Dona Elvira Manuel
Encyclopedia
Doña
Elvira Manuel was a Spanish noblewoman and duenna of Princess Catherine of Aragon
.
Catherine's mother, Queen Isabella I of Castile
, trusted Doña Elvira completely. Ferdinand
and Isabella instructed Ferdinand, Duke de Estrada, that Elvira would order Catherine's household according to her discretion and their orders, and he should see that Catherine should do as Elvira advised. Shortly before the death of Queen Isabella in 1504, Catherine's husband, Arthur, Prince of Wales
died. Catherine was then betrothed to Prince Henry of Wales, the future Henry VIII
.
Meanwhile Catherine's sister, Joanna
was now reigning with her husband
Philip
in Castile
. Joanna had a mental disability and could not properly rule as Queen, so it was Philip who held all the power. Henry VII
saw that an alliance with Austria
and Castile
would do him better.
By this time, Philip had turned against his father-in-law, Ferdinand, Catherine's father, and took matters into his own hands by arranging with Henry VII
that his son, the future Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
, was to be married to Princess Mary Tudor and his daughter Archuchess Eleanor of Austria to Prince Henry. Henry VII then made his son repudiate his betrothal to Catherine and secretly engaged him to Catherine's niece. Doña Elvira took part in this intrigue as a spy, for she absolutely loathed Ferdinand. Suddenly, in 1506, King Philip
died. At this point it was only Aragon
that was left as a political option for Henry VII, and he recanted and reinstated the bethrotal of Catherine and Prince Henry, but still it would be six more years before Catherine would marry Henry VIII
.
When Catherine later discovered Doña Elvira's betrayal, she immediately dismissed her from her service. On 6 September 1507, Alonso De Esquivel wrote to Miguel Perez Almazan that it had been an horrible hour when Elvira left Catherine's service.
Don (honorific)
Don, from Latin dominus, is an honorific in Spanish , Portuguese , and Italian . The female equivalent is Doña , Dona , and Donna , abbreviated "Dª" or simply "D."-Usage:...
Elvira Manuel was a Spanish noblewoman and duenna of Princess Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
.
Catherine's mother, Queen Isabella I of Castile
Isabella I of Castile
Isabella I was Queen of Castile and León. She and her husband Ferdinand II of Aragon brought stability to both kingdoms that became the basis for the unification of Spain. Later the two laid the foundations for the political unification of Spain under their grandson, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor...
, trusted Doña Elvira completely. Ferdinand
Ferdinand II of Aragon
Ferdinand the Catholic was King of Aragon , Sicily , Naples , Valencia, Sardinia, and Navarre, Count of Barcelona, jure uxoris King of Castile and then regent of that country also from 1508 to his death, in the name of...
and Isabella instructed Ferdinand, Duke de Estrada, that Elvira would order Catherine's household according to her discretion and their orders, and he should see that Catherine should do as Elvira advised. Shortly before the death of Queen Isabella in 1504, Catherine's husband, Arthur, Prince of Wales
Arthur, Prince of Wales
Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales was the first son of King Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York, and therefore, heir to the throne of England. As he predeceased his father, Arthur never became king...
died. Catherine was then betrothed to Prince Henry of Wales, the future Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
.
Meanwhile Catherine's sister, Joanna
Joanna of Castile
Joanna , nicknamed Joanna the Mad , was the first queen regnant to reign over both the Crown of Castile and the Crown of Aragon , a union which evolved into modern Spain...
was now reigning with her husband
Jure uxoris
Jure uxoris is a Latin term that means "by right of his wife" or "in right of a wife". It is commonly used to refer to a title held by a man whose wife holds it in her own right. In other words, he acquired the title simply by being her husband....
Philip
Philip I of Castile
Philip I , known as Philip the Handsome or the Fair, was the first Habsburg King of Castile...
in Castile
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
. Joanna had a mental disability and could not properly rule as Queen, so it was Philip who held all the power. Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
saw that an alliance with Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Castile
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
would do him better.
By this time, Philip had turned against his father-in-law, Ferdinand, Catherine's father, and took matters into his own hands by arranging with Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
that his son, the future Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
, was to be married to Princess Mary Tudor and his daughter Archuchess Eleanor of Austria to Prince Henry. Henry VII then made his son repudiate his betrothal to Catherine and secretly engaged him to Catherine's niece. Doña Elvira took part in this intrigue as a spy, for she absolutely loathed Ferdinand. Suddenly, in 1506, King Philip
Philip I of Castile
Philip I , known as Philip the Handsome or the Fair, was the first Habsburg King of Castile...
died. At this point it was only Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
that was left as a political option for Henry VII, and he recanted and reinstated the bethrotal of Catherine and Prince Henry, but still it would be six more years before Catherine would marry Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
.
When Catherine later discovered Doña Elvira's betrayal, she immediately dismissed her from her service. On 6 September 1507, Alonso De Esquivel wrote to Miguel Perez Almazan that it had been an horrible hour when Elvira left Catherine's service.