Juana
Queen of Castile and Leon
(1479–1555)

Other names: la Loca

Biographical

Queen of Castile and León 1504–55† 
Co-Queen of Aragon 1516–18
Co-titular Queen of Jerusalem 1516–55†

Juana became heir to the Spanish kingdoms following the deaths of her only brother, John, her eldest sister, Isabella, Queen of Portugal, and Isabella's infant son, Miguel. In 1502, the Cortes of Castile and Aragon recognised Juana and her husband as their future sovereigns. Soon afterwards, her mental health began to deteriorate. She mourned excessively for her absent husband, eventually joining him in Flanders, where her passionate jealousy, although justified by Philip's conduct, led to distressing scenes. In November 1504, her mother's death made Juana Queen of Castile, but as she was clearly incapable of ruling, the government was undertaken by her father and, for a short time, by her husband. She was with Philip when he was shipwrecked off the English coast and became the guest of Henry VII at Windsor. Soon afterwards, in September 1506, Philip died, and Juana's mental state deteriorated further; it was almost impossible to separate her from her husband's body. From 1509, she was confined permanently at Tordesillas, where she spent the rest of her life in miserable circumstances. Despite her afflictions, Henry VII sought to marry Juana shortly before his death. Nominally, she remained Queen of Castile until her death, and her name appeared alongside that of Charles in all public documents, but she took no part in government. The titular Aragonese claim to the throne of Jerusalem passed from her to the Bourbon kings of Spain.

Place of birth: Toledo
Place of marriage: Ghent
Place of death: Tordesillas

Daughter of Fernando I, King of Aragon and Isabel I, Queen of Castile and León, she was married in 1496 to Philipp, Archduke of Austria (Habsburg), with issue