John, Prince of Asturias
| John | |
|---|---|
| Prince of Asturias and Girona, Duke of Montblanc, Count of Cervera, and Lord of Balaguer | |
.JPG) |
|
| Born |
30 June 1478 Seville |
| Died | 4 October 1497 (aged 19) Salamanca |
| Burial | Real Monasterio de Santo Tomás in Ávila |
| Spouse | Margaret of Austria |
| House | Trastámara |
| Father | Ferdinand II of Aragon |
| Mother | Isabella I of Castile |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
John, Prince of Asturias (Spanish: Juan; 30 June 1478 – 4 October 1497), was the only son of Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon who survived to adulthood.
John was born in Seville in 1478 to the sovereigns of Castile, Isabella I and Ferdinand V (also Ferdinand II of Aragon). At the time, his parents were involved in the War of Castilian Succession against Isabella's niece Joanna la Beltraneja, wife of King Afonso V of Portugal.
John's birth helped consolidate Isabella's position as sovereign as she had given birth to a legitimate male heir. At the time of his birth, he had one elder sister Isabella; he was joined by Joanna, Maria, and Catherine.
His parents won the war against the King and Queen of Portugal. To negotiate a peace settlement with Isabella, King Afonso sent Infanta Beatrice, Duchess of Viseu. The two women met in March 1479. Beatrice was Afonso's sister-in-law and Isabella’s maternal aunt. By terms of the treaty they eventually negotiated, the Queen of Portugal was given two options: she could either wed Prince John, waiting 13 or 14 years until the prince was old enough to be married (by which time Joanna herself would be at least thirty) or she could enter a convent; either way she was to give up her claim to the throne.
Isabella I was quite an attentive mother for such a busy queen. John, being her only son, had a special place in her heart and she referred to him affectionately as ’my angel’ even when he was being reprimanded by her, John's wetnurse was Maria de Guzman, a member of the powerful Spanish House of Mendoza. It was commonly believed in the fifteenth century that a wetnurse could influence the character of the baby who she fed breast milk to. Therefore, a healthy woman, with a placid disposition was ideal.
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