Isabella of Portugal
| Isabella of Portugal | |
|---|---|
|
|
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Holy Roman Empress Queen consort of Italy |
|
| Tenure | 24 February 1530 – 1 May 1539 |
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Queen of the Romans Queen consort of Spain |
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| Tenure | 10 March 1526 – 1 May 1539 |
| Born |
24 October 1503 Lisbon, Portugal |
| Died | 1 May 1539 (aged 35) Toledo, Spain |
| Burial | El Escorial |
| Spouse | Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor |
| Issue | |
| House | Aviz |
| Father | Manuel I of Portugal |
| Mother | Maria of Aragon |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| Signature |  |
Isabella of Portugal (Portuguese: Isabel; 24 October 1503 – 1 May 1539) was an Infanta of Portugal by birth and Holy Roman Empress, Queen of Germany, Italy, Spain, Naples and Sicily, Duchess of Burgundy, etc., as the spouse of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. She served as regent of Spain during the absence of her spouse in 1529–1532 and 1535–1539.
Isabella was the second child and eldest daughter of King Manuel I of Portugal and his second wife Maria of Aragon. She was named after her maternal grandmother Isabella I of Castile and her aunt Isabella, Princess of Asturias, who had been her father's first wife.
Isabella was second-in-line to the throne until the birth of her brother Louis in 1506. However, as the oldest daughter of Manuel I of Portugal, she was a rather attractive candidate for marriage. She married her first cousin Charles, the son of Joanna of Castile and Philip the Handsome, Duke of Burgundy, who as Holy Roman Emperor, King of Spain, Archduke of the Habsburg dominions, titular Duke of Burgundy, and ruler of the Netherlands and the Spanish empire in the Americas and the Mediterranean and Italy was one of the most powerful men of his time. Charles and Isabella were both grandchildren of the notable rulers Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain.
The union between Charles and his cousin Isabella had been proposed by the parliaments of both Castile and Aragon. Charles agreed to marry the Infanta Isabella purely for political reasons. Early in 1526, the infanta travelled to Seville, where the wedding took place on 10 March in the palace of Alcázar of Seville. Isabella brought with her a huge dowry that greatly assisted Spanish finances. Although it began as a political union, the marriage proved to be a love-match. Records show that during their honeymoon "when [Charles and Isabella] are together, although there are many people around, they do not notice anyone else; they talk and laugh, and nothing else distracts them."
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Wikipedia