Eleanor of Portugal, Holy Roman Empress

Eleanor (Portuguese: Leonor) was born on 18 September 1434, in Torres Vedras, Portugal. She was one of the nine children of King Duarte of Portugal and his wife, Eleanor of Aragon. Her two older sisters died when they were young, leaving Eleanor as the eldest surviving daughter.

The King died five days after Eleanor's fourth birthday and her brother Afonso succeeded him as Afonso V, with their mother as regent. In 1440, Eleanor's mother was forced to go into exile in Castile because she lost litigation against her brother-in-law Pedro, Duke of Coimbra, for the regency of the young King.

Eleanor's marriage was likely suggested by her aunt, Isabella of Portugal, Duchess of Burgundy. Arrangements were made and Eleanor's portrait was painted. She received proposals from Louis, Dauphin of France and Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor. Eleanor chose Frederick herself because the match with him would give her the title of Empress.

Eleanor and Frederick met for the first time in Sienna. Frederick was said to have paled when he saw her, partly because of her beauty, but also out of worry that she would have troubles giving birth due to her slender and frail appearance. They married in Rome and she was given the name Helena. She never used it.

Eleanor and Frederick were two very different people and the marriage was never happy. She was ambitious, wilful and participated in intrigues, whereas he was sober and uninspiring. She liked dancing, gambling and hunting and he didn't enjoy any of these things.

When Eleanor arrived in Vienna, her Portuguese entourage was dismissed and sent home because of the cost, and she suffered from homesickness. Frederick also blamed her for causing the death of several of their children by allowing them to eat Portuguese food. When Vienna went through a period of siege and people were forced to eat rats, cats and dogs, she was known for trying to cheer people up.

They had five children: Christopher, Maximilian (future Holy Roman Emperor), Helena, Kunigunde and John.

Eleanor died in Wiener Neustadt on 3 September 1467, a few days short of her 33rd birthday.

Eleanor of Portugal, Holy Roman Empress
probably Hans Burgkmair
(c. 1468)

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