Isabella of Portugal, Holy Roman Empress
| Isabella of Portugal | |
|---|---|
| |
|
Holy Roman Empress Queen consort of Italy | |
| Tenure | 24 February 1530 – 1 May 1539 |
|
Queen of the Romans Queen consort of Spain | |
| 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, King of Portugal |
| Mother | Maria of Aragon |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| Signature |
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Isabella of Portugal (24 October 1503 – 1 May 1539) was Holy Roman Empress and Queen of Spain, Germany, Italy, Naples and Sicily and Duchess of Burgundy by her marriage to Emperor Charles V, and regent of Spain during the absences of her husband during 1529-1532, 1535-1536 and 1538-1539.
Isabella was the granddaughter of the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon. Throughout her life, many compared her to her grandmother for her character and her determination in politics. A woman of great beauty and intelligence, Isabella was undoubtedly the Spanish soul of Charles V who, because of his travels in Europe, spent little time in Spain due to political affairs abroad. It was thanks to the governorships of Empress Isabella that Spain was able to remain independent of imperial policies.
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 and her aunt Isabella, who had been her father's first wife. Isabella was second-in-line to the throne until the birth of her brother Luis in 1506. However, as the oldest daughter of Manuel I of Portugal, she was a rather attractive candidate for marriage.
Isabella spent a happy childhood in the company of her parents and siblings. She was educated under the supervision of her governess Elvira de Mendoza. She would progressively become a beautiful and intelligent young woman, learning the languages of Latin, Spanish and French, the Christian doctrine and the Renaissance classics. In addition to all this, she was very wealthy, possessing a vast and complete library, composed of works of a spiritual nature, destined for prayer and personal enrichment, as well as more mundane works which were of the Infanta's taste, especially on cavalry.
Isabella's mother left in her will, and in a clear message to her husband Manuel, the desire that Isabella should marry only a king or the legitimate son of kings. The ideal candidate for Isabella's husband was her first cousin Charles, the son of Maria's sister Joanna of Castile and Philip the Handsome. A marriage between Charles and Isabella brought a strong alliance between the kingdoms of Spain and Portugal, in accordance with the wishes of their grandparents Isabella and Ferdinand.
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