Five Minutes History - Isabel of Castile
By Wendy J. Dunn
Author of The Duty of Daughters
Isabel of Castile was never meant to be queen of Castile. Her much older half-brother Henry IV ruled the kingdom, but he was known as Henry the Impotent, and few people believed Joanna la Beltraneja, the only child born during his marriage, was truly his. Henry was not a strong king, and he was forced to agree that Alfonso, his younger half-brother and Isabel’s brother, would become his heir. But Alfonso died at about fourteen, most likely of the plague, though rumours of poison also circulated, leaving the seventeen-year-old Isabel next in line.
At eighteen, Isabel strengthened her position by marrying Ferdinand of Aragon. Ferdinand likely saw the marriage as enhancing his own claim to the throne of Castile (he was Isabel’s husband after all, and also with Castilian royal blood running in his veins), but when Henry IV died, Isabel, then twenty-three, seized the throne in her own right. Securing that claim, however, took the first year of her reign, as she had to fight off rival claimants.
For the most part, Isabel was content to rule Castile jointly with her husband Ferdinand, who often served in a military role throughout their marriage. But Castile was a far more powerful kingdom than Aragon, and Isabel was always ready to assert her authority when necessary. She was deeply frustrated by Ferdinand’s inability to persuade his own kingdom to accept their daughters in the Aragonese succession, since Aragon followed the rule that only males could inherit the throne. They had Isabel, their first child, early in their marriage, but the demands of ruling and travelling in the early years of Isabel’s reign led to miscarriages. Their son Juan was not born until nearly eight years after his eldest sister, Isabel. Three more daughters followed Juan. Catalina of Aragon — better known to history as Katherine of Aragon — was their final child, born at the end of another year of their Holy War to drive the Moors out of Castile.
Researching my novel The Duty of Daughters changed my view of Isabel of Castile utterly. I had once known her only as the queen who drove the Moors out of her kingdom. Learning more about her reminded me how important it is to view historical figures in the context of their own times. She was a strong queen who believed she was doing the right thing by God and by her kingdom.
But what truly warmed me to her was seeing how deeply she loved her children. She found the best educators for them, aware that her own upbringing had not prepared her for leadership. Since Isabel later employed Beatriz Galindo to teach her Latin, the language of diplomacy in Christian kingdoms at the time, that strengthens the historical belief that Beatriz may have been among the tutors she engaged for her children. She kept five children close to her and did not rush to marry off her daughters; instead, she held them with her as long as she could. She lost her beloved eldest daughter and son in her lifetime, and her grief at their deaths is tangible in every biography I have read.
I will never ever refer to Isabel of Castile as Isabella of Castile after being reminded that her name translates to Elizabeth in Castile AND that Isabella likely came about when the English sought to belittle the powerful grandmother of Mary I by calling her Isabella.
Scroll down to find out more about Wendy's book!
Publication Date: November 17th, 2019
Publisher: Poesy Quill
Pages: 310Genre: Historical Fiction / Tudor Fiction
Spanish Version:
Publication Date: June 1st, 2026
Publisher: Libros de Seda S.L.
Pages: 320
Castile, 1490.
Doña Beatriz Galindo is an uneasy witness to the Holy War of Queen Isabel of Castile and her husband, Ferdinand, King of Aragon. A holy war pushing the Moors out of territories ruled by them for centuries.
Beatriz does not want a life like other women. She desires power over her own destiny. Even if this means walking a far harder road.
A passionate and respected scholar, Beatriz serves her friend Queen Isabel of Castile as her advisor. She also tutors the queen’s youngest child, Catalina of Aragon.
Dedicated to Queen Isabel and her children, Beatriz guides the young Catalina of Aragon to walk her own hard life road.
But can she prepare Catalina to be England’s queen?
Finalist in the 2020 CHAUCER Book Awards for pre-1750s Historical Fiction.
Praise for The Duty of Daughters:
"This is a captivating read, written with heart, significance and sensibility. Dunn is a careful writer. She doesn't exploit her characters; rather, she explores them and brings us along for the journey. This is a novel researched with integrity, and Dunn reaches out and lands beautifully in the winner's circle."
~ Historical Novel Reviews
"This profoundly moving story helps us appreciate today's more enlightened world. The Duty of Daughters is historical fiction at its best!"
~ Readers’ Favorite ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Wendy J. Dunn
Award-winning Australian author of Tudor historical fiction, specialising in Anne Boleyn and Katherine of Aragon novels.
Wendy J. Dunn is an award-winning Australian author, playwright and poet fascinated by Tudor history – so much so she was not surprised to discover a family connection to the Tudors, not long after the publication of her first Anne Boleyn novel narrating the Anne Boleyn story through the eyes of Sir Thomas Wyatt, the elder. Her family tree reveals the intriguing fact that one of her ancestral families – possibly over three generations – had purchased land from both the Boleyn and Wyatt families to build up their own holdings. It seems likely Wendy’s ancestors knew the Wyatts and Boleyns personally.
Her second novel, The Light in the Labyrinth, set during final days of Anne Boleyn's life, revisits the Anne Boleyn story through the eyes of her niece Catherine Carey. The Duty of Daughters and All Manner of Things tells the story of Katherine of Aragon. Shades of Yellow tells the story of a woman writing a novel about Amy Robsart.
All Dunn's award-winning works weave together the lyricism of poetry with the pulse of history, creating stories of love, loss, and the endurance of the human spirit.
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