Queen Isabella I of Spain was born on April 22, 1451, in Madrigal de las Altas Torras, Spain. When she was three years old, her father, King John II, died and her step-brother Henry IV took the throne. Her mother, Isabella of Portugal, raised her until she was thirteen years old. Then Henry IV called her and her younger brother, Alfonso, to his court to keep them from joining the opposition nobles. However, the people did not like Henry IV as a king, and wanted to replace him with Alfonso. This ended very tragically; Alfonso was killed by poison. Since there were no more men in the family, Isabella was offered the crown by the nobles, but she refused. In September 1468, Henry IV accepted Isabella of Spain as his heiress.

In October 1469, Isabella married Ferdinand of Portugal without Henry IV's permission or knowledge. When he found out, he disinherited her, and pronounced his second wife, Juana la Beltraneja, heiress once again. When Henry IV died in 1474, people wanted Isabella as the new ruler instead of Juana, which resulted in war. In the end, Isabella was crowned Queen of Castile, and Juana entered a convent.

Isabella's husband, Ferdinand, had become King of Aragon since the war ended, and he and Isabella ruled equally through each kingdom. They strived to bring the two kingdoms of Spain together as one, and succeeded. Isabella also supported Christopher Columbus on his journey to the New World. Without her, there probably would not be an America today! She was one of the most supportive queens that Spain has ever had. She died on November 26, 1504.

"The distance is great from the firm belief of the realization from concrete experience."

~Isabella I of Spain

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