Henry II (13 January 1334 – 29 May 1379), called Henry of Trastámara or the Fratricidal (''el Fratricida''), was the first King of Castile and León from the House of Trastámara. He became king in 1369 by defeating his half-brother Peter the ...

, an illegitimate son of Alfonso XI of Castile from his relationship with his mistress

Eleanor de Guzmán Leonor (Eleanor) de Guzmán y Ponce de León (1310–1351) was a Castilian noblewoman. After roughly 1330, she became the long-term mistress and favourite of Alfonso XI, with whom she had the illegitimate Henry "the Fratricidal", future first mona ...

, and on the other

Peter I Peter I may refer to: Religious hierarchs * Saint Peter (c. 1 AD – c. 64–88 AD), a.k.a. Simon Peter, Simeon, or Simon, apostle of Jesus * Pope Peter I of Alexandria (died 311), revered as a saint * Peter I of Armenia (died 1058), Catholico ...

(nicknamed The Cruel), a son of Alfonso XI from his marriage to Maria of Portugal. In 1356, this conflict turned into a

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. The half-brothers fought for the throne until 1369 when Henry of Trastamara murdered Peter and assumed the crown as Henry II. Henry II wanted to secure his throne for his son and successor John I (1358-1390). However, he was once again threatened by two other rivals who claimed the throne. These were Ferdinand I of Portugal (1345-1383), a great-grandchild of Sancho IV of Castile (through the female line), and John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, married to a daughter of Peter I, Constance. The treaty of 1388 settled the issue of succession with a marriage between the two opposing candidates for the crown:

Henry Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) * Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

(a son of John I of Castile and Eleanor of Aragon) and

Catherine Katherine, also spelled Catherine, and other variations are feminine names. They are popular in Christian countries because of their derivation from the name of one of the first Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria. In the early Christ ...

(a daughter of John of Gaunt and Constance of Castile). The prince and princess were awarded the title of

Prince of Asturias Prince or Princess of Asturias ( es, link=no, Príncipe/Princesa de Asturias; ast, Príncipe d'Asturies) is the main substantive title used by the heir apparent or heir presumptive to the throne of Spain. According to the Spanish Constitution ...

, a title that is used from that time on for the heirs to the crown of Castile and afterwards that of

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. John of Gaunt renounced his claim to the throne in exchange for a compensation of 600,000 gold francs and an annuity of 40,000 gold francs. The treaty also stipulated the release of the children of Peter the Cruel who had been imprisoned.Payment letter by John I to the Duke of Lancaster
in the "Colección de documentos inéditos para la historia de España", vol. LI, pp. 39 - 46 (in Spanish).

Effects on the European relations

Europe was exhausted in 1388, tired of the Hundred Years' War and Black Death, and the warring factions were inclined to come to terms. The English had little interest in a Spain allied to France. The French had signed a treaty with Castile on June 12 to assemble a naval expedition against England. On the other hand, France had already negotiated with John of Gaunt in the spring to relinquish its claims to the throne of Castile. In 1389, the

Truce of Leulinghem The Truce of Leulinghem was a truce agreed to by Richard II's kingdom of England and its allies, and Charles VI's kingdom of France and its allies, on 18 July 1389, ending the second phase of the Hundred Years' War. England was on the edge of f ...

was concluded between England, France, Castile, Scotland, Burgundy and Portugal. It initiated a period of relative calm in the Hundred Years' War, which lasted until about 1415.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bayonne (1388), Treaty of Treaties of the Crown of Castile Bayonne Treaties of the Hundred Years' War 1380s treaties Peace treaties 1388 in Europe