Eleanor was born in 1498 at
Leuven, the eldest child of
Philip of Austria and
Joanna of Castile, later
king and queen of Castile. As queen, Eleanor had no political power; however, she served as a contact between France and Emperor Charles. Queen Eleanor was present at the peace negotiations between Francis and Charles in
Aigues-Mortes in 1538. In 1544, she was given the task of entering peace negotiations with Charles and their sister Mary of Hungary. In November 1544, she visited Charles in
Brussels.
Later life As a queen dowager, Eleanor left France for Brussels in 1548. She witnessed the abdication of Charles in October 1555 and left for Spain with him and their sister Mary in August 1556. She lived with her sister in
Jarandilla de la Vera, where they often visited their brother, who retired to the
Monastery of Yuste nearby. In 1558, she met her daughter
Maria in
Badajoz for the first time in 28 years. Eleanor became ill while returning from Badajoz. Eleanor died on 25 February 1558, on the return trip from Badajoz. Her brother was devastated to learn of her death and he himself died seven months later. ==Family==