(Cover image – © Juan de Flandes, c. 1500 – Wikipedia)
Early Life, Family and Childhood:
The 6th of November marks the 543rd birthday of Juana, Queen of Castile (1504-1555) and Aragon (1516-1555), more famously referred to as ‘Joanna the Mad’ or ‘Juana la Loca’.
Queen Juana was the daughter of two of the most famous Catholic monarchs in European history- Isabela I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon- whose marriage established the kingdom of Spain in 1469. Despite this union, the couple never amalgamated their countries, meaning the pair ruled their own lands individually as separate entities.
Like many monarchs during this period of history (take Henry VIII for an example), Juana was never destined to rule in her own right as Queen regnant or even hold the heir apparent title of Princess of Asturias. Being the brightest out of all five siblings, she was however, deemed a valuable tool in forging new dynastic alliances between Spain and the rest of Europe through the proposition of marriage. Thus, Juana’s upbringing and education reflected such import.
Contrast to her own upbringing, Queen Isabela I of Castile insisted on all of her children having a thorough and holistic education befitted for only the finest of leaders. Juana, along with brother Juan and sisters, Isabela, Maria, and Catalina were introduced to an array of humanistic teachings by their tutor Beatriz Galindo. Juana was academically versed in history, geology, mathematics, philosophy, and law. She also studied poetry and classical literature, reading the works Juvencus and Prudentius and multiple church fathers. The young infanta also studied a myriad of languages including Castilian, Catalan, Leonese, and Portuguese in addition to being fluent in both French and Latin.
Juana, along with her sisters were also introduced to more traditional ‘feminine’ pastimes such as needlework, embroidery, stitching, hunting, and riding. An accomplished equestrian, the young Juana was gifted a mule which she often rode. However, on one occasion found herself almost drowned after her beloved pet lost its footing and carried her down into a river. She was also an equally talented musician and dancer being particularly skilled at playing the clavichord, guitar, and monochord.
By 1487 at the age of 8, Juana had accumulated quite the royal wardrobe. She had her own personal tailor and shoemaker (if you know anything about her sister Catalina’s momentous shoe collection, this is not a surprise!) and possessed an assortment of blouses, skirts, farthingales, and coats lined in rabbit or cat fur. Many pieces were dyed crimson as it was her favorite color.
Given Isabela I’s notorious religious zealotry (take the Spanish Inquisition as one example) it is no surprise that her children were also subject to strict religious teachings by Dominican priest Andrés de Miranda. Juana’s younger sister the infanta Catalina de Aragon, more commonly known as Katherine of Aragon, also possessed the same feverous piety as her mother, as seen through her ardent religious defense and stoicism throughout her husband King Henry VIII’s ‘Great Matter’.
Juana nevertheless appeared to adopt more impartial religious convictions. Such ‘skepticism’ and ‘rebellion’ as some scholars have described it, is believed to have cause significant friction between the royal and her mother. Letters from King Ferdinand’s gentlemen of the bed chamber suggest that Juana was subject to a radial punishment named “La cuerda,” by Isabela, where in which she was suspended by ropes with weights attached to her feet.
The relentless attempts to produce the most desirable bachelorettes in all of Europe finally came to fruition during the late 1490’s and early 1500’s following the multiple betrothals in the House of Trastamara. Juana’s elder sister Isabela married Alfonso, Prince of Portugal, and following his death in 1491, became Queen of Portugal after marrying Manual I, King of Portugal in 1497. Catalina (or Katherine) wed Arthur, Prince of Wales, heir to the Tudor throne in 1501. In 1509, seven years after the death of Arthur, she famously married his brother, King Henry VIII. In 1500 Maria married her sister Isabela’s widower King Manual I of Portugal.
Juana’s intelligence and charisma throughout adolescence secured her arguably the most important marriage of all. Isabela entrusted her 16-year-old daughter with the lucrative union between both Spain and the House of Burgundy. A calculated allegiance which would prevent growing French advancements and make Spain the center piece of power in Europe. Juana was to marry Philip the Handsome, son of Holy Roman Emperor Maximillian and in exchange, Juana’s brother Juan (John) would marry Philip’s sister Margaret of Austria.
Marriage and Queenship:
Following her betrothal to Philip the Handsome in 1496, Juana travelled to the Low Countries to wed. It was a tumultuous journey lasting a month, which resulted in three sunken ships and the young princess falling severely seasick. Many accounts report that the couple fell in love, or at least lust, at first sight. So much so that the marriage plans were hastened so the pair could consummate it as soon as possible at Philip’s request. A blessing was given by the cleric and an official ceremony commenced the day after on 20th of October 1496. The transition between princess and head of household was a particularly difficult one Juana. Her new homeland possessed both customs and culture vastly different from the one she was acquainted with in Spain. This radical shift from the conservative catholic ideals she was so familiar with often left the infanta feeling melancholic and confused, particularly in the first few years of her marriage. Associates in charge of the court took advantage this, refusing to grant Juana her privy purse of 20,000 gold talers.
Nevertheless, the initial passion between the pair was fruitful as Juana fell pregnant and gave birth to the couple’s first child Eleanor on 15th November 1498. The pair had six children during the course of their relationship. All of which dynastically prospered, as all four daughters attained the title of Queen across Europe and the couple's two sons becoming emperors later in life.
Initial joy was met with immeasurable tragedies and by 1502 Juana, now the Princess of Asturias, had unexpectedly become the heir presumptive to the crowns of Castile and Aragon following the death of her brother Juan, Prince of Asturias in 1497, her elder sister Isabela in 1498 and infant nephew Miguel in 1500. It was also around this time Juana’s previously avid marriage began to deteriorate following Philip’s multiple infidelities. Growing up under the care of Isabela I -a staunchly independent and formidable leader- it is hardly surprising that Juana refused to cower to patriarchal convention and passively accept Philip’s overt debauchery. Instead, the heiress fiercely retaliated and openly displayed her denunciation in the court towards his philandering. This response would soon ignite rumors and questioning over Juana’s mental state.
In 1504 Juana officially became Queen of Castile as a result of her mother’s death, a fact that her father refused to accept. According to Isabela’s will, Ferdinand was only permitted to govern if one of two situations arose. One, during Juana’s absence from court, or two, if she was unwilling to rule herself. In which case Ferdinand would only be permitted to rule Castile until Juana’s heir turned 20 years of age.
The king of Aragon wasn’t the only individual to challenge Juana’s succession to the Castilian throne. Her husband, Philip the Handsome also believed he had the right to rule. The two men, consumed by their own self-serving interests began to mint separate coins declaring themselves Kings of Castile. It was at this point in the timeline that the pair conveniently agreed that Juana’s mental state was rapidly deteriorating, making her unfit to rule and consequently resulted in the signing of a treaty that stated such. After much deliberation and strenuous efforts from each opposing side to establish a semblance of dominance over the whole situation, it was Philip who was granted power over Castile. Meanwhile Juana was confirmed to a life of isolation in the Low Countries unable to fulfil her duty as Queen.
Opportunity for Juana to establish her rightful place as ruler arose once more after the death of her husband Philip on 25th September 1506. Juana made ample attempts at reconsolidating her power, yet these were deemed futile with the country falling into chaos and disorder. Whilst his heavily pregnant daughter was raptured in grief for her husband, Ferdinand seized the opportunity and swiftly established himself as regent.
On 14th February 1509, Juana was forcibly moved to the palace of Tordesillas along with her youngest child, where she would spend the next 46 years of her life. Such actions caused international uproar with Henry VII of England and Maximillian of Austria, who opposed Ferdinand’s right to govern in Juana’s stead. Henry VII demanded Juana’s hand in marriage, regardless of her supposed madness and even planned to invade Castile in order to save his bride. These plans were never executed as Henry died in April the same year. Ferdinand continued to impose cruel restrictions on Juana by disbanding her loyal servants and appointed Mosen Luis Ferrer as head of her care. Juana was subject to ruthless torment as well as physical and emotional abuse from Ferrer as commanded by the King. Depriving her of plentiful food, water and clothing as well as restricting her contact with the outside world. Juana’s chambers were far from fit for a Queen, confined of not. She slept on straw matting and wore a simple grey woolen dress. A considerable contrast from the lavish vermillion gowns that once made up her wardrobe. Despite the abuse she suffered from at the hands of both her father and Ferrer, Juana remained steadfast in her cause, refusing to give up her rights, titles, and territories.
On 14th March 1516 Spain accepted a new monarch, Juana’s eldest son Charles, as a result of Ferdinand’s death. The following year in 1517 the new King alongside his sister Eleanor visited their mother in confinement. It had been 12 years since the last time they had seen Juana at which point Charles was just five years old. The only memory the King possessed of Juana was that of a mad woman, a social pariah of sorts, ostracized from humanity as consequence of her ailments. It is hardly surprising that Charles too was reluctant to put his mother back on the throne. And so, she remained in Tordesillas until her death on the 12th of April 1555, aged 75 years old.
Madness: Myth or Maybe?
(© Francisco Pradilla Ortiz – Wikipedia)
The famous 1877 oil painting titled Doña Juana la Loca is one example of how Juana’s madness has been immortalized through media and the arts. However, the whole concept of Juana’s mental instability is a highly contested topic between historians.
The first indications of any psychological volatility in Juana can be seen through her relationship with Philip the Handsome and her questionable responses to his blatant infidelity. One of the most famous instances recorded is when Juana confronted one of her husband’s mistresses by allegedly cutting off the noblewoman’s hair. Averse to confrontation, Philip would punish Joanna for her outbursts towards his affairs by ignoring her for days on end, often going riding and hunting as a means to stay away. Which in turn would trigger depressive states where in which a distraught Juana would throw herself at walls in order to physically harm herself.
Juana’s actions and feelings were seldom seen as rational in 16th century Europe. The court expressed no sympathy for her predicament, and Philip, most likely embarrassed by his wife, openly fueled the thwarted narrative of psychological turmoil and mental instability.
Another incident noted is during the unexpected visit to Juana’s younger sister Catalina in 1506 in England, when during the voyage Juana refused to sail with any other ladies on ship, in fear her husband would do what he did best and romance with them. This defiance resulted in a heated row between the couple. Another incident which Philip used as evidence of Juana’s irrational hysteria and absolute paranoia.
Again, when Juana was informed of her mother’s death, it appears she experienced another deterioration in her mental state. Exhibiting some signs of what today we acknowledge to be a depressive episode through her lack of appetite and inability to sleep.
Acknowledgement of Juana’s family history of mental illness on her mother’s side further perpetuated the idea of an unstable Juana throughout court and has been used as supporting evidence from historians who believe in ‘Juana la Loca’ even today.
Perhaps the most famous example of a florid display of mental illness from Juana can be seen through her apparent response to her husband’s death. Sources depict a heavily pregnant Queen refusing to depart from her husband’s decaying body, insisting he was still alive. Juana, guarding the love of her life, embarked on a laborious journey to Philip’s final resting place in southern Spain, ignoring councilors and other important members of the court who demanded meetings with her. Before being interred, legend says that the Queen opened the coffin and gave her husband one final kiss.
More recent arguments suggest it was actually Ferdinand that first spread the rumor about his daughter’s questionable relations with a corpse. Of course, depicting his own daughter as a madwoman would only further reinforce suitability to sit on the Castilian throne. Whilst the journey to Philip’s burial site was indeed an incredibly long one, scholars argue that this was not due to Juana’s possessive attempt to remain with her husband for as long as she possibly could be due to the denial of his death, but instead because of Juana’s physical state. Juana was actually heavily pregnant at the time. Such a long journey therefore in exceptional circumstances would have required much caution, strategic planning and plenty of rest to prevent any further calamity for mother or baby.
There is no doubt that the religious trauma in childhood, the indiscreet infidelity by Philip, incomprehensible familial losses, unexpected responsibilities required for queenship, and the numerous psychological effects caused by reoccurring pregnancies must have had some kind of impact on Juana’s mental health throughout her lifetime. But the extent to which how these events influenced her capacity to rule kingdoms and overall clarity of mind remains up for further debate. This idea of a madwoman was first illustrated and introduced to world by those who craved authority the most, who perhaps felt undermined by Juana’s inherited power and evident courageous spirit, and who would only prosper if such control was taken away from her. Whilst depictions of Juana in media are relatively sparse, portrayals in shows such as The Spanish Princess appear to allude to this argument. Juana presents bitter about the power Philip and Ferdinand have over her, but not particularly ‘mad’ as such.
Nevertheless, one thing is for certain, like many women in history, Juana was a victim.
Whether it be a victim of patriarchy, illness, or both, it’s saddening to think we will never know what kind of Queen she could have been only if she had only been given the chance.
What are your thoughts on Juana la Loca? Do you believe she was truly mad? Or is it just a fictitious story made by those around her?
- Have a ‘Tudor-fic’ week!
Written by Lucy Palmer-Cooper
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