Family
Isabella and Ferdinand had seven children. Five survived infancy and lived to adulthood:
- Isabella (1470–1498) married firstly to Alfonso, Prince of Portugal, no issue. Married secondly to Manuel I of Portugal, had issue.
- A son miscarried on 31 May 1475 in Cebreros
- John (1478–1497), Prince of Asturias. Married Archduchess Margaret of Austria, no surviving issue.
- Joanna (1479–1555), Queen of Castile. Married Philip the Handsome, had issue.
- Maria (1482–1517), married Manuel I of Portugal, her sister's widower, had issue.
- A stillborn daughter, twin of Maria. Born 1 July 1482 at dawn.
- Catalina later Catherine (1485–1536), married firstly to Arthur, Prince of Wales, no issue. Married his younger brother, Henry VIII of England and was mother of Mary I of England.
Towards the end of her life family tragedies overwhelmed her, although she met these reverses with grace and fortitude. The death of her beloved son and heir and the miscarriage of his wife, the death of her daughter Isabella and Isabella's son Miguel (who could have united the kingdoms of the Catholic Monarchs with that of Portugal), the supposed madness of her daughter Joanna (who defied her in public in Medina del Campo) and the indifference of Philip the Handsome, and the uncertainty Catherine was in after the death of her husband submerged her in profound sadness that made her dress in black for the rest of her lifetime. Her strong spirituality is well understood from the words she said after hearing of her son’s death: “The Lord gave him to me, the Lord hath taken him from me, glory be His holy name.”
Read more about this topic: Isabella I Of Castile
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