 Pau became the capital of Béarn in 1464, becoming the political, cultural and economic centre of this small state which continued to defend its independence from the neighbouring French, English and Spanish territories.The town and its castle took on a new dimension, becoming the seat of the Kings of Navarre, after the capture of Pamplona by the Kingdom of Castile in 1512.Pau became a leading political and intellectual centre under the reign of Henry d'Albret and his wife Marguerite.