King Juan II of Castile and Wives (Queen Maria and Queen Isabel)

[Marengo]

Juan II, King of Castile and Leon (Toro, 6 March 1405 – Valladolid, 20 July 1454), married 1stly in Avila on 14 August 1420 Princess Maria of Aragon (?,? 1396 - Villacastín, 18 February 1445); married 2ndly in Madrigal de las Altas Torres on 17 August 1447, Princess Isabel of Portugal (?,? 1428 – Arévalo, 15 August 1496)

Reign: 1406 - 1454

Dynasty: Trastámara

Predecessor: King Enrique III of Castile & Leon

Successor: King Enrique IV of Castile & Leon

Children Juan & Maria: Princess Catalina, King Enrique IV, Princess and Princess Maria of Castile & Leon

Children Juan & Isabel: Queen Isabel I and King Alfonso XII of Castile & Leon

Parents Juan: King Enrique III of Castile & Leon and Princess Catherine of Lancaster (England)

Parents Maria: King Fernando I of Aragon and Princess Leonor Urraca of Alburquerque (Castile)

Parents Isabel: Prince João of Portugaland doña Isabel de Barcelos (Bragança)

Siblings Juan: Princess Catalina of Castile and Queen Maria of Aragon

Siblings Maria: King Alfonso V of Aragon, King Juan II of Aragon; Prince Enrique of Aragon, Duke of Alburquerque; Queen Leonor of Portugal; Princess Isabel of Portugal, Duchess of Coimbra, Countess of Urgel; Prince Pedro of Aragon, Count of Alburquerque, Duke of Noto and Prince Sancho of Aragon

Siblings Isabel: Prince Diego of Portugal, Constable of Portugal; Princess Beatriz of Portugal, Duchess of Viseu and Princess Filipa of Portugal, Lady of Almada

 

[Marengo]

Juan II (March 6, 1405 – July 20, 1454) was King of Castile from 1406 to 1454. He was the son of Henry III of Castile and his wife Katherine of Lancaster, daughter of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancastar by Constance of Castile, daughter of King Pedro of Castile (known as 'Pedro the Cruel'). He was also great-grandson of King Edward III of England through the maternal line.

He succeeded his father on December 25, 1406, at the age of a year and ten months, and united in his person the claims of Pedro the Cruel and of Henry of Trastamara. His mother Katherine and his uncle, Ferdinand, were co-regents during his minority. When Ferdinand died in 1406, his mother was sole regent until she died as well, in 1418.
It was one of the many misfortunes of Castile that the long reign of John II—forty-nine years—should have been granted to one of the least capable of her kings. Juan was amiable, weak, and dependent on those about him. He had no taste except for ornament and no serious interest except in amusements such as verse-making, hunting, and tournaments.

Read the entire wikipeida article here.

 

[Marengo]

Maria of Aragon (Spanish:María de Aragón) (1396 – 1445) 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 1418. They had four children

Read the entire wikipedia article here.

 

[Marengo]

Infanta Isabel of Portugal (1428-1496) was Queen consort of Castile and Leon. She was the mother of Queen Isabella "the Catholic".
Isabel de Portugal was born as a scion of a collateral branch of the Aviz dynasty that ruled in Portugal since 1385. Her father was Infante dom Joao de Portugal, the youngest surviving son of John I of Portugal, and her mother was Isabella de Braganza, a high noblewoman of some royal blood, being daughter of the 1st Duke of Braganza. Isabella's father held some lordships, but was not among the forefront of the Portuguese royal house, there being a multitude of powerful dukes ahead of him.

Read the entire wikipedia article here.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

On April 22, 1451, after a hard confinement, Queen Isabel gave birth to a daughter, named Isabel after her mother. Afterwards Queen Isabel fell ill. She shut herself up; she sat motionless and stared. During her depressions, she spoke only to the King.

 

[Blog Real]

Biography of King Juan II of Castile.
Juan II de Castilla | Real Academia de la Historia

Biography of María de Aragón.
María de Aragón | Real Academia de la Historia

Biography of Isabel of Portugal.
Isabel de Portugal | Real Academia de la Historia

 

[CyrilVladisla]

Engraving of King Juan II of Castile
http://www.maryevans.com/history/11047925

 

[An Ard Ri]

Juan II's mother Catherine of Lancaster had acted as Queen-Regent on his behalf for the first 12 years of his reign.

One of Catherine of Lancaster's great-granddaughter was none other than Catherine of Aragon!

 

[Blog Real]

"Juan II of Castile", imaginary portrait by Francisco Aznar (1881).