OTD 23 August 1498 Death of Isabella of Aragon

Isabella of Aragon was born on 2 October 1470 as the eldest child of
King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile.

Family

Her siblings were:
- John, Prince of Asturias;
- Joanna, who married Philip the Handsome;
- Maria, who became Queen of Portugal;
- Catherine, who became Queen of England when she married Henry VIII.


Youth

When her parents were involved in a civil war in Spain, Princess Isabella
was left in Segovia with Andrés de Cabréra and his wife Beatriz de
Bobadilla. However the city residents of Segovia rose up and seized control
of the city. Princess Isabella was locked up in the Alcázar until her mother
returned to Segovia and took control again of the city.


Love and marriage

Isabella of Aragon married in November 1490 to Afonso, Prince of
Portugal. However he died on 13 July 1491. She was heartbroken about
his death and she was convinced that he died because God was angry that
Portugal had provided a refuge for the Jews her parents had expelled
from Spain. She was sent back to Spain at the request of her parents.
She also declared that she never would marry again....

However Afonso of Portugal was succeeded by King Manuel I of Portugal.
He asked Isabella's hand. Ferdinand and Isabella offered him another
daughter to marry but he refused. Finally Princess Isabella agreed to marry
him on one condition: the Jews should be expelled from Portugal. He
agreed and the two married in 1497.

Death

Isabella of Aragon died on 23 August 1498 at the age of 27 after giving
birth to a son. She died in Zaragoza.

Later Manuel remarried to Isabella's sister Maria.






Source pictures: Wikipedia