Birth
Her birth caused a scandal in the Castilian court. Her mother was Joan of Portugal, the spouse of Henry IV of Castile. The king had no other children from this or the previous marriage and rumour said he was impotent. Because of this and the fact that Joan of Portugal was allegedly having a relationship with Beltrán de La Cueva, a Castilian noble, she was considered illegitimate. She was nicknamed the Beltraneja (a mocking reference to her assumed real father) from the cradle.
Her mother was banished to Bishop Fonseca's castle where she fell in love with Fonseca's nephew and became pregnant. Henry divorced her in 1468.
Read more about this topic: Joanna La Beltraneja
Famous quotes containing the word birth:
“My demon,
too often undressed,
too often a crucifix I bring forth,
too often a dead daisy I give water to
too often the child I give birth to
and then abort....”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)