Archduke Philip of Austria,
King of Castile 1504-1506, (1478-1506)
Born 22 June 1478 Brugge
Died 25 September 1506 Burgos
Married 22 October 1496 Lier (in person)
Infanta Juana of Aragon, daughter of Fernando II "the
Catholic", King of Aragon 1479-1516 and Isabella I "the
Catholic", Queen of Castile 1474-1504
Born 6 November 1479 Toledo
Died 12 April 1555 Castle Tordesillas, Valladolid
Philip, 'the Fair' or 'the Handsome', was indeed a handsome and talented
youth with a mind of his own. At sixteen he came of age officially and
became ruler of Burgundy. Immediately he quarrelled with his father, Emperor
Maximilian I, because he wanted to keep Burgundy out of his father's endless
struggle with France.
Philip's marriage to Juana of Aragon turned out to be politically more
useful, but it brought no happiness. Philip was an extrovert and something
of a womanizer, whereas Juana, with the taint of madness in her family,
combined a brooding religious fanaticism with an overpowering sensuality.
In her jealousy she resorted to violence, attacking Philip's mistress.
After the death of his mother-in-law, Philip became King of Castile.
Less than two years later Philip died suddenly, rumoured to have been poisoned
by his wife in a fit of jealousy, or else by his father-in-law who took
over the Regency for Philip's son, Charles.
Having adored him, been wildly jealous of him, then made his life a
misery, Juana granted him no peace even in death. She had been told of
a prince who had come to life after fourteen years in the grave, and
so she watched over Philip's open coffin for fourteen years.
Source: Leo van de Pas |