latristereina: Isabella of Aragon’s letter to her father, Ferdinand II of Aragon, in which she

latristereina:Isabella of Aragon’s letter to her father, Ferdinand II of Aragon, in which she tells him about her life in Portugal, and expresses her feelings and worry about her parents and her sister-in-law following her brother’s deathFor those of you who aren’t familiar with this historical figure, a short summary of her tragic life:Isabella of Aragon was the firstborn child of the Catholic Monarchs, born in Dueñas, on 2 October 1470. When her parents ascended to the throne of Castile in December 1474, she became the princess of Asturias, sworn in as such during the session of the Cortes in April 1476. During the said session her hand was promised in marriage to Ferdinand, Prince of Capua, grandson of Ferdinand I of Naples, having been formerly engaged to dauphin Charles [future Charles VIII]. After her brother Juan was born on 30 June 1478, she became the second in the line of succession. At the time the negotiations with Portugal to end the war of the Castilian Succession began. According to the Treaty of Alcáçovas, signed on 4 September 1479, Isabella was to marry Alfonso, the grandson of Alfonso V and the son of Prince John [future John II] and his wife Eleanor of Viseu. It was also stipulated the infanta was to move to Portugal, in order to live with her betrothed in the Castle of Moura, in the custody of Beatriz of Portugal, Duchess of Viseu, her mother’s aunt until 1483. The marriage was contracted by proxy in Seville on 18 April 1490 and was ratified in Évora on 27 November. Over a year later the prince fell off his horse and died. Isabella was claimed back by her parents. She was devastated, starved herself and plunged into depression, determined to not remarry. At first her father agreed not to force her into a new marriage, but when John II of Portugal died in 1495, and Manuel I [who was not only his cousin but also his brother-in-law], succeeded him, Ferdinand changed his mind, given the new king had declined his proposal to marry his younger daughter María instead. Manuel, I was determined to marry Isabella. It cost her parents a lot to persuade her, and although she eventually agreed, she demanded something in return; the expulsion of Portuguese Jews. It’s debated by scholars whether she had a definitive say in Manuel’s decision to do so. Isabella’s second marriage took place at Valencia de Alcántara, on 30 September 1497. Her brother Prince Juan died four days later, and shortly afterward his widow Margaret of Austria had a miscarriage. Those unfortunate occurrences turned Isabel and her new husband into the princes of Asturias, sworn in as such at the Cortes of Toledo, on 29 April 1498. Unfortunately, Isabella died in childbirth at Saragossa, on 23 August 1498, while she was waiting to be sworn in by the Aragonese Cortes. Her son, Miguel de la Paz, died on 19 July 1500.Most high and most puissant king, my lord,I am not asking Your Highness for forgiveness for not writing to you more often, because it is not possible for you to make me feel more shame, no matter how blamed I might be than the shame I feel for not being able to do it as I would like, and even more so, guessing the command of Your Highness, to abide by and satisfy these people [the Portuguese], who are very lovely, I can not do as I wish, and the best I can is to see myself having palaces at my disposal until I am deadly tired both physically and spiritually. Truly, my lord, now I would gladly excuse myself from such pleasures, in order to find myself at the service and in the presence of Your Highnesses, so we could live together through the sorrow, that I am hoping Our Lord, considering his infinite mercy, will soothe by giving the lady princess [Margaret of Austria] a son, guarding him and making him as Your Highnesses wish, in the face of such a misfortune [Juan’s death], we should promptly expect His compassion. And I, my lord, live in this hope, and I beg Your Highness to take relief in this and in any other thing that may bring it. And for the love of God, sometimes Your Highness ought to take a rest, with all the rest you might have, such distress is very sorrowful and disguised to kill. May God guard Your Highness as the queen, my lady, desires, and it seems to me such sorrow is particularly bad for the kidneys. I hope Your Highness has not felt it that way and never will. I kiss the feet and the hands of Your Highness for such favor you do me by the care you have for my wellbeing that everything I would do, following the orders of Your Highness, and everything that would come of it, is to be for me. I, my lord, will work as much as I can to do it and will do everything in my power to follow the customs of this place [Portugal], and later I will do so in everything. As for other trivialities of my household and the treatment I receive, no woman has been treated in a more honorable way by her husband; and I believe this will serve Your Highness more that it is to my advantage and honor of my household, unlike it was under the king of Portugal, my lord [John II], for he was not well-disposed. I am of such a goodwill to show myself Portuguese that without such urgency as the counsel of Your Highness, which is a command to me, I have shown myself as such; and thus I determined to follow the rule of using horses, but now for the trip we are to take, to visit the queen of Portugal, my lady [Eleanor of Viseu, John II of Portugal’s wife and Manuel I’s sister], the king, my lord [Manuel I], let the Castilian women travel on mules, and the two Portuguese women whom I already have in my household are to go on horses that their father will provide them with, so they can have them in my stable. [The Catholic Monarchs court traveled on mules.] As for the other things of this place [Portugal], if I had such a good knowledge of them as Your Highness of those of that place [Castile], when it was necessary for me to show myself Portuguese, considering there are a few Castilians here, I would already speak, but Your Highness should believe that since the majority of people I have to spend time with are those whom I did not have much contact with, when I was here before, I still have much work to do in getting to know them. And without this, and knowing well the things of this place [Portugal], which are very different from those of the other [Castile], I would err in what I would like to say. The king, my lord [Manuel I], has ordered me to occupy myself with a certain business, Pray to God I may do this in such a manner that I learn and so that it serves him and Your Highnesses. May He guard and increase the royal life and state of Your Highness with much pleasure, and let me serve Your Highness as I wish. The favor you do me, besides others, in writing to me about the state of the queen, my lady, and the lady princess [Margaret of Austria], God knows the pity I feel at all moments, knowing they are not doing very well; I would like this favor to be extended, and for Your Highness to order someone to write to me about Your Highness, so that I am informed of everything.From Évora on 13 November [1497]From the humble servant and daughter of Your Highness, who kisses your royal feet and hands. The queen.Source: Nicolás Ávila Seoane, Documentos de las hijas de los Reyes Católicos: Isabel, pp. 26-27, Archivo General de Simancas, Patronato real, leg. 50, doc. 31, ff. 101-102v.translation is mine -- source link

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