Juana the Mad's Children

Juana was the third child of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain and, as with her siblings, a politically good marriage was made for her to Philip the Handsome who was the son of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian.    Philip’s nickname of Handsome was used for a reason (and not irony!) and Juana was absolutely smitten with her husband.  

As soon as they set eyes on each other, by all accounts, they were like dogs on heat and were hurriedly married so that they could stumble into the bedchamber.    With all this lovemaking they produced six children:-

Eleanor

Charles

Isabella

Ferdinand

Mary

Catherine

Juana’s descendants were to include Holy Roman Emperors and Empresses, Kings of Spain, Queens of France, Princes, Princesses, Dukes, Duchesses and Archdukes among others.   Ferdinand and Isabella’s dynasty had really infiltrated most of the important European houses.

The Giclee Print of Juana the Mad of Castille can be purchased through AllPosters.com.

Juana’s first child was Eleanor who was married twice, first to Manuel I of Portugal and then to Francis I of France.   She only had two children, both to Manuel I of Portugal and neither had children of their own.

Her eldest was a son Infante Carlos of Portugal who died as a child and the youngest was a daughter Infanta Maria, Lady of Viseu.    Maria died unmarried and without children.

Juana’s second child was a son Charles who became Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and married Isabella of Portugal.    Together they had a total of 3 children.

Charles was to have a significant effect on the English monarchy and the rise of the Church of England when he held the Pope captive and refused to allow Henry VIII to have his marriage to Catherine of Aragon annulled.    Catherine was Charles’ aunt.

Charles’ children were –

Philip II of Spain - who was to marry four times, (including to Queen Mary I of England) and he had children to three of these wives.   His most notable offspring was Philip III of Spain who was from his fourth marriage to his niece Anna.

Maria of Spain who married Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor and together they had sixteen children of which 7 survived childhood, only one of these were to have children that survived childhood and that was Anna of Austria who became her uncles last wife and mother of Philip III of Spain.

Charles' third child was another daughter Joan of Spain who married John of Portugal.   They had a son together – Sebastian of Portugal who died unmarried and with no children.

The Giclee Print of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor can be purchased at AllPosters.

Juana’s third child was Isabella who ended up marrying Christian II of Denmark with whom she had three children.   Only two of these children survived childhood however – Dorothea and Christina.

Dorothea, Electress Palatine married Frederick of Palatine, but died childless.   Her sister Christina, Duchess of Milan was married twice.   Her first marriage was to Francesco II Duke of Milan, but was a childless one.   Christina’s second marriage to Francois Duc de Lorraine gave her two children – Charles and Renata.

Charles and Renata would both prove to be fertile with Charles having 9 children and Renata 10.

Juana’s fourth child was a son Ferdinand, named for her father Ferdinand of Aragon.   Ferdinand would become Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor and he married Anna of Bohemia and Hungary, together they had fifteen children.   Out of their fifteen children 13 reached adulthood and they were – Elisabeth, Maximilian, Anna, Ferdinand, Maria, Magdalena, Catharine, Eleonora, Margaret, Johann, Barbara, Charles and Helen.

Elisabeth married King Sigismund II Augustus of Poland, but died young before having any children.

Maximilian became Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor, he married his cousin Maria of Spain and had sixteen children together.

Anna was married to Duke Albert V, Duke of Bavaria and they had seven children together.

Ferdinand would become Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria and he married twice.   Ferdinand’s first wife was Philippine Welser and together they had four children.   His second wife was also his niece (daughter of his sister Eleonora) Anne Catherine and together they had three children.

Catherine was married twice, but died childless.   Her first husband was Francesco III Gonzaga, Prince of Mantua, but he died only four months into their marriage.   Catherine’s second husband was to her eldest sister Elisabeth’s widower - King Sigismund II Augustus of Poland.    She managed to get pregnant, but miscarried the baby.

Eleanora married William I, Duke of Mantura and they had three children together.

Barbara had a very happy marriage to Alfonso II, Duke of Ferrara, but they had no children together.

Charles married his niece Maria Anna of Bavaria (his sister Anna’s daughter) and together they had fifteen children.

Joanna was the youngest of  Ferdinand’s children and she married Francesco I de’ Medici with whom she had four children.

Their daughters Magdalena, Margaret and Helen all became nuns so had no children.

Juana’s fifth child was a daughter Mary.   Mary married Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia, but they had no children.

Juana’s youngest child was a daughter, Catherine.   Catherine married John III of Portugal and they had nine children although only two of them survived childhood – Princess Maria and Prince John.

Their eldest daughter Maria would be the first wife of Philip II of Spain and would have one child.    Prince John married Joan of Spain and also had just one child.