Isabella of Castile is one of the most influential rulers in history. Its era was marked by the unification of Spain, the emergence of European colonialism. Her life story is interesting. She ruled along with her husband, King Ferdinand II of Aragon, and did it so successfully that she remained in the memory of the people as the “mother of Spain”.
Politics is a game
Have you ever wondered why the queen is the strongest piece on the chessboard? Thank you for this must be said to Queen Isabella of Castile. For many centuries, the queen's piece was weak and moved diagonally one square. In the 15th century, a lot has changed in European chess. First of all, the queen began to be called the queen, which eventually was able to roam freely in all directions.
She was the first woman to be featured on a U. S. dollar coin
In 1893, just over 400 years after the fateful discovery of Christopher Columbus, a coin with the image of the queen was made in America. Then her portrait was placed on postage stamps. She was portrayed along with the great traveler.
Promotional video:
Portrait of Queen Isabella on a postage stamp.
Morality above all
The creator of the Inquisition strictly followed the morality of her maids. She guarded their chastity. She did it so zealously that female servants and male servants could not even have dinner together.
Columbus would not have discovered America without her
It was with the assistance of Isabella of Castile that Christopher Columbus set out on a voyage that led to the discovery of the New World, which brought wealth and new lands to Spain. When the Indians were enslaved, Isabella ordered them to be released.
Henry VIII was her son-in-law
Of the seven children, Isabella gave birth to two dead. Five of them survived to adulthood. One of the daughters was Juana I the Mad, so named for her illness. She was the wife of Philip the Fair, it is believed that after his death the woman went mad and was imprisoned in a monastery. Another daughter, Catherine of Aragon, became the first wife of Henry VIII. Thanks to her, Isabella became the grandmother of the English Queen Mary I.
She could have married Richard III
Among the suitors of Isabella were such as the Englishman Edward IV. Negotiations were under way to marry her to Edward's brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, then infamous as Richard III. It is interesting to imagine this ruling couple.
She had to fight for the throne
Despite the fact that she was the rightful heir, Isabella had to fight for the throne with her own niece. When Henry IV died at the end of 1474, Princess Juana's supporters were reluctant to surrender power. Juana married her uncle Alfonso V of Portugal. During 1475, the battle for power continued. Everything was decided at the Battle of Toro in 1476, where Isabella's army was more successful. She officially became Isabella I of Castile.
Pavel Romanutenko