Moniek Bloks's Blog, page 29

Christina of Denmark – An exiled Princess (Part one)

Christina of Denmark was born in November 1521 as the daughter of Isabella of Austria and King Christian II of Denmark. The exact date has not been left to us. She had two elder siblings, John (born 1518) and Dorothea (born 1520). Her mother was a sister of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.

At the time of her birth, her father was in the midst of a revolt in Sweden. He decided to travel to the Low Countries and placed the regency in Isabella’s hands. He met with Isabella’s aunt and brother in Brussels, as well as Isabella’s step-grandmother, Germaine of Foix. His journey was without success, and the situation continued to spiral out of control.

Just weeks after Christina’s birth, Isabella wrote to her aunt Margaret asking for help with the rebels. She wrote, “We have sad news from my lord in Jutland. The nobles there have rebelled against him and seek to deprive him and our children of their crown and their lives. So we entreat you to come to our help, that we may chastise the rebels.”1

On 20 January 1523, Christian was officially deposed as King of Denmark and Norway and replaced by his uncle, Frederick. Christian decided to flee with his family. Isabella, John, Dorothea and Christina went on board the Lion, even though Frederick begged her to remain in Denmark, assuring them of their safety. Christian still had the popular support, and many watched as the King and his family sailed away on 13 April.

The children were left with Isabella’s aunt in Mechelen while Isabella and Christian continued on to Greenwich, which they reached on 19 June, and they were met by Cardinal Wolsey, who introduced them to King Henry and Queen Catherine, who was also Isabella’s aunt. However, Henry told Christian he had made a mistake by abandoning his subjects and advised him to return home. He later wrote to Emperor Charles, “For this perfidy of the King’s subjects is a most fatal example, if for the most trifling cause a Prince is to be called in question, and expelled and put from his crown.”2

Nothing more could be done in England, and so Isabella and Christian returned to the Low Countries in early July. Isabella returned to her children in Mechelen, while Christian went to Antwerp to raise ships with aid for Copenhagen. After a fight with Margaret, he suddenly left for Germany. Isabella joined him in Germany as he tried to find help, and Isabella even spoke at the Nuremberg Diet. Minister Hannart wrote to Emperor Charles, “Everyone here is full of compassion for the Queen, but no one places the least trust in the King. If it were not for her sake, not a single man would saddle a horse on his behalf.”3

During a congress in April 1524, a proposal was made that Prince John was to be recognised as Frederick’s successor, but Christian angrily rejected this offer. He soon realised the hopelessness of his cause. Isabella’s health had suffered during these last years, and Christian took her to Aachen to go to the waters. The family then settled at Lierre, halfway between Mechelen and Antwerp, at the end of 1524. While they received an allowance, Isabella was eventually forced to cut up her husband’s old robes to make clothes for the children. When her health required a second visit to Aachen, she declined due to the vast expense.

At the doctor’s suggestion for a change of air, she moved to Swyhnaerde near Ghent, where she soon became so weak that she could no longer leave her room. On 19 January 1526, Isabella received the last sacraments from the priest of Swynaerde, and she commended her children to Margaret’s care. She died a few hours later, still only 24 years old.

Christian took his children from Ghent following Isabella’s death and refused to give them up to Margaret until she had paid all of his debts, including the funeral expenses. Emperor Charles wanted the children returned to Margaret’s care “because of the King’s heretical leanings.”4 After many discussions, Margaret eventually rode to Lierre herself to convince Christian to leave the children with her. He had already packed up most of his belongings and intended to leave for Germany. She finally managed to convince himself after agreeing to pay some of the debts. Christian left for Germany intending to raise an army to try and reclaim his kingdoms.

On 5 March 1526, Margaret returned to Mechelen with John, Dorothea and Christina. Margaret wrote to Charles, “Henceforth, Monseigneur, you will have to be both father and mother to these poor children and must treat them as your own.”5 For the next four and half years, Margaret made sure that the children lacked nothing. They lived under her roof in Mechelen; she arranged for their education, and she hardly went a day without seeing them. Her death on 1 December 1530 was greatly mourned by the three children. John was the chief mourner at her funeral and he rode at the head of the procession.

Margaret was replaced as governor of the Habsburg Netherlands by her niece and Emperor Charles’s sister, Mary of Austria. Mary arrived in Mechelen with Charles in March 1531 and met her nieces and nephew for the first time. Dorothea and Christina, who were nine and ten years old, were left at court while John joined their aunt and uncle on a progress through the provinces.

Part two coming soon.

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Queen Jiang of Chu – The Queen who drowned in a flood in order to preserve her chastity

Queen Jiang of Chu was Queen to King Zhao of Chu. Queen Jiang of Chu has been famous for preferring to drown in a flood rather than be accused of “lack of chastity.” [1] Queen Jiang of Chu’s story has often been praised by Confucian scholars.[2] They praised her for her chastity.[3] Today, many feminist scholars have often been repulsed by Queen Jiang of Chu’s story and have viewed her death as “extreme.” [4] Yet, Queen Jiang of Chu was once seen as a virtuous Queen.[5]

Queen Jiang of Chu was born in the early fifth century B.C.E.[6] She lived during the Spring and Autumn period, which lasted from 771 to 453 B.C.E. During this period, Chinese states were declaring their own independence from the ruling Zhou Dynasty to form their own dynasties.[7] Her personal name is unknown.[8] She was from the Jiang clan.[9] She was the daughter of the Marquis of Qi (modern-day Shandong Province).[10]

Lady Jiang married King Zhao of Chu (r. 515-489 B.C.E.). She became Queen of Chu. Her mother-in-law was Queen Bo Ying. One day, King Zhao of Chu went on a pleasure trip. Before he left, he settled her in a pavilion next to a river.[11] When King Zhao of Chu heard that the river was going to flood and that Queen Jiang of Chu was in danger, he sent an official to retrieve her.[12] However, King Zhao of Chu forgot to give the official an imperial tally to let his wife know that it was an order sent by him.[13]

When the official tried to retrieve Queen Jiang of Chu, she refused to come with him because he did not have the imperial tally in his hand.[14] The official persisted, but she still refused.[15] She said that she would rather die than violate her husband’s order.[16] She would die for righteousness.[17] She said, “The brave person does not fear to die.” [18] Before the official could return to the pavilion with the imperial seals, Queen Jiang of Chu drowned in the flood.[19] King Zhao of Chu admired his wife’s bravery to die in the flood.[20] He praised Queen Jiang of Chu’s death as “a rule of chastity.” [21]

Queen Jiang of Chu has often been eulogized for centuries for following “the rules of wifehood.” [22] Today, her story of self-sacrifice has been unappealing to modern-day feminists.[23] They find her act of chastity to be repulsive and “extreme.” [24] Yet, in ancient China, she has been praised for her chastity. Ancient chroniclers have called her “Chaste Jiang.” [25] In Biographies of Eminent Women, Queen Jiang of Chu’s biography has been categorized under “Biography of the Chaste and Obedient.” [26]

Sources:

Cook, C. A. (2015). “Pure Jiang, Wife of King Zhao of Chu”. Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women: Antiquity Through Sui, 1600 B.C.E. – 618 C.E. (L. X. H. Lee, Ed.; A. D. Stefanowska, Ed.; S. Wiles, Ed.). NY: Routledge. pp. 59-60.

Eno, R. (2010). 1.7. Spring and Autumn China (771-453). Indiana University, PDF.

O’Hara, A. R. (1978). “The Biographies of Chinese Women.” The Position of Woman in Early China: According to the Hieh Nü Chuan. Taiwan: Mei Ya Publications. pp. 102-127.

Liu, X., Kinney, A. B. (2014). Exemplary Women of Early China: The Lienü Zhuan of Liu Xiang. United Kingdom: Columbia University Press.

[1] Cook, 2015, p. 59

[2] Cook, 2015

[3] Cook, 2015

[4] Cook, 2015, p. 59

[5] Cook, 2015

[6] Cook, 2015

[7] Eno, 2010

[8] Cook, 2015

[9] Liu & Kinney, 2014

[10] Cook, 2015

[11] Cook, 2015; Liu & Kinney, 2014

[12] Cook, 2015; Liu & Kinney, 2014

[13] Cook, 2015; Liu & Kinney, 2014

[14] Cook, 2015; Liu & Kinney, 2014

[15] Cook, 2015

[16] Cook, 2015

[17] Cook, 2015

[18] Cook, 2015, p. 59; O’Hara, 1978, p. 117

[19] Cook, 2015

[20] Cook, 2015

[21] Cook, 2015, p. 59

[22] Cook, 2015, p. 59

[23] Cook, 2015

[24] Cook, 2015, p. 59

[25] Liu & Kinney, 2014, p. 78

[26] Cook, 2015, p. 59

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Book News Week 50

*contains affiliate links*

Book News Week 50 – 9 December – 15 December 2024

Anna of Denmark: The material and visual culture of the Stuart courts, 1589–1619 (Studies in Design and Material Culture)

Paperback – 10 December 2024 (US & UK)

Barbarian Queens and the Conversion of Europe 

Hardcover – 15 December 2024 (UK & US)

Matoaka, Pocahontas, Rebecca: Her Atlantic Identities and Afterlives (Early American Histories) 

Paperback – 12 December 2024 (UK)

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Queen Artemisia II of Caria – A brilliant navy admiral and a skilled botanist

Queen Artemisia II of Caria was the sister and wife of King Mausolus. After his death, she was Queen regnant of Caria for two years. Queen Artemisia II of Caria was also a brilliant navy admiral and a skilled botanist.[1] Yet, her most renowned accomplishment was that she commissioned King Mausolus’s tomb.[2] It became one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.[3]

The birthdate of Queen Artemisia II of Caria is unknown.[4] Queen Artemisia II of Caria was named after Queen Artemisia I of Halicarnassus.[5] She was the daughter of Prince Hecatomnus of Caria, the founder of the Hecatomnid Dynasty that ruled in the fourth century B.C.E.[6] She had three brothers named Prince Mausolus, Prince Idrieus, and Prince Pixodarus.[7] She also had a sister named Princess Ada.[8] 

Princess Artemisia II married her brother, King Mausolus of Caria (r. 377-353 B.C.E.).[9] She became queen and co-ruler of Caria (which was a small section of the Persian Empire that was on the coastline of the Aegean Sea in the southwest region of Turkey).[10] Their capital city was Halicarnassus.[11] King Mausolus and Queen Artemisia II of Caria extended their empire and conquered many Greek towns.[12] They even conquered the Greek island of Rhodes.[13] Even though they were Persian, they still admired the Greek culture and incorporated it into their empire.[14]

In 353 B.C.E, King Mausolus died. Shortly after his death, the Rhodians revolted against Queen Artemisia II of Caria.[15] They sent a fleet of ships to attack Halicarnassus.[16] However, Queen Artemisia II of Caria learned of the attack.[17] She commanded her navy to sail to a secret location near Halicarnassus.[18] At the right time, the navy attacked and suppressed the rebellion.[19] This allowed Queen Artemisia II to become the sole ruler of Caria.[20]

Queen Artemisia II of Caria reigned for two years.[21] During her reign, she commissioned Greek artists to build a tomb for her husband, King Mausolus.[22] King Mausolus’s tomb would become one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.[23] Queen Artemisia II of Caria was also a skilled botanist.[24] The plant genus Artemisia is named after her.[25] She died in 351 B.C.E.[26] Historians believe that she is buried beside her husband in King Mausolus’s tomb.[27]

There are very few known facts about Queen Artemisia II of Caria. However, it is clear that she was a successful ruler.[28] Her rule remained unchallenged until her death.[29] Alongside her husband, she helped expand her empire.[30] Due to the construction of King Mausolus’s tomb, Queen Artemisia II of Caria will never be forgotten.[31]

Sources:

“Artemisia II”. (2011). In L. Rodger & J. Bakewell, Chambers Biographical Dictionary (9th ed.). Chambers Harrap. Retrieved on June 2, 2024 from https://search.credoreference.com/art....

Lendering, J. (29 April, 2019). “Artemisia”. Livius.org. Retrieved on June 2, 2024 from https://www.livius.org/articles/perso....

Nichols, J.A. (2022). “Artemisia II”. Salem Press Encyclopedia.

[1] Lendering, 29 April 2019; “Artemisia II”, 2011

[2] “Artemisia II”, 2011

[3] “Artemisia II”, 2011

[4] Nichols, 2022

[5] “Artemisia II”, 2011; Nichols, 2022

[6] Lendering, 29 April 2019

[7] Lendering, 29 April 2019

[8] Lendering, 29 April 2019

[9] Nichols, 2022

[10] Nichols, 2022

[11] Nichols, 2022

[12] Nichols, 2022

[13] Nichols, 2022

[14] Nichols, 2022

[15] Nichols, 2022

[16] Nichols, 2022

[17] Nichols, 2022

[18] Nichols, 2022

[19] Nichols, 2022

[20] Lendering, 29 April 2019

[21] Lendering, 29 April 2019

[22] Lendering, 29 April 2019

[23] Lendering, 29 April 2019

[24] “Artemisia II”, 2011

[25] “Artemisia II”, 2011

[26] Lendering, 29 April 2019

[27] Lendering, 29 April 2019

[28] Lendering, 29 April 2019

[29] Lendering, 29 April 2019

[30] Nichols

[31] Lendering, 29 April 2019

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Why Princess Birgitta wasn’t in the Swedish line of succession

The late Princess Birgitta of Sweden wasn’t in the Swedish line of succession.

Princess Birgitta was born in 1937 as the second daughter of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Her siblings are Princess Margaretha (born 1934), Princess Désirée (born), Princess Christina (born 1943) and the current King Carl XVI Gustaf (born 1946). Her father was second in the line of succession behind his father when he died in an aeroplane crash in 1947.

At the time, women were barred from the throne, and Princess Birgitta and her sisters had no succession rights. When their father died, their nine-month-old brother became second in the line of succession behind his grandfather, who would become King Gustaf VI Adolf in 1950. He died on 15 September 1973, after which their brother became King.

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King Carl XVI Gustaf married Silvia Sommerlath in 1976. At the time, discussions about introducing absolute primogeniture (inheritance regardless of gender) were ongoing in the government. Due to the complicated nature of changing the law, it took until 7 November 1979 for the Swedish Parliament to vote through the amendment to the Constitution. By then, Queen Silvia had given birth to a daughter, Princess Victoria and Prince Carl Philip (who was automatically styled as Crown Prince as the law had not taken effect yet). The new law went into effect on 1 January 1980 and made Princess Victoria the new heir to the throne.

However, the new succession law was limited to the descendants of King Carl XVI Gustaf, and so the King’s sisters, including Princess Birgitta, remained without succession rights.

Due to her descent from Princess Margaret of Connaught, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, she was distantly in line to the British throne.

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Why Princess Birgitta was an HRH and her sisters were not

The late Princess Birgitta of Sweden was the only one of her sisters who held the style of Royal Highness, and the reason is quite simple.

The reason Princess Birgitta retained her royal style, and her sisters lost theirs, goes back to now-defunct Swedish royal rules regarding marriages. The Swedish constitution at the time stated that Swedish princesses had to marry a man of equal rank. If they did not, they lost their royal style of Royal Highness.

Princesses Margaretha, Désirée and Christina married commoners and lost their royal styles. However, they did not lose their titles of princess as the monarchs at the time of their marriages (King Gustaf VI Adolf and King Carl XVI Gustaf) gave them courtesy titles just without the style of Royal Highness.

Margaretha’s courtesy title is Princess Margaretha, Mrs Ambler and Désirée’s is Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld. Christina holds the title of Princess Christina, Mrs Magnuson.

Princess Birgitta married a man of equal rank (a fellow royal): Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern. This means that the Princess was able to retain the style of Royal Highness, making her title from her marriage until her death – Her Royal Highness Princess Birgitta of Sweden and Hohenzollern.

Birgitta’s husband and his family held the styles of Serene Highness, but since Royal Highness is ranked higher, the Princess was able to retain her birth royal styling.

One thing all three Haga Princesses (a nickname they were given as children) have in common is their place in the line of succession. None of the sisters of King Carl Gustaf are in the line of succession; likewise, their children are not in the line of succession. Before King Carl Gustaf ascended the throne and the change in succession laws in 1980, women were not allowed to inherit the throne nor were any of their children.

Since the births and marriages of the Haga Princesses, the laws in Sweden have changed to allow women in the line of succession and to marry who they want.

For example, Crown Princess Victoria married a commoner, Daniel Westling, in 2010. She did not lose her royal style or her place in the line of succession. Victoria remained the heir to the throne, and her husband was granted a princely title. He is now known as Prince Daniel. Together, they will one day be the Queen of Sweden and Prince Consort.

In fact, with the change in succession laws, the first two people in the Swedish line of succession are women – Crown Princess Victoria and her daughter, Princess Estelle, who will also one day reign as monarch.

Victoria’s younger sister, Princess Madeleine, married American-British businessman, Christopher O’Neill in 2013. Like Victoria, she kept her titles and place in the line of succession. Her three children (Princess Leonore, Prince Nicolas and Princess Adrienne) are also titled and in the line of succession. Madeleine’s husband, Chris, was also offered a royal title but chose to remain a private citizen.

With Prince Carl Philip (Birgitta’s godson and nephew) and Princess Sofia expecting their fourth child in 2025, if it’s a girl, we may finally see an HRH Princess Birgitta in the line of succession.

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Princess Sofia of Sweden at 40

Princess Sofia of Sweden marks her 40th birthday today, and to celebrate, we look at her life so far.

Sofia Kristina Hellqvist was born on 6 December 1984 to Erik and Marie Hellqvist. She has two sisters, Lena (b. 1982) and Sara (b. 1988).

Sofia was christened on 26 May 1985 and grew up in Älvdalen, Darlana, where she attended Älvdalen Montessori School and Älvdal School. She also undertook art classes at Vansbro Education Centre. Sofia spent time volunteering during her teenage years in South Africa, Senegal, and Ghana.

By 2005, she moved to New York City to study accounting in business development at the New York Institute of English and Business; while there, she worked as a yoga instructor.

Sofia returned to Sweden and enrolled at Stockholm University, where she studied global ethics, child and youth science, and children’s communication. Her studies also focused on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

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The future royal worked as a waitress, in shops and factories and as a glamour model, posing for Slitz magazine topless with a boa constrictor covering her. Slitz readers voted her the 2004 Miss Slitz. Her job as a model led her to be cast in the Swedish reality television show Paradise Hotel. She travelled to Las Vegas, Nevada, for filming and made it to the finals before being voted off the show. Photos and footage of her in magazines and on television were dug up by Swedish media after her relationship with Prince Carl Philip (the son of King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia) was revealed in 2010.

In the same year that her relationship with Carl Philip was confirmed, she founded Project Playground with her friend, Freda Vesterberg. The non-profit “creates faith in the future among young people in Sweden and Africa by contributing to meaningful leisure time,” according to Project Playground.

After four years of dating, the Swedish Royal Court announced Prince Carl Philip was engaged to Sofia Hellqvist. Their wedding took place at the Royal Chapel of Stockholm Palace on 13 June 2015. Sofia was granted the title of Princess of Sweden and also became the Duchess of Värmland (Carl Philip’s dukedom).

Together, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia have three sons: Prince Alexander (b. 19 April 2016), Prince Gabriel (b. 31 August 2017) and Prince Julian (b. 26 March 2021). Sofia is currently expecting their fourth child, due in February 2025.

Since becoming part of the Swedish Royal Family, the Princess has adopted several patronages and even undertook an emergency online course at Sophiahemmet University to help the hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her main focus is on children, preventing online bullying, and supporting those with dyslexia.

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Sofia is also regularly seen at National Day celebrations, Victoria Day celebrations, and the Nobel Prize events each year. She and Prince Carl Philip also have a personal Instagram account where they share photos of their family and the work they are doing on behalf of the Crown.

Throughout her nine years as a royal, Princess Sofia has proven to be hard-working and beloved by the Swedish people.

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The Nine Provinces Tiara

The Nine Provinces Tiara is a versatile tiara belonging to the Belgian Royal Family.

The tiara was a wedding gift to Princess Astrid of Sweden when she married the future King Leopold III of Belgium. The tiara was made in 1926 by a Belgian jeweller named Van Bever and was a gift on behalf of the Belgian people.

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It was originally a meander bandeau topped with large diamonds on spikes and it could be worn with or without the spikes. Astrid later added interlocking diamond arches and this is setting is the one that is now mostly worn.

Following Astrid’s untimely death, her husband inherited the piece. His second wife, the Princess of Rethy, only ever wore various components of the piece. The future Queen Fabiola chose to wear the full tiara on her wedding day, as a tribute to her late mother-in-law.

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Fabiola passed the tiara to her sister-in-law following the death of King Baudouin in 1993. She wore it until the abdication of her husband in 2013 in favour of their son, King Philippe.

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The new Queen Mathilde wore the tiara in her first official portrait as Queen, although she did not wear the full tiara.1

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Queen Isabella I of Castile & The Spanish Inquisition

The Spanish Inquisition was established by King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile in 1478. They were given a Papal Bull by Pope Sixtus IV, and they first used to appoint two inquisitors in 1480 in Seville to seek out heretics.

It focused mainly on those who had been forced to convert from Islam or Judaism and who were under suspicion of continuing to follow their old faith. All the Jews who did not wish to convert were expelled from Castile in 1492 following the Alhambra Decree. Similar orders followed for all Muslims starting in 1501.

Queen Isabella certainly believed that there were those who were still practising their old faith. She wrote, “I have been told that there are certain graveyards beside the monasteries of St Bernard, the Holy Trinity and St Augustine in which the conversos of the city used to bury their dead and that they were buried with Jewish rites and ceremonies, seeking out virgin land, in Jewish clothing, with their arms laid straight and not in a cross, insulting and casting opprobrium on our ancient Catholic faith.”2

The first victims were burned on 6 February 1481. It was reported, “At the first burning, they brought six men and women out into [the Plaza de] Tablada and burned them: and Friar Alonso [Hojeda], a jealous defender of the faith of Jesus Christ and the person who worked hardest to bring the inquisition to Seville, preached there. Neither their wealth nor favours could help them.”3

Those who confessed and repented could be given a fine after a public ceremony of humiliation. One  oberserver wrote, “The inquisitors would take people out of prison and put sanbenitos on them – with red crosses in front and behind – and they had to walk around in those sanbenitos for a long time.”4

The Pope tried to calm Isabella’s fears that the Inquisition would be seen as a moneymaking scheme. He wrote, “The doubts you seem to have about whether we think that, by taking measures to proceed so severely against those perfidious people, under Christian disguise, blaspheme and, with Jewish insidiousness, crucify Christ… that you are motivated more by ambition and a desire for worldly goods than for defence of the faith and Catholic truth or fear of God; you should know that we have never entertained the slightest suspicion than this might be the case.”5

There is no precise data on the number of executions performed in the name of the Inquisition. One estimate of those being burnt between 1481 and the death of Queen Isabella stands at 2,000. According to another source that estimates the years between 1481 and 1488, 2,000 were sentenced to death, and 15,000 were reconciled.6 Of course, the Inquisition continued after Isabella’s death and would have many more victims.

For Isabella, the Inquisition had been a necessity. She urged Joanna to “Always support the things that the Holy Inquisition does against the depraved heresy.”7

Queen Isabella has been recognised as a “Servant of God” by the Vatican since 1974, which is the first step towards a possible canonisation. These proceedings were halted in 1991 due to her expulsion of the Jews. However, in 2020, Pope Francis requested that her case be reopened.8

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The Year of Isabella I of Castile – Isabella & The Spanish Inquisition

The Spanish Inquisition was established by King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile in 1478. They were given a Papal Bull by Pope Sixtus IV, and they first used to appoint two inquisitors in 1480 in Seville to seek out heretics.

It focused mainly on those who had been forced to convert from Islam or Judaism and who were under suspicion of continuing to follow their old faith. All the Jews who did not wish to convert were expelled from Castile in 1492 following the Alhambra Decree. Similar orders followed for all Muslims starting in 1501.

Queen Isabella certainly believed that there were those who were still practising their old faith. She wrote, “I have been told that there are certain graveyards beside the monasteries of St Bernard, the Holy Trinity and St Augustine in which the conversos of the city used to bury their dead and that they were buried with Jewish rites and ceremonies, seeking out virgin land, in Jewish clothing, with their arms laid straight and not in a cross, insulting and casting opprobrium on our ancient Catholic faith.”1

The first victims were burned on 6 February 1481. It was reported, “At the first burning, they brought six men and women out into [the Plaza de] Tablada and burned them: and Friar Alonso [Hojeda], a jealous defender of the faith of Jesus Christ and the person who worked hardest to bring the inquisition to Seville, preached there. Neither their wealth nor favours could help them.”2

Those who confessed and repented could be given a fine after a public ceremony of humiliation. One  oberserver wrote, “The inquisitors would take people out of prison and put sanbenitos on them – with red crosses in front and behind – and they had to walk around in those sanbenitos for a long time.”3

The Pope tried to calm Isabella’s fears that the Inquisition would be seen as a moneymaking scheme. He wrote, “The doubts you seem to have about whether we think that, by taking measures to proceed so severely against those perfidious people, under Christian disguise, blaspheme and, with Jewish insidiousness, crucify Christ… that you are motivated more by ambition and a desire for worldly goods than for defence of the faith and Catholic truth or fear of God; you should know that we have never entertained the slightest suspicion than this might be the case.”4

There is no precise data on the number of executions performed in the name of the Inquisition. One estimate of those being burnt between 1481 and the death of Queen Isabella stands at 2,000. According to another source that estimates the years between 1481 and 1488, 2,000 were sentenced to death, and 15,000 were reconciled.5 Of course, the Inquisition continued after Isabella’s death and would have many more victims.

For Isabella, the Inquisition had been a necessity. She urged Joanna to “Always support the things that the Holy Inquisition does against the depraved heresy.”6

Queen Isabella has been recognised as a “Servant of God” by the Vatican since 1974, which is the first step towards a possible canonisation. These proceedings were halted in 1991 due to her expulsion of the Jews. However, in 2020, Pope Francis requested that her case be reopened.7

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