Princess Mariana Leonor Moctezuma – Emperor Moctezuma II’s tenacious daughter

Princess Mariana Leonor Moctezuma was the daughter of Emperor Moctezuma II of the Aztec Empire. After the fall of the Aztec Empire, Princess Mariana Leonor Moctezuma managed to successfully transition into Spanish society. The Spanish awarded her with the towns of Tarimbaro and Ecatepec. She had two husbands and one daughter. Princess Mariana Leonor Moctezuma’s story shows how she allied herself with the Spanish conquistadors to increase her own ambitions.

Princess Mariana Leonor Moctezuma’s early life is unknown.^[1] She was the daughter of Emperor Moctezuma II and his favourite lesser wife named Acatlan.^[2] She was born in 1510 in Tenochtitlan. Her original name remains unrecorded.^[3] Mariana Leonor was her baptised and christened name when she converted to Catholicism after the fall of the Aztec Empire.^[4] She had numerous half-siblings, many of which are still unknown.^[5] Among her known half-siblings are Isabel Moctezuma (the last Aztec Empress), Pedro Moctezuma, and Francisca Moctezuma. Emperor Moctezuma II died on 30 June 1520 under mysterious circumstances. There is no mention of her mother’s fate, but it is speculated that she died before 1526.^[6] This is because, in 1526, Princess Mariana Leonor Moctezuma was taken into Hernan Cortes’s household in Coyoacan.^[7]

In 1527, Hernan Cortes bestowed on Princess Mariana Leonor Moctezuma the town of Ecatepec.^[8] Hernan Cortes then arranged for her to marry a Spanish conquistador named Juan Paez.^[9] However, Juan Paez died in 1529.^[10] In 1531, Princess Mariana Leonor Moctezuma married for the second time to the Spanish conquistador named Don Cristobal de Valderrama.^[11] Due to this marriage, Princess Marina Leonor Moctezuma was also given the town of Tarimbaro.^[12] In 1532, Princess Mariana Leonor Moctezuma gave birth to her only child, who was a daughter named Leonor de Valderrama y Moctezuma.^[13] In November 1537, Don Cristobal de Valderrama died.^[14] His death left Princess Mariana Leonor Moctezuma a widow to raise her only child alone.^[15] 

Princess Mariana Leonor Moctezuma’s daughter, Leonor de Valderrama y Moctezuma, eventually married Diego Arias Sotelo.^[16] They had four children named Fernando, Cristobal, Ana, and Petronilla.^[17] Princess Mariana Leonor Moctezuma died on 9 July 1562.^[18] Leonor de Valderrama y Moctezuma inherited the towns of Tarimbaro and Ecatepec from her mother.^[19] However, Leonor and Diego Arias Sotelo would be involved in numerous property disputes over Ecatepec.^[20]

Princess Mariana Leonor Moctezuma experienced many tragedies and hardships. However, she allied herself with the Spanish conquistadors. Her alliance with the Spanish gave her a wealthy estate.^[21] She was twice widowed and raised her young daughter by herself. Thus, Princess Mariana Leonor Moctezuma’s story is one of tenacity and survival. Her descendants still reside in Mexico today.^[22]

Sources:

Chipman, D. E. (2010). Moctezuma’s Children: Aztec Royalty Under Spanish Rule, 1520–1700. (n.p.): University of Texas Press.

Kalyuta, A. (January 30, 2010). “Doña Isabel de Moctezuma: the emperor’s favourite daughter?”. Aztecs at Mexicolore. Retrieved on 30 January 2023 from https://www.mexicolore.co.uk/aztecs/moctezuma/last-mexica-princess-1.

Schmal, J. P. (September 7, 2022).  “Moctezuma’s Descendants in Aguascalientes”. Indigenous Mexico. Retrieved on 30 January 2023 from https://indigenousmexico.org/aguascalientes/moctezumas-descendants-in-aguascalientes/.