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Maria of Aragon (1482-1517)
Encyclopedia
Maria of Aragon (29 June 1482 – 7 March 1517) was a Spanish
infanta and the second wife of Portuguese
King Manuel I
, thus queen consort
of Portugal from her marriage on 30 October 1500 until her death.
on 29 June 1482 as the third surviving daughter of Isabella I of Castile
and Ferdinand II of Aragon
(the Catholic monarchs
). She was the fourth of five surviving children and had a twin sister, who was stillborn. One of her sisters was Catherine of Aragon
, wife of Henry VIII of England
and mother of Mary I of England
. Another sister, Joanna
, married Philip, Duke of Burgundy
, and was mother of Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V
.
Maria did not inherit the insanity that supposedly ran in the royal family and was said to have affected her sister, Joanna, known as Joanna the Mad.
. This was at a time when her younger sister Catherine's marriage to Arthur, Prince of Wales
, was being planned. Ferdinand and Isabella thought if Maria was Queen of Scotland, the two sisters could keep the peace between their husbands. These plans, however, came to nothing. Her eldest sister Isabella, Princess of Asturias, was the first wife of Manuel I, but her death in 1498 created a necessity for Manuel to remarry; Maria became the next bride of the Portuguese king, reaffirming dynastical links with Spanish royal houses. Manuel and Maria were married in Alcazar de Sal on 30 October 1500, and together they had 10 children, eight of whom reached adulthood, including King John III of Portugal
, Holy Roman Empress Isabella of Portugal
, and Beatrice, Duchess of Savoy.
In 1580, the dynastic links from the marriage led to a succession crisis in Portugal
that made Philip II of Spain
king of Portugal as Philip I (See: Struggle for the throne of Portugal
and Iberian Union
).
was of a shade between reddish
-blond
e and auburn; these were typical features in members of the Trastámara family who were descendants of Peter I of Castile.
on 7 March 1517, and was buried at the Jerónimos Monastery
of Belém
.
Her widowed husband remarried yet once more,in 1518, also this time from her family: Maria's niece Eleanor of Austria.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
infanta and the second wife of Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
King Manuel I
Manuel I of Portugal
Manuel I , the Fortunate , 14th king of Portugal and the Algarves was the son of Infante Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu, , by his wife, Infanta Beatrice of Portugal...
, thus queen consort
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of Portugal from her marriage on 30 October 1500 until her death.
Family
She was born at CórdobaCórdoba, Spain
-History:The first trace of human presence in the area are remains of a Neanderthal Man, dating to c. 32,000 BC. In the 8th century BC, during the ancient Tartessos period, a pre-urban settlement existed. The population gradually learned copper and silver metallurgy...
on 29 June 1482 as the third surviving daughter of 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...
and Ferdinand II of Aragon
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...
(the Catholic monarchs
Catholic Monarchs
The Catholic Monarchs is the collective title used in history for Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. They were both from the House of Trastámara and were second cousins, being both descended from John I of Castile; they were given a papal dispensation to deal with...
). She was the fourth of five surviving children and had a twin sister, who was stillborn. One of her sisters was 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...
, wife of Henry VIII of England
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...
and mother of Mary I of England
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
. Another 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...
, married Philip, Duke of Burgundy
Philip I of Castile
Philip I , known as Philip the Handsome or the Fair, was the first Habsburg King of Castile...
, and was mother of Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
Charles V
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...
.
Maria did not inherit the insanity that supposedly ran in the royal family and was said to have affected her sister, Joanna, known as Joanna the Mad.
Marriage
As an infanta of Spain, her hand in marriage was very important in European politics; before her marriage to Manuel I of Portugal, her parents entertained the idea of marrying her off to King James IV of ScotlandJames IV of Scotland
James IV was King of Scots from 11 June 1488 to his death. He is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs of Scotland, but his reign ended with the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Flodden Field, where he became the last monarch from not only Scotland, but also from all...
. This was at a time when her younger sister Catherine's marriage to 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...
, was being planned. Ferdinand and Isabella thought if Maria was Queen of Scotland, the two sisters could keep the peace between their husbands. These plans, however, came to nothing. Her eldest sister Isabella, Princess of Asturias, was the first wife of Manuel I, but her death in 1498 created a necessity for Manuel to remarry; Maria became the next bride of the Portuguese king, reaffirming dynastical links with Spanish royal houses. Manuel and Maria were married in Alcazar de Sal on 30 October 1500, and together they had 10 children, eight of whom reached adulthood, including King John III of Portugal
John III of Portugal
John III , nicknamed o Piedoso , was the fifteenth King of Portugal and the Algarves. He was the son of King Manuel I and Maria of Aragon, the third daughter of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile...
, Holy Roman Empress Isabella of Portugal
Isabella of Portugal
Isabella of Portugal was a Portuguese Princess and Holy Roman Empress, Duchess of Burgundy, and a Queen Regent/Consort of Spain. She was the daughter of Manuel I of Portugal and Maria of Aragon. By her marriage to Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Isabella was also Holy Roman Empress and Queen...
, and Beatrice, Duchess of Savoy.
In 1580, the dynastic links from the marriage led to a succession crisis in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
that made Philip II of Spain
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
king of Portugal as Philip I (See: Struggle for the throne of Portugal
Struggle for the throne of Portugal
The 1580 Portuguese succession crisis came about as a result of the 1578 death of young King Sebastian I of Portugal in the Battle of Ksar El Kebir...
and Iberian Union
Iberian Union
The Iberian union was a political unit that governed all of the Iberian Peninsula south of the Pyrenees from 1580–1640, through a dynastic union between the monarchies of Portugal and Spain after the War of the Portuguese Succession...
).
Appearance
Maria was of a very fair complexion, had blue eyes, and her hair colourHair color
Hair color is the pigmentation of hair follicles due to two types of melanin: eumelanin and pheomelanin. Generally, if more melanin is present, the color of the hair is darker; if less melanin is present, the hair is lighter...
was of a shade between reddish
Red hair
Red hair occurs on approximately 1–2% of the human population. It occurs more frequently in people of northern or western European ancestry, and less frequently in other populations...
-blond
Blond
Blond or blonde or fair-hair is a hair color characterized by low levels of the dark pigment eumelanin. The resultant visible hue depends on various factors, but always has some sort of yellowish color...
e and auburn; these were typical features in members of the Trastámara family who were descendants of Peter I of Castile.
Death
Maria died in LisbonLisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
on 7 March 1517, and was buried at the Jerónimos Monastery
Jerónimos Monastery
The Hieronymites Monastery is located near the shore of the parish of Belém, in the municipality of Lisbon, Portugal...
of Belém
Belém
Belém is a Brazilian city, the capital and largest city of state of Pará, in the country's north region. It is the entrance gate to the Amazon with a busy port, airport and bus/coach station...
.
Ancestry
Children
Her marriage with Manuel produced the following children:| Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| John III John III of Portugal John III , nicknamed o Piedoso , was the fifteenth King of Portugal and the Algarves. He was the son of King Manuel I and Maria of Aragon, the third daughter of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile... |
6 June 1502 | 11 June 1557 | succeeded Manuel as 15th King of Portugal. |
| Infanta Isabella Isabella of Portugal Isabella of Portugal was a Portuguese Princess and Holy Roman Empress, Duchess of Burgundy, and a Queen Regent/Consort of Spain. She was the daughter of Manuel I of Portugal and Maria of Aragon. By her marriage to Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Isabella was also Holy Roman Empress and Queen... |
24 October 1503 | 1 May 1539 | married 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... . |
| Infanta Beatrice | 31 December 1504 | 8 January 1538 | married Charles III, Duke of Savoy Charles III, Duke of Savoy Charles III of Savoy , often called Charles the Good, was Duke of Savoy from 1504 to 1553, although most of his lands were ruled by the French between 1536 and his death.... . |
| Infante Louis, Duke of Beja | 3 March 1506 | 27 November 1555 | Unmarried but had illegitimate descendants, one of them being Anthony, Prior of Crato, a claimant of the throne of Portugal in 1580 (See: Struggle for the throne of Portugal Struggle for the throne of Portugal The 1580 Portuguese succession crisis came about as a result of the 1578 death of young King Sebastian I of Portugal in the Battle of Ksar El Kebir... ). |
| Infante Ferdinand, Duke of Guarda and Trancoso | 5 June 1507 | 7 November 1534 | Married Guiomar (Guyomare) Coutinho, Countess of Marialva (?-1534). |
| Infante Afonso | 23 April 1509 | 21 April 1540 | Cardinal of the Kingdom. |
| Infanta Maria | 1511 | 1513 | |
| Infante Henry | 31 January 1512 | 31 January 1580 | Cardinal of the Kingdom who succeeded his grandnephew King Sebastian Sebastian of Portugal Sebastian "the Desired" was the 16th king of Portugal and the Algarves. He was the son of Prince John of Portugal and his wife, Joan of Spain... (Manuel's great-grandson) as 17th King of Portugal. His death triggered the struggle for the throne of Portugal Struggle for the throne of Portugal The 1580 Portuguese succession crisis came about as a result of the 1578 death of young King Sebastian I of Portugal in the Battle of Ksar El Kebir... . |
| Infante Edward, Duke of Guimarães | 7 October 1515 | 20 September 1540 | Duke of Guimarães Duke of Guimarães The Dukes of Guimarães was an Nobility title granted by King Afonso V of Portugal in 1475, to Ferdinand II, 3rd Duke of Braganza. The king just upgraded the previous title of count of Guimarães), that he granted to the same Duke of Braganza, some years before .When Isabel of Braganza married... and great-grandfather of John IV of Portugal John IV of Portugal |-|John IV was the King of Portugal and the Algarves from 1640 to his death. He was the grandson of Catherine, Duchess of Braganza, who had in 1580 claimed the Portuguese crown and sparked the struggle for the throne of Portugal. John was nicknamed John the Restorer... . Married Isabella of Braganza, daughter of Jaime, Duke of Braganza Jaime, Duke of Braganza James was the older son of Ferdinand II, 3rd Duke of Braganza and of his wife, Isabella of Viseu and he became the fourth Duke of Braganza following his father's death.His father and one of his uncles were... . |
| Infante Anthony | 9 September 1516 | 1516 | Died Young |
Her widowed husband remarried yet once more,in 1518, also this time from her family: Maria's niece Eleanor of Austria.