On 4 November 1501, a fifteen-year-old girl arrived in England to marry the fifteen-year-old prince of that kingdom. Their parents, especially the boy’s, hoped that the marriage would secure the future of their
Heather R. Darsie’s Katharine of Aragon, Spanish Princess offers readers a meticulously researched and engaging journey into the early life of one of history's most iconic queens. Rather than focusing solely on her tumultuous marriage to Henry VIII, Darsie shines a much-needed light on Katharine's formative years in Spain, her lineage, and the political machinations that shaped her destiny
long before she set foot on English soil.
Excerpt: The Brutality of Katharine of Aragon’s Paternal Grandfather
Katharine of Aragon’s paternal grandfather John II of Aragón was willing to do anything to keep control of the kingdom of Navarre, which he held jure uxoris, although his wife was deceased. John’s two eldest children, Katharine of Aragon’s uncle Charles and aunt Blanche, were unwilling to simply hand over dominion of the kingdom to him. They died mysteriously. His eldest child, a son named Charles, battled off-and-on to gain control over Navarre. Charles died in his twenties, much to the dismay of his adoring public. Charles must have known his life was in danger,
In his will, Charles left his claim to the throne of Navarre to his sister Blanche, which followed the wishes of their mother Blanche I of Navarre. Their father John II of Aragón took more extreme action with Blanche than he did with Charles.
…Blanche II of Navarre’s marriage with then-Infante Henry IV of Castile and León was a failure. Blanche was married to Henry IV of Castile between 1440 and 1453. Their marriage was annulled on the basis of non-consummation. Blanche returned to Navarre humiliated, destitute, and hated by her father. On top of that, Charles’s and Blanche’s youngest full-blood sister Eleanor of Navarre was very cold toward Blanche. Blanche’s stepmother Juana Enriquez cared very little for any of her stepchildren, especially those who stood in the way of her own son Infante Ferdinand, the heir to the Aragonese throne and hopefully, the throne of Navarre.
Blanche II of Navarre’s quality of life plummeted after the annulment of her marriage to Infante Henry of Castile and León. John II, king of Aragón and usurper-king of Navarre, was not inclined to allow the throne of Navarre to pass to any of his children with Blanche I of Navarre. For whatever reason, he did not like the idea of sharing or handing over any power he could hold. This led to atrocious behavior towards Charles, Prince of Viana and Blanche II of Navarre.
Blanche II, who was three years younger than her brother Charles, Prince of Viana, was promptly taken into custody under her father’s orders after her return to Navarre. She was held in the Palace of the Kings of Navarre in Olite, which was the most sumptuous palace in Europe under the reign of Eleanor’s maternal grandfather Charles III of Navarre. The palace was highly decorated, with reliefs, stained glass, and other elements that were part of the building complex. The palace had extensive gardens and hanging gardens, and a zoo with a lion. Even if the palace in Olite were beautiful, some of its beauty would be tarnished by John II of Aragón’s shamelessness…
John II of Aragón tried arranging another marriage for his daughter Blanche, but she refused it. Blanche was not as easy to control as her younger sister Eleanor. John II of Aragón and his daughter Eleanor of Navarre signed the Treaty of Olite in early April 1462, wherein John would remain king. …
John II of Aragón bade his daughter Eleanor of Navarre and Eleanor’s husband Gaston IV de Foix to kidnap Blanche II of Navarre, which they did later into April 1462. In response, Blanche wrote a document, formally protesting her treatment, and disinheriting Eleanor and any children that Eleanor would have…
Eleanor of Navarre took her sister Blanche to Bearn, in the Pyrenees mountains. Blanche remained imprisoned there for eighteen months, until her death. It is rumored that Blanche was poisoned on the orders of her relatives. There was not an autopsy to discern the cause of young Blanche’s death. Whatever killed Blanche in December 1464, her father John II of Aragón remained king of Navarre until he died in January 1479. Eleanor ruled Navarre for fifteen days before her own death in February 1479, a couple of weeks after Eleanor turned fifty-four. Henry IV of Castile and León, former husband of Blanche II of Navarre, briefly tried to obtain the throne of Navarre. As with several other things, Henry IV was unsuccessful. The Navarrese succession followed Eleanor of Navarre’s lineage and offspring.
Infante Ferdinand became Ferdinand II of Aragón upon his father’s death in 1479. John II of Aragón set a dangerous precedent for his future descendants through his son Ferdinand II of Aragón. Ferdinand II of Aragón, the half-brother of Charles, Blanche, and Eleanor, witnessed the cruel, malevolent, unpaternal parts of his father’s behavior. Ferdinand adopted several of these strategies when it came to his own ambitions and children, particularly concerning the fate of his oldest surviving daughter, Juana of Castile. The callous behavior that Ferdinand inherited from his father was also turned towards his daughter [Katharine of Aragon].”
Heather R. Darsie, J. D.
# # #
About the Author
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for commenting