He was born in Seville as the ninth of the ten illegitimate children of Alfonso XI of Castile and Leonor de Guzmán.

[1] He participated in a revolt of the Castilian nobles against the despotic rule of his brother, Peter of Castile.

In April 1366, his brother Henry named him Count of Alburquerque, lord of Ledesma, Alba de Liste, Medellín, Tiedra and Montalbán.

These lands had been confiscated from the only son of João Afonso de Albuquerque and 7th Lord of Alburquerque.

They had one daughter:[3] Eleanor of Alburquerque, who married Ferdinand I of Aragon.