Catherine of Austria (1507-1578)

: "This article is about the daughter of Philip I of Castile and Joanna of Castile. For the Polish queen consort in the same dynasty, see Catherine of Austria (1533-1572)".

Catherine of Austria, also called "Catherine of Castile" or "Catherine of Burgundy" (14 January, 1507 – 12 February, 1578) was (as wife of King John III of Portugal) Queen consort of Portugal from the House of Habsburg.

An Infanta of Castile, Archduchess of Austria and Princess of Burgundy, she was the posthumous daughter of Philip of Habsburg by Joanna of Castile. She was named in honor of her maternal aunt, Catherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII, King of England. She remained with her disturbed mother until the arrival in Spain of her eldest siblings (Eleanor and Charles), all her elder siblings (bar her brother Ferdinand, who had also been born in Spain, and raised by their grandfather) had been put into the care of Margaret of Austria, but Joanna kept hold of her young daughter Catherine; Catherine was kept with her mother in her prison cell during her grandfather's time as regent. Nobody would dare take Catherine off her mad mother so Catherine stayed with Joanna, Catherine had nothing to do all day, her only entertainment was to look out of the window, two ladies in waiting would keep the mother and daughter company. Eleanor brought about the creation of her own household within the castle their mother was virtually imprisoned in. She was a younger sister of Eleanor of Habsburg, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Isabella of Habsburg, Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor and Mary of Habsburg.

After the death of her husband, she was challenged by her daughter-in-law (her niece, Juana) over the role of regent for the infant King Sebastian. Mediation by Charles V resolved the issue in favour of his sister Catherine, over his daughter Juana, who was needed in Spain in the absence of Phillip II.

Marriage and children

On 10 February, 1525, Catherine married her first cousin John III of Portugal. They had nine children, but only two survived early childhood.

Ancestry

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1= 1. Catherine of Habsburg
2= 2. Philip I of Castile
3= 3. Joanna I of Castile
4= 4. Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
5= 5. Mary, Duchess of Burgundy
6= 6. Ferdinand II of Aragon
7= 7. Isabella I of Castile
8= 8. Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor
9= 9. Eleanor of Portugal
10= 10. Charles, Duke of Burgundy
11= 11. Isabella of Bourbon
12= 12. John II of Aragon
13= 13. Juana Enriquez
14= 14. John II of Castile
15= 15. Isabella of Portugal
16= 16. Ernest, Duke of Austria
17= 17. Cymburgis of Masovia
18= 18. Edward of Portugal
19= 19. Leonor of Aragon
20= 20. Philip, Duke of Burgundy
21= 21. Isabella of Portugal
22= 22. Charles I, Duke of Bourbon
23= 23. Agnes of Burgundy
24= 24. Ferdinand I of Aragon
25= 25. Eleanor of Alburquerque
26= 26. Frederick Enríquez, Count of Melgar
27= 27. Merina de Cordova
28= 28. Henry III of Castile
29= 29. Katherine of Lancaster
30= 30. Infante João, Lord of Reguengos
31= 31. Isabella of Braganza