Joan as portrayed in Isabel
Joan of Portugal

The Year of Isabella I of Castile – Joan of Portugal, A Queen in an impossible situation (Part one)

The future Queen of Castile and sister-in-law to Queen Isabella I of Castile, Joan of Portugal, was born on 31 March 1439 as the daughter of Edward, King of Portugal, and Eleanor of Aragon. Four elder siblings also survived to adulthood: Afonso, King of Portugal, Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu, Eleanor, later Holy Roman Empress, and [read more]

joanna la belteneja
Joanna of Castile (1462 – 1530)

The Year of Isabella I of Castile – The rivalry with Joanna la Beltraneja (Part two)

Read part one here. The War of the Castilian succession would continue for four years. After the Battle of Toro in March 1476, Joanna and Afonso left Castile in June. However, troops remained stationed in Castile. Most of the time, Joanna was left in Portugal, and she often went long periods without seeing her husband. However, [read more]

joanna la beltraneja
Joanna of Castile (1462 – 1530)

The Year of Isabella I of Castile – The rivalry with Joanna la Beltraneja (Part one)

The future Queen Isabella’s half-brother, King Henry IV of Castile,  married Joan of Portugal in May 1455, with the papal dispensation having arrived at the end of 1453, as the pair were first cousins. A copy of this dispensation was not found in the archives of the Vatican, although this does not necessarily prove it [read more]