Isabella of Portugal Facts
Known for: regent of Spain during long absences of her husband, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Titles: Empress, Holy Roman Empire; Queen of Germany, Spain, Naples and Sicily; Duchess of Burgundy; princess of Portugal
Dates: October 24, 1503 - May 1, 1539
Background, Family:
Mother: Maria of Castile and Aragon
- Maternal grandparents: Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon.
- Maria was the second wife of Manuel I
- Manuel's first wife, Isabella, Princess of Asturias, was the eldest daughter of Isabella I and Ferdinand II, and Maria's sister
Father: Manuel I of Portugal
- Paternal grandfather: Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu
- Paternal grandmother: Beatrice of Portugal
- Beatrice was a sister-in-law and first cousin of Afonso V of Portugal, and mother-in-law and second cousin of John II of Portugal
- Beatrice's sister, Isabella of Portugal, married John II of Castile, and was mother of Isabella I
- Manuel succeeded his first cousin, John II of Portugal, who was married to Manuel's sister, Eleanor of Viseu
- Manuel's older brother, Diogo, was stabbed to death by John II
- Miguel de Paz, Prince of Portugal and Asturias
- John III of Portugal
- Beatrice, Duchess of Savoy
- Louis
- Ferdinand
- Cardinal Afonso
- Henry
- Edward
- Maria, Duchess of Viseau
Marriage, Children:
Husband: Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (married March 11, 1526)
- Charles was Isabella's first cousin
- his father was Philip the Handsome, Duke of Burgundy and Holy Roman Emperor
- his mother was Joanna of Castile (known as Juana the Mad), a sister of Isabella's mother, Maria, both daughters of Isabella I and Ferdinand II
- Isabella's brother, John III of Portugal, had married Catherine of Austria, sister of Charles V, in 1525
Children:
- Philip II of Spain, who married four times: Maria Manuela of Portugal, Mary I of England, Elizabeth of France, and Anna of Austria
- Maria, Holy Roman Empress, married to Maximilian II
- Joan of Austria, who married her double first cousin, John of Portugal; their child was King Sebastian of Portugal, who died without children
Isabella of Portugal Biography:
Isabella was born the second of the children of Manuel I of Portugal and his second wife, Maria of Castile and Aragon. When her father died in 1521, her brother, John III of Portugal, negotiated a marriage with Catherine of Austria, sister of Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor. That marriage took place in 1525, by which time negotiations had arranged for Charles to marry Isabella. They were married in 1526.
Isabella and Charles may have married for financial and dynastic reasons -- she brought a large dowry to Spain -- but letters of the time show that their relationship was more than just a marriage of convenience.
During Charles' absences from Spain in 1529-1532 and 1535-1539, Isabella served as his regent. They had six children, of whom the first, third and fifth survived to adulthood.
Maria died after giving birth to her sixth child, while Charles was away. Charles did not remarry, as was the usual custom for rulers. She was buried at Granada.
Maria and Charles' son Philip II became ruler of Spain, and in 1580, also became the ruler of Portugal.
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