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After ensuring him a high-quality education, Pope Innocent III in 1208 promised power and leverage to those who would support the young king in reclaiming his Norman throne, which had been wrested from him due to his young age. Despite being only fifteen years old, the Pope arranged for a favorable marriage to Constance of Aragon, a Spanish princess who was a good ten years older than the bridegroom. With this shrewd political move, the Pope aimed to gain Frederick's allegiance to Rome and the Church.
