For the emperor, Isabella’s death would have a profound meaning. (…) a widower at thirty-nine and with a single male child as heir to such a vast empire, Charles of Austria, King of Spain and Emperor of Germany, would never remarry. Perhaps, from a distance already impossible to shorten, the empress would continue to exercise her subtle influence.
– CASOTTI, Marsilio. Infantas de Portugal, Rainhas em Espanha.
Today In History- Imperal Wedding of Charles V & Isabella Of Aviz.
The negotiations to carry out the marriage of Isabella with Charles, lasted approximately eight years, despite the sympathies that the young princess aroused in the Castilian Cortes, since the notables of the kingdom saw in her a worthy successor to her maternal grandmother, Isabella the Catholic; not to mention that a double marriage between princes of both kingdoms could lead to the union of both crowns.
Isabella, who in these years had resided in Almeirim’s palace, after the celebration of marriage by proxy, on November 1, 1525, remained in the said palace, in the company of her brother and his wife, until January 30, 1526, At that time, the Pope granted the dispensation so that Carlos and Isabel could officially get married, since both were first cousins. The future empress arrived at the Portuguese border on February 7 of that same year, and there she was received by the archbishop of Toledo, Alonso of Fonseca, and by the dukes of Medina Sidonia and Calabria, among others.
By arrangement of the Emperor the wedding took place in Seville, so Isabel left for the aforementioned city accompanied by a large entourage and visited Badajoz, Talavera la Real, Almendralejo, Llerena, Guadalcanal and Cantillana, where he received remarkable signs of admiration of the inhabitants of these localities His entry into Seville, on March 3, 1526, was carefully planned by Charles who wanted his future wife to receive the affection of his new subjects. Installed in the Reales Alcázares, Isabella waited patiently for the arrival of the Emperor, who made his triumphal entry into the city seven days later.
The wedding took place at dawn on March 11, since according to the chroniclers of the time, love arose among them at first sight. Thus the Emperor, eager to consummate the marriage, ordered that an altar be installed in the rooms occupied by his future wife to carry out the celebration of the betrothal, which, given the precipitation, were witnessed by a small number of nobles . The death of Isabel of Austria, sister of Carlos V, caused that the celebration celebrations by the marriage of the empress were delayed until the month of April, although for that reason they were not less lavish.
On May 13, Isabella and her husband left Seville and set off for Granada, the city they arrived on July 4. The newlyweds stayed six months installed in the palace of the Alhambra, where they conceived their first child, the future Philip II. It was during these months that Charles informed his wife of the affairs of the kingdom, since he had decided that it would take care of the government of Castile in his long absences.
