PEDRO THE CRUEL (1334-69). King of Castile and Leon from 1350 to 1369. He was the son of Alfonso X/. and Maria of Portugal, and was born at Burgos, August 30, 1334. On his father's death Pedro succeeded to the throne without op position. He was greatly influenced by his mother, and Albuquerque, his favorite. His bas tard brother, Henry of Trastamare (q.v.), plotted against him constantly. But the great oppo sition which he encountered was due to his mar riage, in 3353, to Blanche of Bourbon, whom he abandoned after three days, and a second marriage. in 1354 to Juana de Castro. whom he abandoned after two days. The friends of both joined his brothers. He was taken prisoner in 1354, hut soon escaped and took cruel revenge. From 1357 to 1361 he was engaged in a war with Pedro IV. of Aragon. Henry of Trastamare, who had fled to France, returned (1366) at the head of a body of exiles, reinforced by Bertrand du Guesclin (q.v.) with an army of mercenaries, and aided by Aragon, France, and the Pope. Pedro prevailed upon Edward, the Black Prince, to espouse his cause. Edward invaded Castile in the spring of
1367, defeated Henry and Du Guesclin at Najera, and restored Pedro to the throne. But the King disgusted his chivalrous ally by his cruelty to the vanquished, and paid no heed to his remon strances; Edward accordingly repassed the Pyrenees, and left the treacherous monarch to his fate. The whole kingdom groaned under his cruelties; rebellions broke out everywhere; and in August, 1369, Henry returned. Pedro's forces were routed at Slontiel, and he himself was com pelled to retire for safety within the town, whence he was treacherously decoyed and captured by Du Guesclin. He was carried to a tent, where a quarrel took place between him and Henry, in which the latter killed Pedro. Consult: Garcia, Castilla y Leon durante los reinados de Pedro I., Enrique II., Juan IL, Enrique III., vol. i. (Madrid, 1891) ; Burke, A History of Spain, vol. i. (London, 1895).