As the future Queen of Castile, Isabella was a desirable marriage candidate. Her half-brother, King Henry IV, tried to marry her off several times, but Isabella already knew the man of her choice – the future King Ferdinand II of Aragon.
But there would be terms and during the secret marriage negotiations, these were discussed and eventually compiled in the Capitulaciones de Cervera. Isabella was not about to hand over her future power to her husband.
The agreement stated that Ferdinand had the right to administer justice in Castile, but everything else would have to be agreed upon by Isabella. He was not even allowed to leave Castile without Isabella’s permission. He was obliged to provide 100,000 florins and an army of 4,000 lancers after the consummation of the marriage. An upfront payment of 20,000 florins, along with a pearl and ruby necklace, was also expected.
For Ferdinand, it was a humiliating document, and it seemed unthinkable that any man, much less a King, would need his wife’s permission to leave. Ferdinand signed the agreement on 5 March 1469, followed by his father King John II, on 12 March.1
Isabella’s half-brother had been kept entirely out of the loop, but Isabella had made up her mind. Her wedding to Ferdinand would take place the following October.
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