Juan, Prince of Asturias

**Juan** (30 June 1478 - 4 October 1497) was the son of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon, he was heir apparent to the Spanish throne, but he died before ever becoming King, his older sister Isabella of Aragon was the heir, when Isabella died her son was, when Isabella's son died Juan's younger sister Juana of Castile became Queen.

Juan was the only noted son of Isabella and Ferdinand to survive adulthood and infancy.

## Early life

Juan was born on June 30, 1478 in Seville, Castile, his mother was Queen Isabella I, and his father was Ferdinand of Aragon whom was the King of Aragon. his parents were followers of the Catholic church and Juan was expected to also be a follower of the christian Catholic church. And he was. He had one older sister whom was Isabella of Aragon the future Queen of Portugal.

His parents went on to have 3 other children, Juana of Castile, Maria of Aragon, and Catherine of Aragon. Juan was the only male in his family. Therefor he was the heir to the Crown of Aragon and Castile.

### Marriage plans

During Juan's early years his siblings had there arranged marriages, Isabella was marrying Manuel I, Juana was marrying Phillip, Duke of Burgundy, and his younger sister Catherine of Aragon was marrying the future King of England, Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales. Juan's marriage as heir apparent was important because he was the heir, his marriage would have to profit his family. His marriage was not for love, it was for power.

Katherine of York the daughter of Edward VI, King of England and Elizabeth Woodville was a marriage that Ferdinand and Isabella looked into but the deal was not made after Katherine's parents were defeated in the war of the roses. Another plan was to marry Juan to the heiress of the Duchy of Brittany whom was Anne, but she married someone else.

A plan was made to marry Juan to Margaret of Austria who was an Austrian Archduchess, this plan worked and they were married on 20 January 1495, the same day Juan's sister Juana married.

Margaret of Austria was the daughter of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor and Mary the Rich, her mother and father where both very powerful people, this marriage was to create a union against the Kingdom of France.

## Death

Juan was not a healthy person, he was always sick and was very weak, he was able to get his wife Margaret of Austria pregnant but he died before he could see the child.

Margaret widowed was still pregnant, Isabella and Ferdinand hoped that the baby would survive boy or girl and be crowned King or Queen of Castile and Aragon, but Margaret's daughter she gave birth to died in infancy. Margaret remarried Philibert II, Duke of Savoy. The death of Isabella and Ferdinand's only son devastated them, the next in line was Isabella of Aragon who was Queen of Portugal, Isabella of Aragon heard the news while in Portugal. But she died no long after Juan did.

Isabella of Aragon's son Prince Michael of Portugal was next in line, but he died not long after he was born, the next in line was Juan's mentally ill sister Juana la loca (English: Crazy Joanna or Joanna the Mad) Juana had a mental illness that prevented her from ruling a kingdom like Castile, so when Juana became Queen, her husband Phillip the handsome acted as regent.

## Gallery

Juan, Prince of AsturiasJuan being baptized in Seville