Isabella of Portugal, Queen of Castile facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Isabella of Portugal |
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|---|---|
 |
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| Queen consort of Castile and León | |
| Tenure | 17 August 1447 – 22 July 1454 |
| Born | 1428 |
| Died | 15 August 1496 (aged 67–68) Arévalo |
| Burial | Miraflores Charterhouse |
| Spouse |
John II of Castile
(m. 1447; died 1454) |
| Issue |
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| House | Aviz |
| Father | John, Constable of Portugal |
| Mother | Isabel of Barcelos |
Isabella of Portugal (born in 1428, died August 15, 1496) was a queen in Spain. She was the second wife of King John II of Castile. As queen, she ruled over the kingdoms of Castile and León. Isabella was also the mother of a very famous queen, Isabella I of Castile.
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Becoming Queen of Castile
Isabella was born into the House of Aviz, a royal family that ruled Portugal. Her parents were John, Constable of Portugal, and Isabella of Barcelos. Her father was a son of King John I of Portugal.
Isabella married King John II of Castile when she was 19 years old. King John was 42. He had been married before to Mary of Aragon. They had one son who survived, named Henry.
King John's trusted advisor, Alvaro de Luna, helped arrange the marriage. He believed an alliance with Portugal would be good for Castile. Isabella and John were married on July 22, 1447.
Isabella and the King's Advisor
Alvaro de Luna had a lot of power over King John. He had been the king's main advisor for many years. De Luna tried to control Queen Isabella too.
Isabella did not like de Luna's strong influence over her husband. She tried to convince King John to remove his advisor. It was a difficult task.
Isabella finally succeeded after her daughter, also named Isabella, was born in 1451. This daughter would later become Isabella I of Castile.
In 1453, de Luna had a nobleman named Alfonso Pérez de Vivero killed. Isabella used this event to persuade the king. She convinced King John to have de Luna arrested and put on trial. King John agreed, and de Luna was executed.
The king was very sad after de Luna's death. His health quickly got worse. King John died on July 20, 1454. His son, Henry IV, became the new king.
Life as Queen Dowager
After King John II died, his son Henry IV became king. Henry sent his stepmother, Queen Isabella, and her two young children to live in the Castle of Arévalo. Isabella was only three years older than Henry.
The queen dowager and her children lived a simple life. Isabella's mother came to Arévalo to help them. Isabella never remarried after King John's death.
While living in Arévalo, Isabella became very sad. She was allowed to keep her children with her until 1461. That year, King Henry's second wife, Joan of Portugal, had a daughter named Joanna.
Relationship with Her Daughter
Isabella's son, Alfonso, died in 1468. In 1469, her daughter Isabella told King Henry IV that she was going to visit her mother in Arévalo. But instead, she traveled to Valladolid. There, she married Ferdinand II of Aragon.
When King Henry IV died in 1474, Isabella's daughter became Queen of Castile. She was known as Isabella I of Castile. She became a very powerful queen.
Queen Isabella I visited her mother in Arévalo often. She always showed her mother great respect. The dowager queen Isabella lived quietly until she died in 1496. She was very old and weak.
Burial Place
After her death, Isabella of Portugal was buried next to her husband, King John II. Their son, Alfonso, was also buried nearby. They are all in the Miraflores Charterhouse.
Queen Isabella I had beautiful, carved tombs made for her parents and brother. In 2006, scientists studied the remains of King John II, Queen Isabella, and their son Alfonso. They found that King John II's skeleton was mostly complete. However, only small pieces of Queen Isabella's bones remained.
Children of Isabella and John II
Isabella of Portugal and King John II had two children:
- Isabella I of Castile: She married Ferdinand II of Aragon. She became Queen of Castile and helped unite the kingdoms of Aragon and Castile.
- Alfonso, Prince of Asturias: He was a prince who challenged his half-brother, Henry IV of Castile. Alfonso died suddenly from a fever.
