Ferdinand de la Cerda


Ferdinand de la Cerda was the heir apparent to the Crown of Castile as the eldest son of Alfonso X and Violant of Aragon. His nickname, de la Cerda, means "of the bristle" in Spanish, a reference to being born with a full head of hair.
' to the 13th century, a combination of Castile and León, from infante'' Fernando, and the arms of France, for Blanche of France.
In November 1268 he married Blanche, the daughter of King Louis IX of France. They had two sons:
Ferdinand became regent of Castile in November 1274 when his father left for Germany. In May 1275 the Marinids from Morocco landed in Spain upon call from Muhammad II of Granada and attacked Castile. Ferdinand raised troops and moved south from Burgos to defend the kingdom but died unexpectedly in Villa Real in August 1275 leaving Castile open to invasion. His sons did not inherit the throne of their grandfather, since their uncle Sancho, who had repulsed the Moorish invasion, usurped the throne.

Ancestry