There are some names that just scream royal – George, Edward,
Elizabeth, Anne. Kings and queens have a tendency to keep it in the
family when it comes to christening their offspring and so a
certain quota of names have become associated with royalty.
Alphonso isn’t one of them but for over a decade, it was actually
the name of England’s heir to the throne and one of the most regal
names in the kingdom.
The prince in question was born on November 24 1273 and he was
the son of King Edward I of England and his wife, Eleanor of
Castile. The couple had been married for almost twenty years when
Alfonso was born but many of their children had died very
young.
They welcomed their third son in Bayonne in Gascony in south
west France. The kingdom of England was heavily tied up in politics
on mainland Europe and the Duchy of Gascony was an important part
in the powerbase of the Plantagenets, the royal dynasty of Edward
I.
Baby Alfonso was actually second in line to the throne at birth.
However, even though he had a brother ahead of him who was expected
to reign (a young prince called Henry), the name his parents chose
for him was still a surprise and seen as unusual for an English
royal.
Alfonso’s mother, Queen Eleanor, had turned to her own family
for inspiration. Her third son was named after her half brother,
Alfonso X of Castle, who had once claimed the Duchy of Gascony as
his own but who had given up that ambition when Eleanor married
into the English royal family.
There was definitely some diplomacy involved in naming the new
royal baby after his uncle as well as family affection.
Within a year, the name took on a brand new significance. In
October 1274, Alfonso’s older brother, Henry, died and the little
prince became heir to the throne of England at the age of 11
months.
He became known as Earl of Chester, although there is no
evidence of the title being formally created for him. Alfonso was
raised in his own household, as was usual at the time. However, his
parents were far more active abroad than previous English royals
with Edward on crusade and Alfonso didn’t spend all that much time
with them.
The little prince was still given a majestic education and, as
time went on, hopes began to grow that his health was strong enough
for him to inherit the throne of England.
His father, King Edward, arranged a marriage for him with
Margaret, the daughter of Floris V, Count of Holland, and gifts
were prepared for the union. Among them is the Alfonso Psalter, a
beautifully illustrated manuscript, which is now in the British
Library.
It is a relic of a royal wedding that never happened. After
almost eleven years of robust health, Alfonso fell ill and died at
Windsor on August 19 1284. He was buried at Westminster Abbey
although his tomb can’t now be found.
Just months before his death, his parents had welcomed another
son and called him Edward. It was this prince who would grow up to
inherit the throne that Alfonso had been heir to for over a decade.
However, this Edward would prove disastrous and soon gave way to
despotism which ultimately led to him being overthrown in a
rebellion led by his own wife, Isabella of France, and her lover,
Roger Mortimer.
By then, Alfonso was long forgotten. His name is unique in
English royal history and, had he reigned, it might well have
become one of the most used royal monikers of all.
Instead, he shares it with a long line of Spanish royals but
also has another distinction. The uncle after whom he was named,
Alfonso X of Castle, was deeply interested in astronomy and
astrology and his work on it was so influential that in the 20th
century, parts of the Moon were linked to him. They were named the
Alfonsine Craters.
This distant part of the sky, like a prince lost in the distance
of time in England’s history, shares an unusual name – Alfonso.
