Juana la loca biography in english

Queen of Castile from to , during which time Spain became a world power, who never actually ruled due to her own mental instability and the greed for power of her father, husband, and son. Born on November 6, , in Toledo, Spain; died in Tordesillas on April 11 or 12, ; second daughter and third child of Isabella I — , queen of Castile r.

Marriage of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon ; death of Juana's brother John of Spain ; death of Juana's elder sister Isabella of Asturias ; death of Miguel, Juana's nephew, making Juana heir to the throne ; Juana and Philip are acclaimed crown princess and prince ; Juana proclaimed queen of Castile upon the death of her mother ; Cortes of Toro recognized regency of Ferdinand ; Juana and Philip arrived in Spain from Flanders and were acclaimed monarchs of Castile ; Juana confined to palace in Tordesillas by Ferdinand, where she remained for rest of life — ; death of Ferdinand ; arrival of Charles in Spain to rule ; election of Charles as Holy Roman emperor ; Comunero Revolt temporarily frees Juana from seclusion ; abdication of Charles I ; death of Charles I Although Juana was a princess, destiny seemed to hold little of importance for the infant girl, whose brother John of Spain, born the preceding year, stood to inherit the Spanish kingdoms.

Should he die, the monarchs' eldest child, Isabella of Asturias — , would rule. Yet with ironic twists, destiny brought Juana to the throne of Castile and Aragon, although misfortune denied her the chance to rule in her own right. Instead, she spent most of her adult life under forced seclusion, isolated for more than four decades within the dreary walls of Tordesillas castle.

Little is known of Juana's childhood. She apparently bore a striking resemblance to Ferdinand's mother, so much so that Isabella I sometimes jokingly called the girl "mother-in-law. They intended to marry her to one of Western Europe 's royal families, creating a useful political alliance for Spain. Thus, Juana learned about politics and studied foreign languages.

For the latter, she showed real talent, mastering both Latin and.

Why was joanna of castile called mad

Juana also displayed passion for music and was an accomplished musician, playing the clavichord, organ, and guitar. As a youth, Juana observed her parents' maneuvers to build their combined kingdoms into a great power. In , she bid farewell to her sister Isabella of Asturias, who departed to marry Prince Alphonso, heir to the Portuguese throne.