By Wendy J. Dunn
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!
Publisher: Poesy Quill
Pages: 310
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?
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Thank you so much for hosting Wendy J. Dunn, with such a fascinating article on Isabel of Castile, linked to her compelling novel, The Duty of Daughters. We appreciate your time.
ReplyDeleteTake care,
Cathie xx
The Coffee Pot Book Club