Eleanor of Austria facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eleanor of Austria |
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Portrait by Joos van Cleve, c. 1530
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| Queen consort of Portugal | |
| Tenure | 16 July 1518 – 13 December 1521 |
| Queen consort of France | |
| Tenure | 4 July 1530 – 31 March 1547 |
| Coronation | 31 May 1531 |
| Born | 15 November 1498 Leuven, Habsburg Netherlands |
| Died | 25 February 1558 (aged 59) Talavera la Real, Kingdom of Spain |
| Burial | Lleida, then El Escorial |
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| Issue more... |
Maria, Duchess of Viseu |
| House | Habsburg |
| Father | Philip I of Castile |
| Mother | Joanna of Castile |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Eleanor of Austria (born November 15, 1498 – died February 25, 1558) was a powerful European princess. She was also known as Eleanor of Castile. She was born into the important House of Habsburg family. Eleanor later became the Queen consort of Portugal from 1518 to 1521. She then became the Queen consort of France from 1530 to 1547. She was called "Leonor" in Spanish and Portuguese, and "Eléonore" or "Aliénor" in French.
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Early Life of Eleanor of Austria
Eleanor was born in 1498 in Leuven. This city is now in Belgium. She was the oldest child of Philip the Handsome and Joanna of Castile. Her parents later became rulers of Castile.
Eleanor's father, Philip, was the son of Emperor Maximilian I. Her mother, Joanna, was the daughter of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile. These were very powerful rulers.
Eleanor had five younger siblings. They included Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I. Her sisters were Isabella, Queen of Denmark, Mary, Queen of Hungary, and Catherine, Queen of Portugal. She was named after her great-grandmother, Eleanor of Portugal, Holy Roman Empress. After her father died in 1506, Eleanor was raised at her aunt's court in Mechelen.
When Eleanor was young, her family tried to arrange many marriages for her. They wanted her to marry Henry VIII, who later became King of England. But Henry chose to marry Eleanor's aunt, Catherine of Aragon, instead. Her family also tried to arrange marriages with French kings Louis XII or Francis I. They also considered Sigismund I, the King of Poland. None of these plans worked out.
In 1517, Eleanor's brother, King Charles, discovered she had a romantic interest in Frederick II, Elector Palatine. Charles made them promise they were not secretly married. Then he sent Frederick away from the court. Eleanor followed her brother to Spain in 1517.
Queen of Portugal
Eleanor married her uncle by marriage, King Manuel I of Portugal. This marriage was arranged by her brother Charles. Charles wanted to make sure Portugal would not help any rebellions in Spain. King Manuel had been married to two of Eleanor's aunts before.
Eleanor and Manuel were married on July 16, 1518. They had two children together. Their son, Charles, was born in 1520 but died in 1521 as a baby. Their daughter, Infanta Maria, was born in 1521. Maria later became one of the richest princesses in Europe.
Eleanor became a widow on December 13, 1521, when King Manuel died from the plague. As the Queen Dowager of Portugal, Eleanor returned to her brother Charles's court in Spain. Later, Eleanor's sister Catherine married Eleanor's stepson, King John III of Portugal.
In 1523, Eleanor was briefly engaged to Charles III, Duke of Bourbon. This was part of an alliance against France. However, the marriage never happened. In 1526, she was engaged to King Francis I of France while he was held captive in Spain.
Queen of France
The Treaty of Cambrai in 1529 helped stop the fighting between Francis and Eleanor's brother Charles. This treaty also stated that Eleanor and Francis would finally marry.
Eleanor left Spain with Francis's sons, who had been held by her brother. She met Francis at the border. Then they traveled to Bordeaux for an official welcome. She married Francis on July 4, 1530.
Eleanor was crowned Queen of France in Saint-Denis on May 31, 1531. She wore a beautiful purple velvet dress for her coronation. Eleanor and Francis did not have any children together.
As Queen, Eleanor performed her duties at official events. For example, she was present at the wedding of her stepson Henry and Catherine de' Medici in 1533. She was also known for her charity work. Eleanor also helped raise her stepdaughters, Madeleine and Margaret.
Eleanor did not have much political power as queen. However, she was an important link between France and her brother, Emperor Charles. Queen Eleanor was present at peace talks between Francis and Charles in Aigues-Mortes in 1538. In 1544, she helped with new peace talks with Charles and their sister Mary of Hungary. She visited Charles in Brussels in November 1544.
Later Life
After Francis died, Eleanor left France for Brussels in 1548. She was there when her brother Charles gave up his throne in October 1555. She then traveled to Spain with him and their sister Mary in August 1556.
Eleanor lived with her sister in Jarandilla de la Vera. They often visited their brother, who had retired to a monastery nearby. In 1558, she met her daughter Maria in Badajoz. This was the first time they had seen each other in 28 years. Eleanor died in 1558 on her way back from Badajoz.
Family
With Manuel I of Portugal:
- Infante Charles (born February 18, 1520 – died April 15, 1521); he died as a baby.
- Maria of Portugal, Duchess of Viseu (born June 8, 1521 – died October 10, 1577); she never married and had no children.
See also
In Spanish: Leonor de Austria para niños
