Isabella of Aragon, Queen of Portugal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Isabella of Aragon |
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| Princess of Asturias | |
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| Queen consort of Portugal | |
| Tenure | 30 September 1497 – 23 August 1498 |
| Born | 2 October 1470 Dueñas, Castile |
| Died | 23 August 1498 (aged 27) Zaragoza, Aragon |
| Burial | Convent of Santa Isabel, Toledo, Castile |
| Spouse | |
| Issue | Miguel de la Paz, Prince of Portugal, Asturias, and Girona |
| House | Trastámara |
| Father | Ferdinand II of Aragon |
| Mother | Isabella I of Castile |
Isabella, Princess of Asturias (born October 2, 1470 – died August 23, 1498) was a very important princess. She was the oldest daughter of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile. This made her the next in line to the throne of Castile for a time. She also became Queen of Portugal when she married King Manuel I. She was queen from September 30, 1497, until her death the next year.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Isabella was the first child of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. She was born when her uncle, Henry IV of Castile, was king. Her early life was a bit tense because her mother had married Ferdinand without her uncle's permission.
When King Henry IV died in 1474, Isabella's mother, Isabella I, became queen of Castile. Young Isabella was quickly named the heir presumptive. This meant she was expected to inherit the throne next.
War and Challenges
The first years of Queen Isabella I's rule were filled with war. King Henry IV had not clearly named who would take over after him. So, there was a fight for the throne between Isabella I and her niece, Joanna. Joanna was called "la Beltraneja" because some people rumored she was not King Henry IV's real daughter.
Afonso V of Portugal, who was King Henry IV's brother-in-law, supported Joanna. This led to a war between Spain (Ferdinand and Isabella) and Portugal.
During this war, young Isabella saw some of the chaos. While her parents were fighting, she stayed in Segovia. The city's people were unhappy with the new leaders there. They rebelled and took control of the city. Seven-year-old Isabella was stuck in a tower of the Alcázar castle for a while. Her mother had to return to Segovia to calm things down.
Peace Treaty and First Marriage
The war ended in 1479 with the Treaty of Alcáçovas. One part of this treaty said that Princess Isabella would marry Afonso. He was the grandson of Afonso V and five years younger than Isabella.
The treaty also said that Isabella's parents would pay a large dowry (money or property given by the bride's family). Isabella had to live in Portugal as a promise that her parents would follow the treaty. In 1480, Prince Afonso went to live in Moura. Isabella, who was ten, joined him there in early 1481. She stayed in Portugal for three years before going back home.
Isabella also spent time with her parents as they fought to conquer the last Muslim states in southern Spain. For example, she was with her mother when the city of Baza surrendered.
Marriages and Royal Life
Isabella's first marriage was to Prince Afonso. He was the only son and heir of King John II of Portugal. Their wedding happened in the spring of 1490 in Seville. On November 19, Isabella arrived in Badajoz. She was met by Afonso's uncle, Manuel, who would later become King Manuel I of Portugal. Isabella would marry him six years after Afonso's death.
Afonso and Isabella met again in Elvas on November 22. The next day, Isabella met her mother-in-law, Queen Eleanor, in Évora. The court had gathered there to confirm the marriage.
A Love Match and Tragedy
Even though their marriage was arranged by a treaty, Isabella and Afonso quickly fell in love. Isabella was popular with the Portuguese royal family. This was because she knew their language and customs from her years living in Portugal as a child.
Isabella's happy life in Portugal ended suddenly in July 1491. Afonso died in a horse riding accident. Isabella was heartbroken. She later believed that God was angry because Portugal had given a safe place to Jews her parents had forced out of Spain.
Her parents asked her to return to Spain. Isabella came back very religious. She tried to starve herself and hurt herself as part of her mourning for Afonso. She said she would never marry again.
Second Marriage to Manuel I
Her parents seemed to accept her decision at first. But after King John II of Portugal died in 1495, his cousin Manuel I of Portugal became king. Manuel immediately wanted to marry Isabella.
Ferdinand and Isabella tried to respect their daughter's wishes. They offered Manuel one of their younger daughters, Maria. But Manuel refused. The situation remained difficult until Princess Isabella agreed to marry Manuel. She had one condition: he must force all Jews in Portugal to convert to Christianity or leave. He agreed, and they married in September 1497.
Next in Line to the Throne
In the same year as her second marriage, Isabella became the Princess of Asturias. This meant she was the next in line to the throne of Crown of Castile. This happened after her only brother, John, Prince of Asturias, died suddenly in September 1497. His daughter was also stillborn.
Philip of Austria, who was married to Isabella's younger sister Joanna, also claimed the crown. But Isabella had a stronger claim because she was the oldest daughter. To stop Philip's claims, Isabella's parents held meetings in Toledo in 1498. There, Isabella and her husband Manuel were sworn in as the rightful heirs.
The royal family then went to Zaragoza to do the same for the kingdom of Aragon. While women could rule in Castile, Aragon was less willing to accept a woman as their future ruler. They preferred a son to inherit everything.
Birth of Her Son and Death
Isabella was pregnant at this time. While in Zaragoza with the royal family, she gave birth to her only child on August 23, 1498. He was named Miguel da Paz, Prince of Portugal.
Perhaps because of her constant fasting and travel during her pregnancy, Isabella died within an hour of her son's birth. Her son was later recognized as the next in line to the thrones of Portugal, Castile, and Aragon.
Isabella asked to be buried dressed as a nun. She was buried at the Convent of Santa Isabel in Toledo. Manuel's chance to become King of Castile ended with Isabella's death. The hope of uniting all the kingdoms of Spain and Portugal disappeared when Prince Miguel died just before his second birthday in 1500.
When Queen Isabella of Castile died in 1504, she asked for her daughter Isabella's body to be moved next to hers in Granada. However, this never happened.
See also
In Spanish: Isabel de Aragón (1470-1498) para niños
