Joanna la Beltraneja facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joanna of Castile
Queen Joana in Genealogia dos Reis de Portugal (António de Holanda; 1530–1534)
Queen consort of Portugal
Tenure	30 May 1475 – 11 November 1477
Tenure	15 November 1477 – 28 August 1481
Born	28 February 1462 Royal Alcázar of Madrid
Died	12 April 1530(1530-04-12) (aged 68) Lisbon
Spouse	Afonso V of Portugal
House	Trastámara
Father	Disputed: Henry IV of Castile or The 1st Duke of Alburquerque
Mother	Joan of Portugal
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Joanna of Castile, also known as la Beltraneja (born February 28, 1462 – died April 12, 1530), was a princess who claimed the throne of Castile. She also became Queen of Portugal when she married King Afonso V, who was her uncle.

Early Life and Family Background

Joanna was born in the Royal Alcázar of Madrid on February 28, 1462. Her parents were King Henry IV of Castile and Queen Joan of Portugal. They had married seven years earlier, in 1455.

Before marrying Joanna's mother, King Henry IV was married to Blanche II of Navarre. That marriage lasted 13 years but was ended because it was never fully completed.

When Joanna was born, some people spread rumors that she was not King Henry's daughter. They suggested her father was Beltrán de la Cueva, a favorite at the royal court. These rumors led to Joanna being called "la Beltraneja," which was a mocking nickname. It suggested she was not the true heir.

Joanna's mother, Queen Joan of Portugal, was later sent away to a castle. She eventually had another child with someone else. King Henry divorced Queen Joan in 1468.

Becoming Heir to the Throne

On May 9, 1462, Joanna was officially named the heir to the throne of Castile. She was given the title Princess of Asturias. King Henry made the nobles of Castile promise to support her as their future queen.

However, many powerful nobles did not want Joanna to be queen. They wanted King Henry's younger half-brother, Infante Alfonso, to be the heir instead. This disagreement led to fighting.

In 1464, a group of nobles forced King Henry to change his mind. He had to take away Joanna's title and recognize Infante Alfonso as his heir. Alfonso then became the Prince of Asturias. King Henry agreed to this, but only if Alfonso would marry Joanna later. This was meant to ensure both would share the crown.

But in 1468, Infante Alfonso died. Also, King Henry divorced Joanna's mother. These events changed the line of succession again. Joanna's half-aunt, Infanta Isabella, was placed before her as the next in line. However, Joanna was still considered the heir after Isabella.

Joanna was kept under the care of powerful noble families for several years. From 1465 to 1470, she stayed with the Mendoza family. Then, from 1470 to 1475, she was with Juan, Marqués de Villena (who later became the 1st Duke of Escalona). During this time, there were many talks about who Joanna should marry. The goal was to find someone who could help her claim the throne.

On October 26, 1470, Joanna was promised in marriage to Charles, Duke of Guienne, the brother of King Louis XI of France. She was again declared the rightful heir to the throne. But Charles died in 1472. After other marriage plans fell through, Joanna was promised to her uncle, King Afonso V of Portugal. He promised to support her claim to the Castilian crown.

When King Henry IV died in 1474, some nobles recognized Joanna as queen. But others supported her half-aunt Isabella. This disagreement started a four-year conflict called the War of the Castilian Succession.

Claiming the Throne

On May 10, 1475, King Afonso V of Portugal entered Castile. Fifteen days later, he married Joanna in Plasencia, making her Queen of Portugal. Joanna and Afonso V set up their court in Toro. Her supporters saw her as a promising ruler, even though she was young. Joanna sent letters to Castilian cities, explaining that her father, King Henry IV, wanted her to rule. She asked the cities to choose which succession they would support.

However, Joanna found fewer supporters than she expected. Soon, King Ferdinand II, who was Isabella I's husband, led his forces against Joanna and Afonso V's armies.

The two armies met at Toro on March 1, 1476. King Afonso V's army was defeated by King Ferdinand's forces. Afonso fled the battlefield. His son, Prince John of Portugal, did win against the Castilian right side and recovered the Portuguese royal flag. But overall, the battle did not have a clear winner.

Even so, Joanna and Afonso V lost much of their standing. This was because Ferdinand II sent messages to all the cities in Castile and to other kingdoms. He claimed a huge victory where the Portuguese were crushed. Because of this news, Joanna's supporters gave up. The Portuguese were forced to return to their kingdom.

After this, Joanna's husband Afonso tried to form an alliance with Louis XI of France, but he failed. In 1478, the marriage between Joanna and Afonso V was ended by Pope Sixtus IV. This was because they were too closely related. This also ended her time as Queen of Portugal. She was also forced to give up her claim to the throne of Castile.

Later Life

In 1479, Afonso gave up his claim to the Castilian Crown. He signed a treaty with Isabella and Ferdinand. Joanna was given a choice: she could enter a convent, or she could marry Isabella's one-year-old son, John, when he grew up (if he agreed).

Joanna chose to enter the Convent of Santa Clara in Coimbra. Isabella herself witnessed the ceremony and praised Joanna's decision. Joanna was not held prisoner in the convent. She was later allowed to live in the Castle of São Jorge in Lisbon.

In 1482, King Francis Phoebus of Navarre proposed to Joanna. This proposal suggested that she might try to claim the Castilian throne again. This was seen as a warning from France to Isabella and Ferdinand. However, Francis died soon after.

Isabella died in 1504. It is said that Ferdinand, to keep control of Castile, proposed marriage to Joanna. He did not want his son-in-law Philip to become king. But Joanna refused his offer.

Joanna signed her letters as "La Reina" ("the Queen") until she died. In Portugal, she became known as "a Excelente Senhora" ("the Excellent Lady"). She died in Lisbon on April 12, 1530. She lived longer than her aunt Isabella I. Joanna's claim to Castile ended with her death. Her cousin, also named Joanna, Isabella's daughter, was already Queen of Castile. However, Joanna of Castile (la Beltraneja) said in 1522 that the King of Portugal was her heir. This was because her cousin was the daughter of two people she considered enemies and "usurpers" of her crown (Isabella and Ferdinand).

In Fiction

• Juana la Beltraneja is a play by Santiago Sevilla. It shows how some nobles influenced Princess Joanna.
• Isabel is a Spanish TV series about Isabella I of Castile. Joanna, Isabella's niece, is played by Carmen Sánchez.
• The Queen's Cross, A Biographical Romance of Queen Isabella of Spain by Lawrence Schoonover includes Joanna la Beltraneja. This historical novel was published in 1955.
• Jean Plaidy's Spain trilogy tells the story from the viewpoints of Isabella, Ferdinand, and La Beltraneja. This is especially true in book 2, "Spain for the Sovereigns."

See also

In Spanish: Juana la Beltraneja para niños