OTTOMAN CORSAIRS IN THE WESTERN ... - Bilkent University

Maximilian was as cunning as his father was, so he did not lose time to balance
the French ambitions with diplomacy. He and his ally Fernando of Aragon (r. 1477-
1516) decided to consolidate their alliance with a double marriage between their
children. According to this, Maximilian’s heir and Charles’ father, Duke of Burgundy,
Philip would marry to Juana, while Margareth of Austria would marry the heir of the
Iberian crowns, Juan. These marriages would later pave the way for Charles’ ascension
to the thrones of Castile and Aragon. These kingdoms had already been united in 1479
due to the marriage of prince Fernando of Aragon with the Queen of Castile, Isabella (r.
1474-1504) who would appreciate the Aragonese help in the civil war she was facing.
Thus, the heir of this marriage would be crowned for both of the kingdoms with the
addition of the recently conquered territories in the southern part of the Peninsula. Yet,
this would only be a possible thanks to a combination of premature deaths. The heir to
both of the thrones was Juan, the husband of Margareth of Austria. Yet, he died in 1497
at the age of 19 without an heir. In 1498, the second in the dynastic line Isabel also died
and two years later his son and heir, Prince Miguel would follow him. Thus, Charles’
mother Juana was unexpectedly the first in the line of succession. Finally, in 1506,
Charles’ father Philip died, leaving a melancholy for his wife that would eventually
inflict a mental illness upon her. Isabella had already died in 1504, and Fernando
appeared as the regent of Castile since his daughter was not suitable for such a task.
Fernando, on the other hand, was absolutely not favourable to the idea of the Habsburg’s
gaining control of both of these kingdoms. This time he married Germaine de Foix in
order to create an heir that would at least separate the kingdom of Aragon from the
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