Figure 1.--Johanna die Wahnsinnige (1473-1555) painted this brilliant portrait of the Infanta (Princess) Juana about 1500. She would have been about 21 at the time and married to the Hapsburg Prince Philip. Spain at vthe time has no artist of comparable ability. Juanna had a troubled life and spent bmuchbof it in confiment, but founded a dynasty.

It was through Joan/Juanna la Loca that the Spanish royal line would pass. She dutifully left Castille and married the Hapsburg prince, Philip the Fair (1478-1506) (1496). His father was the Archduke Maximilian of Austria who would become the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I. Through his mother Mary of Burgundy he inherited most of the Burgundian state. Joan developed mental problems as is known as Joana/Juanna la Loca (the Mad). Philip amd Juana briefly succeeded to the kingdom of Castile on the death of Isabella (1504). This created tensiion with Ferdinand. Philip was thus obstensibly the first Spanish Habsburg ruler. He is sometimes referred to as Philip I. He never inherited his father's Austrian territories or became Holy Roman Emperor, because he died before his father (1506). Juana is best most famous for an obsession with her husband, never reaklly recovering from his unexpected death. She was thus the last monarch of the House of Trastámara. Ferdinand rulled as regent in Castille in Juana's name for another 12 years after Isabella's death, dieing in Madrigalejo (1516). He was succeeded by his grandson Charles, the son of Philip and Juaana. Charles became the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V--the most powerful soverign in Europe, inheriting at the age of only 18 years the Hapsburg Austrian and Spanish possessions and the new Spanish American Empire. For a queen who never really ruled and a king who died only a few months after ontaining the crown, they produced quite a family. The five children included: Eleanor, Queen of France, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Isabella, Queen of Denmark, Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor, Mary, Queen of Bohemia, and Catherine, Queen of Portugal.

Created: 5:16 AM 10/12/20092
Last updated: 5:16 AM 10/12/2009