Joana of Portugal (March 31, 1439 – June 13, 1475) was Queen of Castile as the second wife of King Henry IV of Castile. The posthumous daughter of King Edward of Portugal and Eleanor of Aragon, she was born in the Monte Olivete Villa, in Almada.
On 21 May 1455 in Córdoba, she married as his second wife, King Henry IV of Castile, who had repudiated his first consort, Blanche II of Navarre, after 13 years of marriage. It was rumoured that their marriage had never been consummated due to the king's impotence. Henry and Joana shared the same maternal grandparents: Ferdinand I of Aragon and Eleanor of Alburquerque (making them first cousins). They also shared the same paternal great-grandfather: John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster (making them second cousins). In February 1462, six years after Joana's marriage to Henry, she gave birth to a daughter, also named Joana, called La Beltraneja because of rumours that she was in fact the daughter of Don Beltrán de la Cueva, 1st Duke of Alburquerque, who was suspected of being Joana's lover.
Henry banished Joana from the royal court and she went to live in Coca at the castle of Henry's supporter, Bishop Fonseca. She soon fell in love with Bishop Fonseca's nephew. They embarked on a sexual affair, which resulted in Joana bearing her lover two illegitimate sons. Henry subsequently declared their marriage had never been legal and thus divorced her in 1468.
At the death of her former husband in 1474, Joan championed her daughter's right to succeed to the throne, but she died shortly thereafter. This led to the outbreak of the War of the Castilian Succession (1475–1479).
On 21 May 1455 in Córdoba, she married as his second wife, King Henry IV of Castile, who had repudiated his first consort, Blanche II of Navarre, after 13 years of marriage. It was rumoured that their marriage had never been consummated due to the king's impotence. Henry and Joana shared the same maternal grandparents: Ferdinand I of Aragon and Eleanor of Alburquerque (making them first cousins). They also shared the same paternal great-grandfather: John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster (making them second cousins). In February 1462, six years after Joana's marriage to Henry, she gave birth to a daughter, also named Joana, called La Beltraneja because of rumours that she was in fact the daughter of Don Beltrán de la Cueva, 1st Duke of Alburquerque, who was suspected of being Joana's lover.
Henry banished Joana from the royal court and she went to live in Coca at the castle of Henry's supporter, Bishop Fonseca. She soon fell in love with Bishop Fonseca's nephew. They embarked on a sexual affair, which resulted in Joana bearing her lover two illegitimate sons. Henry subsequently declared their marriage had never been legal and thus divorced her in 1468.
At the death of her former husband in 1474, Joan championed her daughter's right to succeed to the throne, but she died shortly thereafter. This led to the outbreak of the War of the Castilian Succession (1475–1479).
Joana of Portugal (March 31, 1439 – June 13, 1475) was Queen of Castile as the second wife of King Henry IV of Castile. The posthumous daughter of King Edward of Portugal and Eleanor of Aragon, she was born in the Monte Olivete Villa, in Almada.
On 21 May 1455 in Córdoba, she married as his second wife, King Henry IV of Castile, who had repudiated his first consort, Blanche II of Navarre, after 13 years of marriage. It was rumoured that their marriage had never been consummated due to the king's impotence. Henry and Joana shared the same maternal grandparents: Ferdinand I of Aragon and Eleanor of Alburquerque (making them first cousins). They also shared the same paternal great-grandfather: John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster (making them second cousins). In February 1462, six years after Joana's marriage to Henry, she gave birth to a daughter, also named Joana, called La Beltraneja because of rumours that she was in fact the daughter of Don Beltrán de la Cueva, 1st Duke of Alburquerque, who was suspected of being Joana's lover.
Henry banished Joana from the royal court and she went to live in Coca at the castle of Henry's supporter, Bishop Fonseca. She soon fell in love with Bishop Fonseca's nephew. They embarked on a sexual affair, which resulted in Joana bearing her lover two illegitimate sons. Henry subsequently declared their marriage had never been legal and thus divorced her in 1468.
At the death of her former husband in 1474, Joan championed her daughter's right to succeed to the throne, but she died shortly thereafter. This led to the outbreak of the War of the Castilian Succession (1475–1479).
On 21 May 1455 in Córdoba, she married as his second wife, King Henry IV of Castile, who had repudiated his first consort, Blanche II of Navarre, after 13 years of marriage. It was rumoured that their marriage had never been consummated due to the king's impotence. Henry and Joana shared the same maternal grandparents: Ferdinand I of Aragon and Eleanor of Alburquerque (making them first cousins). They also shared the same paternal great-grandfather: John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster (making them second cousins). In February 1462, six years after Joana's marriage to Henry, she gave birth to a daughter, also named Joana, called La Beltraneja because of rumours that she was in fact the daughter of Don Beltrán de la Cueva, 1st Duke of Alburquerque, who was suspected of being Joana's lover.
Henry banished Joana from the royal court and she went to live in Coca at the castle of Henry's supporter, Bishop Fonseca. She soon fell in love with Bishop Fonseca's nephew. They embarked on a sexual affair, which resulted in Joana bearing her lover two illegitimate sons. Henry subsequently declared their marriage had never been legal and thus divorced her in 1468.
At the death of her former husband in 1474, Joan championed her daughter's right to succeed to the throne, but she died shortly thereafter. This led to the outbreak of the War of the Castilian Succession (1475–1479).
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