Once upon a time in Navarra, the wise, yet mischievous, king Sancho used his royal authority to arrange a marriage between his fair sister Urraca and the courtier Thomas de Beaufort from a Southern French county of minor importance. Unfortunately, the couple's happy idyll dramatically ended a few years later with the tragic death of sir Thomas, a loving husband and father of two beautiful daughters. Instead of letting the court mourn the loss of a distinguished courtier, rulers all over Europe contacted Navarra with wedding offers linking the poor widow Urraca with marriages with an immense horde of marshals, stewards, counts and even dukes. The king, utterly furious, wouldn't listen to any proposals. Years passed and there was no end to the flow of these insolent marriage offers, but the king remained adamant.
One day, a young unmarried duke called Jimeno Jiménez joined the vast group of European nobles aspiring after the hand of the widow Urraca, rapidly approaching her 40th birthday, still overwhelmed by the sorrow caused by the painful loss of her beloved husband. Lord Jimeno, apparently not troubled by the 22-year difference in age between him and Urraca, was not only Duke of Poitou but also son of Sancho Jiménez, King of Navarra. Now who am I, a mere historian, to judge the young duke's taste, but... the widow was, after all, his aunt. Sancho's reputation as a wise king results particularly from his decision to turn down this offer, too.
One day, a young unmarried duke called Jimeno Jiménez joined the vast group of European nobles aspiring after the hand of the widow Urraca, rapidly approaching her 40th birthday, still overwhelmed by the sorrow caused by the painful loss of her beloved husband. Lord Jimeno, apparently not troubled by the 22-year difference in age between him and Urraca, was not only Duke of Poitou but also son of Sancho Jiménez, King of Navarra. Now who am I, a mere historian, to judge the young duke's taste, but... the widow was, after all, his aunt. Sancho's reputation as a wise king results particularly from his decision to turn down this offer, too.
