At the time when the king married Queen Leonor, she was a young woman in her prime, as well as being physically well-endowed. She had a graceful and attractive countenance, and every feature of her face corresponded to the rule of beauty, so that no other woman at that time was her equal either in good looks or in the sweetness of her voice. However, we refrain from censuring her for a number of matters about which there was unbecoming and very idle chatter.

She possessed a great and lively intelligence, which she applied to strengthening her position, fostering love and fondness for her among people of both greater and lesser importance, and drawing them all into cheerful conversation, showing great generosity and doing them many favours.

She was well aware that common folk were displeased that she was queen, as had become evident in Lisbon and other towns, and she was even very suspicious of certain grandees. For those reasons, she worked hard to win over to her side all the major figures in the realm through marriages, great offices and fortresses which she arranged to give them, as you will hear in due course.

She also extended great privileges, especially to members of her family. She arranged the promotion of two of her brothers: Dom João Afonso Telo was made Admiral, and Gonçalo Teles became the Count of Neiva and Faria, which lies in the Minho. As for the two sons of her uncle Dom João Afonso, she made one of them, Dom João, the Count of Viana, and the other one, Dom Afonso, the Count of Barcelos. As the latter was very young, she gave him as tutor a knight named Vasco Peres de Camões. She made her brotherin- law Don Enrique Manuel the Count of Seia and made Dom Álvaro Pérez de Castro the Count of Arraiolos. She gave the Mastership of the Order of Santiago to Dom Fernando Afonso de Albuquerque, who was the brother of the wives of her brothers, and gave the Mastership of the Order of Christ to a nephew of hers, one Dom Lopo Dias, who was the son of her sister Dona Maria. She bestowed all the castles and best fortresses of the realm to members of her family.