Tags
Albert II of Germany, Alfonso of Castile, Archduke of Austria, Blanche of Navarre, Duke of Austria, Duke of Burgundy, Elizabeth of Luxembourg, Emperor Charles V, Emperor Frederick III, Emperor Maximilian I, Ferdinand II of Aragon, Holy Roman Emperor, House of Habsburg, Infanta Joanna of Castile, Isabella I of Castile, King Henry IV of Castile, King John II of Aragon, King John II of Castile, King of Castile and Aragon (Spain), King of Naples King of Sicily, King of Sardinia, King of the Romans, Lord of the Netherlands, Ottokar II of Bohemia, Philip the Handsome, Pope Nicholas IV, Pope Nicholas V, Queen Blanche I of Navarre, Rudolph I of Germany
Now back to the future Queen Isabella I of Castile.
At the time of Infanta Isabella’s birth, she was second in line to the throne after her older half-brother the future King Enrique IV of Castile. Enrique was 26 at that time and married, but childless at that time.
Her father, King Juan II of Castile was King of Castile and León from 1406 to 1454, was therefore the reigning monarch when future Queen Isabella I of Castile was born. King Juan II died on July 20, 1454 in Valladolid at the age of 49 and his eldest son succeeded him as King Enrique IV of Castile and Léon. Young Infanta Isabella was three years old.
Infanta Isabella’s younger brother, Infante Alfonso of Castile was born two years after her on November 17, 1453, demoting her position to third in line. When her father died Infanta Isabella and her brother Infante Alfonso were left in King Enrique IV’s care. Isabella, her mother, and Infante Alfonso then moved to Arévalo.
King Enrique IV had been married prior to becoming King and when he was Prince of Asturias.
His chosen bride was Blanche of Navarre and Aragon the daughter of King Juan II of Aragon and Queen Blanche I of Navarre. Blanche of Navarre was an elder sister of the future King Fernando II of Aragon, husband of Queen Isabella I of Castile.
In 1427, she, her brother Charles, and her sister Eleanor were proclaimed the rightful heirs of the kingdom of Navarre. Blanche was promised to the heir of Castile in the peace treaty between Navarre and Castile in 1436. She married Enrique, Prince of Asturias (later King Enrique IV of Castile) in 1440. The marriage was reputedly never consummated.
In 1453, after thirteen years, the year before Infante Enrique became King, he sought the annulment of the marriage. An official examination confirmed the virginity of Blanche. A divorce was granted by Pope Nicholas V on the grounds that some “witchcraft” had prevented Enrique from consummating the marriage.
After this, Blanche was sent home to Navarre, where she was imprisoned by her family: from 1462, she was under the custody of her sister. She remained childless throughout her life.
After the death of her brother Charles in 1461, some dissatisfied Navarrese elements and some of the anti-Aragonese party regarded Blanche as the rightful monarch, as they had regarded her brother Charles. They proclaimed her queen. She would have thus become Queen Blanche II of Navarre, had not her father (who wanted to keep the government of Navarre) already had her incarcerated and thus not capable to act.
She died by poison in Orthez less than a month later.
One of Enrique’s detractors, the historian Alfonso de Palencia, wrote that the marriage had been a sham and accused Enrique of despising his wife and planning to commit adultery to bear children. According to Palencia, Enrique demonstrated “most extreme abhorrence” to his wife, and indifference to the confines of marriage.
King Enrique IV of Castile was married to his second wife Infanta Joan of Portugal, the posthumous daughter of King Duarte of Portugal and Infanta Eleanor of Aragon. They had a child, Infanta Joanna of Castile, Princess of Asturias. I will have more to say on her in an another blog entry. This marriage needed a dispensation also granted by Pope Nicholas V.