«Nós vivim e passam ab gran afany e misèria nostra vida e stat». Las dificultades económicas de una reina viuda. El caso de Margarita de Prades (v. 1410-1430). 2ª parte: El reinado de Alfonso el Magnánimo hasta la muerte de la reina (1416-1430)

Zusammenfassung

Whereas we have come to find a substantial increase in the number of studies focusing on medieval queens in recent years, less attention has been paid to those who became widowed. This article’s aim is to conduct a detailed analysis of the prolonged period of time that Margarita de Prades remained a widow (1410-1430), a considerably long period when compared to her short reign which lasted for just over eight and a half months. A wide range of largely unpublished sources kept in royal, papal, nobility, notarial and municipal archives will provide us with the information needed to recreate a reality marked by the severe and recurring financial difficulties faced by this short-reigning queen. Considering the breadth of documents and prioritising thoroughness over a simple summary of viewpoints, a decision to split the article in two was made. This second instalment will deal specifically with the years of the reign of Alfonso the Magnanimous until the death of the queen dowager.