Joan was born on June 24, 1535, in Madrid. Her parents were Charles I and Isabel of Portugal and Aragon. Her grandparents on her father's side were Philip I and Joan I and on her mother's side the King of Portugal, Manuel I of Portugal and Maria of Aragon and Castile. She was called Joan for two reasons: first, because of the day of her birth and second, in honor of her paternal grandmother Joan of Castile.
Joan of Austria was the fifth of six children born to Charles I and Isabel of Portugal. Her birth occurred when Emperor Charles was fighting for his possessions in Africa.
Following the birth of her sixth child, Juan, Queen Isabel died in childbirth. Of the six children of this marriage, only her eldest brother, who would become Philip II, her sister Maria and Juana herself survived. This family situation made the bond between the three siblings, Maria, Juana and Felipe, very intense. The Emperor himself consulted his sister Juana on many of his state decisions.
Juana was orphaned by her mother at the age of four, so Leonor de Mascareñas was entrusted with her education. By the age of eight, Juana already understood and spoke Latin, as well as playing various musical instruments.
Joan married her first cousin, the Crown Prince of Portugal, John Manuel of Portugal, at the age of sixteen, who was only fifteen years old at the time. The ceremony took place in the city of Toro, Zamora, on 11 January 1552, and was carried out by proxy…
Article by: Edmundo Fayanás Escuer – History teacher.
