When she was prevented from leaving for Flanders, twenty-four-year-old Juana flew into a rage. After visiting with her mother, Juana wished to join her husband in Flanders, which would mean she would have to travel through France at a time when France and Castile were at war.
As was seen at other times during her lifetime, Juana was not eating or sleeping when her mother fell ill. Juana had started exhibiting signs of mental instability in 1504, when her mother was stricken with a fever. She inherited the Kingdom of Aragon from her father upon his death in 1517. This left the throne of Castile and Leon to Juana. Juana's mother, the formidable Catholic monarch, Isabella I of Castile, passed away in 1504. This succession of deaths quickly catapulted Juana to her new position of Princess of Asturias, the title given to the heir to the throne of Castile. Miguel died in 1500 before his second birthday. Juana's sister, Isabella died in 1498, shortly after giving birth to her son Miguel. Juan sadly died in 1497 at the age of 19 and his wife, Margaret of Austria, gave birth to a stillborn daughter two months after his death. Juana had two older siblings, her sister, Isabella, and a brother, Juan. Juana was never expected to be Princess of Asturias (the title of the heir apparent to the throne of Aragon), let alone Queen of Spain. It was reported that Juana could speak the three main languages of the Iberian Peninsula, along with Latin and French. Juana was an intelligent young woman and, like her sisters, received a considerable education for the time-period. She went on to have six children with her husband, including Charles, who later became the Holy Roman Emperor. Juana married Philip the Handsome in 1496, when she was 16. Juana of Castile, known as Juana la Loca or Joanna the Mad, was the elder sister of Catherine of Aragon and sister-in-law to Henry VIII of England. Darsie for this article on Juana of Castile who has gone down in history as "Juana la Loca". Thank you to regular contributor Heather R.