Fernando de la Cerda (1275–1322)

Ferdinand de la Cerda
Lord consort of Lara
Arms of the House of La Cerda before 1376
Born	1275
Died	Shortly after 1 June 1322
Noble family	House de la Cerda
Spouse(s)	Juana Núñez de Lara
Issue	Juan Núñez III de Lara Blanche Núñez de Lara Margaret Núñez de Lara, a nun Maria Núñez de Lara
Father	Ferdinand de la Cerda, Infante of Castile
Mother	Blanche of France

Fernando de la Cerda (1275–1322) was the younger son of Ferdinand de la Cerda, Infante of Castile and his wife Blanche of France. His paternal grandparents were Alfonso X of Castile and Violant of Aragon. His maternal grandparents were Louis IX of France and Marguerite of Provence. His elder brother was Alfonso de la Cerda.

The fight for the throne

Fernando's father died before inheriting Castile. His elder brother, Alfonso, should have ascended the throne on his grandfather's death. In 1282 their uncle, Sancho assembled a coalition of nobles to declare for him against Fernando's elder brother, then took control of the kingdom when Alfonso X of Castile died in 1284. This was all against the wishes of the boys' grandfather, but Sancho was crowned in Toledo nevertheless.

Sancho was recognised and supported by the majority of the nobility and the cities, but a sizable minority opposed him throughout his reign and worked for Alfonso and Fernando. One of the leaders of the opposition was Don Juan, his uncle, who united to his cause the lord of Vizcaya, Lope Díaz III de Haro. Sancho responded by executing the lord of Vizcaya and incarcerating his uncle.