Joanna of Castile

Joanna of Castile was queen of Castile and León from 1504 until her death in 1555. Her claim to the Spanish crowns passed to her son Charles I.

Margaret of Austria: Habsburg regent of the Low Countries and guardian of Charles V during his youth. She helped raise Joanna's children while they were in the Low Countries.
Cortes of Castile: The representative assemblies of Castilian estates, summoned by monarchs to advise and approve matters including taxation. The Cortes recognized Joanna's succession and addressed the regency governing in her name.
Union of the Crowns of Castile and Aragon: The dynastic union of Castile and Aragon under Isabella I and Ferdinand II, whose kingdoms retained distinct institutions. Joanna inherited Castile within the dynastic union established by her parents.
Madness of Joanna of Castile: The disputed historical diagnosis and political narrative surrounding Joanna's mental state and capacity to rule. Claims about her mental state helped justify control over her person and government.
Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros: Spanish cardinal and statesman who served as regent of Castile after Philip I's death. He governed Castile during Joanna's confinement and her father's return to power.
Royal regency: Government exercised by a regent on behalf of a monarch unable to rule personally or not yet of age. Regencies allowed Ferdinand and later Charles to govern while Joanna retained the title.
Spanish Empire: The overseas and European territories ruled by the Spanish monarchy from the late fifteenth century onward. The crowns inherited through Joanna became the base of Charles I's expanding empire.
Women rulers in Europe: Women who held sovereign or regent authority in European states across different historical periods. Joanna's queenship shows how inheritance could grant women sovereignty without control of government.
Charles V: Holy Roman emperor and Spanish monarch who inherited the Spanish crowns as Charles I. He retained the crown while his mother remained queen in name.
Tordesillas: A Castilian town where Joanna was confined in the royal palace of Santa Clara from 1509 until her death. Her long confinement separated her queenship from the exercise of power.

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