Who married Ferdinand III of Castile?

Ferdinand III (Spanish: Fernando; 1199/1201 – 30 May 1252), called the Saint (el Santo), was King of Castile from 1217 and King of León from 1230 as well as King of Galicia from 1231. He was the son of Alfonso IX of León and Berengaria of Castile. Through his second marriage he was also Count of Aumale. Ferdinand III was one of the most successful kings of Castile, securing not only the permanent union of the crowns of Castile and León, but also masterminding the most expansive southward territorial expansion campaign yet in the Guadalquivir Valley, in which Islamic rule was in disarray in the wake of the defeat of the Almohad caliphate at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa. His repeated and decisive victories against the Islamic Caliphate earned him the title Athleta Christi, meaning 'Champion of Christ', which was conferred upon him by Pope Gregory IX.

By military and diplomatic efforts, Ferdinand greatly expanded the dominions of Castile by annexing the crown of Guadalquivir river valley in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, establishing the boundaries of the Castilian state for the next two centuries. New territories included important cities such as Baeza, Úbeda, Jaén, Córdoba and Seville, that were subject of Repartimiento, given a new general charter and repopulated in the following years.

Ferdinand was canonized in 1671 by Pope Clement X. Places such as the cities of San Fernando, Pampanga and San Fernando, La Union; the Diocese of Ilagan and the San Fernando de Dilao Church in Paco, Manila in the Philippines; and in the United States, in California the City of San Fernando, the San Fernando Valley, and in Texas the Cathedral of San Fernando in San Antonio were named in his honor.

Elisabeth of Swabia (renamed Beatrice; March/May 1205 – 5 November 1235), was a member of the House of Hohenstaufen who became Queen of Castile and Leon by marriage to Ferdinand III.

Born in Nürnberg, Elisabeth was the fourth daughter of Philip of Swabia, King of Germany, and Irene Angelina, daughter of Emperor Isaac II Angelos of the Byzantine Empire. Elisabeth's father was murdered on 21 June 1208, and her mother died from childbirth complications on 27 August. Elisabeth and her sisters were placed under the guardianship of their cousin, King Frederick Roger of Sicily, who arranged the marriage of Elisabeth and King Ferdinand III of Castile.

The marriage ceremony between Elisabeth and Ferdinand III was celebrated on 30 November 1219 in the city of Burgos. In Castile, she assumed the name Beatrice, probably in honour to both her eldest sister, Empress Beatrice (who had died in 1212), and the youngest, who died alongside their mother in 1208 during childbirth.

In 1230, after the death of her father-in-law, King Alfonso IX of Leon, Beatrice became queen. During her marriage, Elisabeth gave birth to ten children:

• Alfonso X (called the Wise) (b. Toledo, 23 November 1221 - d. Seville, 4 April 1284).
• Frederick (b. Guadalajara, bef. 15 September 1223 - executed in Burgos, 1277).
• Ferdinand (b. Cuenca, bef. 27 March 1225 - d. near Seville, bef. 23 November 1248).
• Eleanor (b. 1226 - died young).
• Berengaria (b. 1228 - d. Las Huelgas 1279), a nun at the Cistercian monastery Santa María la Real at Las Huelgas since September 1243.
• Henry (b. bef. 10 March 1230 - d. Roa, 8 August 1303).
• Philip (b. bef. 5 Dec 1231 - d. 28 November 1274).
• Sancho (b. 1233 - d. Toledo, 27 October 1261), Archbishop of Toledo from 1251–1261.
• Manuel, Lord of Villena (b. Carrión de los Condes, 1234 - d. Peñafiel, 25 December 1283).
• Maria (b. and d. bef. 5 November 1235).

Queen Beatrice died in Toro on 5 November 1235 aged 30. Her death was probably related to her last childbirth, or she even died after giving birth. She was buried in the Royal Monastery of Huelgas de Burgos, next to King Henry I. Later, her son Alfonso X transferred her body to Seville Cathedral in 1279, where that of her husband rested.

Joan of Dammartin (French: Jeanne; c. 1220 – 16 March 1279) was Queen of Castile and León by marriage to Ferdinand III of Castile. She also ruled as Countess of Ponthieu (1251–1279) and Aumale (1237–1279). Her daughter, the English queen Eleanor of Castile, was her successor in Ponthieu. Ferdinand II, Count of Aumale, her son and co-ruler in Aumale, predeceased her, thus she was succeeded by her grandson John I, Count of Aumale.