Alfonso VIII of Castile

  General Notes:

Born: 11 Nov 1155, Soria
Marriage: Eleanor Plantagenet in Sep 1170 in Burgos Cathedral, Castile
Died: 6 Oct 1214, Gutierre Munoz at age 58
General Notes:
Alfonso VIII succeeded to the throne on the death of his father, Sancho III. Troubled by interference from Navarre in his youth, he later allied Castile with Aragón, forming a connection that was eventually to become the basis for the unification of Spain. He also established Castilian dominance over León. In 1170 he married Eleanor, daughter of King Henry II of England. From the 1170s, he resisted encroachments by the Almohads, Muslim invaders from northern Africa. Defeated by the Muslim caliph Yakub al-Mansur at Alarcos in 1195, Alfonso and his allies won a major victory over the Muslim commander al-Nasir at Navas de Tolosa in 1212.
Noted events in his life were:
• Acceded: 1158. King of Castile.
Alfonso married Eleanor Plantagenet, daughter of Henry II Curtmantle of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine, in Sep 1170 in Burgos Cathedral, Castile. (Eleanor Plantagenet was born on 13 Oct 1162 in Domfront Castle, Normandy, France and died on 31 Oct 1214 in Burgos, Castile, Spain.)

Alfonso married Eleanor PLANTAGENET, daughter of Henry II Curtmantle of England PLANTAGENET and Eleanore of Aquitaine, in Sep 1170 in Burgos Cathedral, Castile. (Eleanor PLANTAGENET was born on 13 Oct 1162 in Domfront Castle, Normandy, France and died on 31 Oct 1214 in Burgos, Castile, Spain.)