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Habsburg Queens

Queens who, by birth or marriage, were part of the House of Habsburg ruled Spain, Austria, Portugal, France, the Netherlands and other countries. Some wielded power as regents, some played important parts in dynastic marriages to increase Habsburg lands.

Catherine of Austria, Queen of Portugal
Catherine of Austria was regent of Portugal for her grandson. Another grandson's short and troubled life may have been contributed to by the many Habsburg family intermarriages.

Eleanor of Austria
Eleanor of Austria, daughter of Joanna of Castile and Philip of Austria, married first a king of Portugal and then a king of France.

Isabella of Portugal (1503 - 1539)
Descendant of Queen Isabella I of Castile and Aragon, Isabella of Portugal married Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and for some years served as his regent when he was absent from Spain.

Juana La Loca Portraits
Joan of Castile and Aragon, through her marriage to Philip I, brought Spain into the Habsburg domains.

Margaret of Austria
Margaret of Austria, whose political intermarriages ended with her husbands' early deaths, ruled the Netherlands for her nephew. She also negotiated a peace treaty halting the Italian wars between the Habsburg empire and France.

Mary of Burgundy
Mary of Burgundy, married to Maximilian who became Holy Roman Emperor after her death, was also the mother of Margaret of Austria and Philip I of Castile.

Elisabeth of Austria, Queen of France
Elisabeth of Austria, Queen of France, was married to Charles IX of France. When he died without any male heirs, Elisabeth returned to Austria, where she lived the rest of her life.

Joan of Austria
Joan of Austria served as regent of Spain for her brother, Philip II, while her son, Sebastian, became king of Portugal.

Habsburg Family Network
A diagram showing some of the intermarriages in the Habsburg dynasty.

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