The Catholic Monarchs and the Infanta Dona Juana. Image from the “Rimado of the conquest of Granada”, by Pedro Marcuello
Reading about Queen Juana I of Castile (and Aragon) is just heartbreaking. Imagine growing up and being given a fine humanist education and speaking extemporaneously in Latin. Imagine having loving but extremely strict parents who teach you to believe, as a woman, you are totally subservient to the men in your life: father, husband, son, councilors, etc. Imagine you were never meant to be a ruling monarch but suddenly you are your mother’s heir and successor when your brother, elder sister and nephew die unexpectedly. Imagine you make a long journey from Spain to the Low Countries to marry. Your husband is handsome and there is a great deal of sexual attraction with him. Then, he takes away your Spanish ladies, allows you absolutely no income, keeps you pregnant and…
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So cool! Thanks for sharing!