A historical figure about whom much has been written, a man who is said to have driven Queen Juana of Castile herself mad with love. A man of whom we may not know all his history, more than his love affairs with certain courtesans. Today we are going to learn more in depth about the one who became king of Castile, Philip the Beautiful – Biography of Philip I of Castile.
Biography of Philip the Fair
Philip I King of Castile o Felipe el Hermoso, was born on July 22, 1478 in the city of Bruges, dying on September 25, 1506 in Burgos. firstborn son of the heir to the Holy Roman Empire Maximilian I and Maria I of BurgundyDuchess of Burgundy and Brabant.
Philip I of Castileheld the titles of:
- Duke of Burgundy with the name of Felipe IV;
- Duke Brabant;
- Duke of Limburg;
- Duke of Luxembourg;
- Count of Flanders;
- Count of Habsburg;
- Earl of Heano;
- Earl of Holland and Zeeland;
- Count of Tyrol;
- Count of Artois;
- Lord of Antwerp and Mechelen;
- King iure uxoris of Castile in the year 1506, when Juana inherits the throne of the Catholic Monarchs.
Duke of Burgundy
On the death of Maria Iwhen Philip was still a child, he inherited both his titles and his possessionsalthough always under the tutelage of his father Maximiliano. The childhood of Philip, was marked by riots and disputes especially disputes in the Flemish territories.
After Maria’s death of Burgundy, the signed agreements in favor of greater autonomy for the territories from Flanders, were without effecta fact that provoked a series of revolts and clashes between the representatives of Flanders and the supporters of King Maximilian.
Among the events that he had to live, being a child we must include a brief kidnapping in the city of Bruges as a form of pressure in the conflict with Flanders. This conflict was settled in 11493, when Philip was recognizedthen 15 years old, as Heir Prince.
In the year 1494, Maximilian renounces the regency of Burgundy Y Philip takes charge of his government although it would not really be the same person who would run it, but rather a council of notables. But Maximilian had other plans for his son Philip and to ensure the future of the Habsburgs, pacts the marriage of Felipe with Juana de AragónA way of unite the House of Habsburg with the House of Trastámara in front of the real threat what did he mean rising power of another nearby power, France.
On October 20, 1496, the Infanta Juana de Aragón, daughter of Isabel I of Castile and Fernando II of Aragón, gets married with Philip of Habsburg, wedding that took place in Lier, Belgium.
But it was not the only alliance, since the Felipe’s sister, Margaritacontracted marriage with whom he was then the Prince of Asturias Johnheir to the Crown of Castile and Aragon, the brother of Juana and only son of Isabel and Fernando.
The couple recently married moved to live in the Netherlandswhere served as sovereign with great success since he was popular and loved, very reformist and valued for bringing peace after long years of unrest political and great tensions.
After the Death early of Prince John and later of his sister Elizabethit is Joan which automatically becomes heir to the thrones from his parents. In the year 1501, when Juana and Felipe traveled to Castile to be sworn in as Princes of Asturias, they made a stop in Blois. The king Louis XII of Francereceived them while exclaiming, “Here is a Beautiful prince«, phrase that caused the famous nickname for which he was also famous Philip the Handsome.
King of Castile
When Queen Elizabeth I of Castile died in 1504the succession to the throne becomes a terrible dispute between the father of Juana Fernando de Aragón and Felipe el Hermoso. The relations between father-in-law and son-in-law were not the most friendly, since Fernando was knowledgeable of Felipe’s licentious life, besides of the power he had over his daughter Juanataking functions of king instead of functions of consort as it would have corresponded to him.
Finally, the crown of Castile is granted to Juana and Felipe. Right now it would be Felipe who would take the reins of the government of the Crown of Castiletaking advantage of the well-founded jealousy of Juana, as an excuse to incapacitate her for the regency, leaving Philip I at the head of the reign.
new king soon would begin to favor certain territories to the detriment of othersthe waste of capital in his homeland Flanders or for the notables of Castile in order to get their support against a new attempt by the Crown of Aragon.
Death of Philip the Fair
But if there was one event that seemed to increase Juana’s madness, it was when Philip dies in 1506. The event took place in the Cord House, Burgos and it was so sudden that it was even thought of a poisoning by his father-in-law Fernando II of Aragon. But it seems that after a ball game and all sweaty, drank very cold water which It caused a high fever and death a few days later.
when philip dies Juana decides to move the body of her deceased husband from Burgos to Granadaa place where Philip himself had arranged as his final resting place. The heart was sent to Brussels as Felipe himself ordered on his deathbed. The transfer of the corpse was always done at night and throughout the walkqueen Juana did not separate for a moment from her husband’s coffin, despite being pregnant.
The transfer lasted 8 months and among the companions were multiple notables, who, forced by their obedience to the queen, saw a nonsense wasting time transporting a corpse through the fields of Castile. Until they reached Torquemada, a place where queen Juana would have her last daughtera posthumous daughter whom he named Catalina.
Offspring of Philip the beautiful
Of the marriage between Juana and Felipe, 6 children were bornthese are:
- Eleanor – Born on November 15, 1498 in Leuven, she was Archduchess of Austria, wife of King Manuel I of Portugal and after becoming a widow, she remarried Francis I of France. She died in Talavera la Real on February 18, 1558.
- Carlos – Born on February 24, 1500 in Ghent, he was King of Spain from 1516 to 1556 and King of Naples from 1516 to 1554. He reigned under the Name of Charles I as Holy Roman Emperor under the Name of Charles V He died in Cuacos de Yuste on September 21, 1558.
- Isabel – She was born on July 18, 1501. She married King Christian II of Denmark, was Archduchess of Austria and died in Ghent on January 19, 1526.
- Ferdinand – He was born on March 10, 1503 in Alcalá de Henares, he was Archduke of Austria, King of Bohemia and Hungary, Holy Roman Emperor. He passed away in Vienna on July 27, 1564.
- Maria – He was born on September 15, 1505 in Brussels. She married Louis II Jagiellonian, King of Hungary, Bohemia and Croatia. She died in Cigales on October 18, 1558.
- Katherine – She was born on January 14, 1507 in Torquemada, she held the title of Archduchess of Austria. She married to King John III of Portugal, she died in Lisbon on January 12, 1578.
Philip The Beautiful – Biography of Philip I of Castile | Image gallery
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