The Polish match never materialised as Maximilian realised his matchmaking skills were lacking. Especially in the case of Isabella, where he recognised Isabella had married a man who led an “unpleasant and shameful life” with a mistress. And so he decided “to postpone that [match] of Poland until I can recognise my error.”1 During these years, Eleanor was close to her brother Charles, and she attended public events alongside him.
On 23 January 1516, Eleanor’s grandfather, King Ferdinand II of Aragon, died. While he was officially succeeded as King of Aragon by Eleanor’s mother, Joanna, it was to be her brother Charles who would hold the official power. Just two months later, Charles was proclaimed as joint monarch with his mother following an enthronement ceremony in Brussels. It was now time to go to his kingdoms, and it was initially decided that Eleanor would stay in Brussels. However, she did not want to stay and Charles promised she could come. Around this time, it was rumoured that she was in love with the future Frederick II, Elector Palatine, who was in Charles’s entourage. Charles eventually found a letter Frederick had written to Eleanor, and Charles made Eleanor renounce Frederick. Frederick left the court a few days later.
An agent of King Henry VIII of England wrote, “The Prince Palatine left under the influence of disgrace, for having the audacity to write, without the King’s knowledge, to his sister, Princess Eleonore, whom he wanted to marry. This letter was discovered, and although the contents were perfectly suitable, de Chièvres did so much that he prevailed over the Palatine and had him punished for his audacity.”2 He later wrote to his cousin, “Madam, my good cousin, it happened to me through youth and foolishness of love, to have written letters which were found and taken in the bad part of the King and his council. It is very true that the said letters are quite crazily written, although I swear to you on my faith, whatever letters I have written, I never wanted to do anything that wasn’t according to the will and satisfaction of the King. I never thought of doing anything that could be to his dishonour or disadvantage.2 Frederick would eventually be welcomed back by Charles and even ended up marrying Eleanor’s niece, Dorothea.
Eleanor was heartbroken, but she complied with her brother’s wishes. It was now the autumn of 1517, and Charles and Eleanor were finally leaving for Spain. They arrived there in September and slowly made their way to Tordesillas, where their mother, Joanna, was being confined with their sister Catherine. They saw their mother again in November and met Catherine for the very first time. One observer wrote about their meeting, “After a first meeting, short but intense, Charles and Eleanore remained in Tordesillas for another seven days: more than the fate of their mother, it was that of their young sister Catherine, which upset them, as her way of life was so far removed from their own. The eldest had arrived in Tordesillas splendidly dressed. […] On the contrary, the youngest, although pretty, was so modestly dressed in inexpensive grey cloth that she looked like the daughter of a simple country gentleman.”3
Following the meeting with their mother, they continued their journey to meet with their brother Ferdinand, who had grown up in Castile. On 18 November, Charles made his entry into Valladolid alongside his brother and sister. Not much later, Ferdinand left for Central Europe, and Eleanor never saw him again. As she followed Charles around the lands he had inherited, Eleanor was also preparing for marriage. King Manuel I of Portugal had been widowed in March 1517, and Eleanor was to become his third wife. He had previously been married to two of Eleanor’s aunts, Isabella and Maria. Her grandfather, Maximilian, was opposed to the union and wrote, “As for the King of Portugal pursuing our daughter Lady Leonora, we have previously written to you our intention, namely that in no way can we advise marrying our daughter to the said King of Portugal, but if he wanted to have her for his eldest son, we would be very happy.”4 He was mainly opposed due to the King’s age – 49. Nevertheless, it was threatened that Manuel would marry Joanna la Beltraneja, a claimant to Charles’ throne, if Eleanor were not offered in marriage.
Eleanor dutifully accepted the groom placed before her, and she married King Manuel by proxy on 10 July 1518. She slowly prepared for her departure to Portugal, which took place on 5 October. Charles accompanied her for the first two days. In November, she crossed the Rio Sever into Portugal. On 24 November, she met her husband for the first time, and they were married by the Archbishop of Lisbon. Manuel had several living children from his second marriage, including Isabella, who would go on to marry Eleanor’s brother Charles in 1526. Upon meeting his children, Eleanor refused to let them kneel to her and embraced them warmly. She was at ease with them as she was close to their age.
Eleanor spent much of her time as Queen of Portugal, travelling between the various royal residences to avoid the plague. On 18 February 1520, she gave birth to her first child – a son named Charles. He lived for just over a year, dying on 15 April 1521. He was interred in the Jerónimos Monastery alongside two of his half-siblings, Maria and António. Eleanor was pregnant at the time of her son’s death, and a daughter named Maria was born on 8 June 1521.
Tragedy struck again in December 1521 when King Manuel fell ill with the plague. After a struggle of seven days, he died on 13 December 1521 at the age of 53. Eleanor was now a widow at the age of 23, and she withdrew to a convent to mourn her husband.
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