Catherine, Princess of Asturias
Encyclopedia
Catherine of Castile was suo jure
Princess of Asturias
and heiress presumptive to the Castilian throne all her life.
Catherine was born on 5 October 1422 in Illescas, Toledo
. She was the first child of King John II of Castile
and his first wife, Maria of Aragon
. Named after her aunt and grandmother, the Duchess of Villena
and Catherine of Lancaster
, she immediately became heiress presumptive to the throne of Castile upon her birth. The Infanta was formally recognised as successor to the throne of the kingdom and sworn in as Princess of Asturias on 1 January 1423 by the Cortes of Toledo.
However, the Princess of Asturias did not live long enough to succeed her father as Queen of Castile. She died in Madrigal de las Altas Torres
on 17 September 1424. Her younger sister, Infanta Eleanor
, replaced her as heiress and Princess of Asturias. Princess Catherine is buried in Miraflores Charterhouse, along with her father and stepmother, Isabella of Portugal.
Suo jure
Suo jure is a Latin phrase meaning "in her [or his] own right".It is commonly encountered in the context of titles of nobility, especially in cases where a wife may hold a title in her own right rather than through her marriage....
Princess of Asturias
Prince of Asturias
Prince of Asturias is the historical title given to the heir to the Spanish throne. It was also the title under the earlier Kingdom of Castile. The current Prince of Asturias is Felipe, son of King Juan Carlos of Spain and Queen Sofía...
and heiress presumptive to the Castilian throne all her life.
Catherine was born on 5 October 1422 in Illescas, Toledo
Illescas, Toledo
Illescas is a municipality located in the province of Toledo, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. According to the 2006 census , the municipality has a population of 15830 inhabitants.- History :...
. She was the first child of King John II of Castile
John II of Castile
John II was King of Castile from 1406 to 1454.He was the son of Henry III of Castile and his wife Catherine of Lancaster, daughter of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster by Constance of Castile, daughter of King Peter of Castile.-Regency:He succeeded his father on 25 December 1406, at the age of...
and his first wife, Maria of Aragon
Maria of Aragon, Queen of Castile
Maria of Aragon was the first wife and Queen consort of John II of Castile. The daughter of Ferdinand I of Aragon and Eleanor of Alburquerque, she married her cousin John in 1420.- Biography :...
. Named after her aunt and grandmother, the Duchess of Villena
Infanta Catherine, Duchess of Villena
Infanta Catherine of Castile was suo jure Duchess of Villena and, by marriage, Infanta of Aragon, Countess of Alburquerque and Countess of Ampurias....
and Catherine of Lancaster
Catherine of Lancaster
-Coat of arms:The following are Armorials of the House of Lancaster under her father, John of Gaunt.-References:* Anthony Goodman: "Katherine of Lancaster" in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 30 , p. 890-891....
, she immediately became heiress presumptive to the throne of Castile upon her birth. The Infanta was formally recognised as successor to the throne of the kingdom and sworn in as Princess of Asturias on 1 January 1423 by the Cortes of Toledo.
However, the Princess of Asturias did not live long enough to succeed her father as Queen of Castile. She died in Madrigal de las Altas Torres
Madrigal de las Altas Torres
Madrigal de las Altas Torres is a municipality located in the province of Ávila, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2005 census , the municipality has a population of 1,825 inhabitants. In this village, Isabella I of Castille was born in 1451....
on 17 September 1424. Her younger sister, Infanta Eleanor
Eleanor, Princess of Asturias
Eleanor of Castile was heiress presumptive to the throne of the Crown of Castile and Princess of Asturias during her short life....
, replaced her as heiress and Princess of Asturias. Princess Catherine is buried in Miraflores Charterhouse, along with her father and stepmother, Isabella of Portugal.