and her sister
Eleanor. Isabella was born on 18 July 1501 in
Brussels as the third child of
Philip the Handsome, ruler of the
Habsburg Netherlands and
Joanna the Mad, heiress to the Spanish kingdoms of
Castile and
Aragon. Her father was the son of the reigning
Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I and his deceased consort
Mary, Duchess of Burgundy, while her mother was the daughter of
the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and
Isabella I of Castile, after whom she is named. She was baptized in Brussels by the
Bishop of Cambrai,
Henri de Berghes. She had two older siblings,
Eleanor and
Charles, as well as three younger siblings
Ferdinand,
Mary and
Catherine. Isabella and her siblings were considered the "noblest children" of her time. Her brothers became the most powerful men in Europe as Holy Roman Emperors. Her sisters became queens in
Portugal and
France,
Bohemia and
Hungary, respectively.
Upbringing at Mechelen Following the early death of Isabella's father in September 1506, her mother's mental health reportedly began to deteriorate. Isabella, along with her brother, Charles, and her sisters, Eleanor and Mary, was put into the care of her paternal aunt,
Archduchess Margaret, governor of the
Habsburg Netherlands, while the two other siblings, Ferdinand and Catherine, remained in
Castile. Eleanor, Isabella, and Mary were educated together at their aunt's court in
Mechelen. Margaret, a wise, staunch Catholic, and politically experienced woman, played a significant role in shaping Isabella's upbringing. Under her aunt's care, Isabella received a comprehensive education from the learned
renaissance humanists of the time. Her upbringing at the opulent
court in Mechelen afforded Isabella the finest education of her time, and among her notable tutors were
Juan Luis Vives and the later
Pope Adrian VI, who was associated with the
pre-Reformation movement known as the "
Brethren of the Common Life." The Brethren were viewed favourably by
Martin Luther and
Philipp Melanchthon for their emphasis on Christian
devotion and
self-sacrifice. Many members of this movement later aligned with the
Protestant cause in its divergence from the authority of the
papal church. In her education, Isabella received instruction from Vives, covering
Greek and
Latin studies. The curriculum included a focus on the
Gospels,
St. Paul's Epistles, and select portions of the
Old Testament. Margaret acted as a maternal figure to her brother's children, and in October 1507, she informed her father, Emperor
Maximilian I, who closely followed and actively participated in matters concerning his grandchildren, of Isabella and Maria contracting
measles, with Eleonora showing symptoms. Due to the
contagious nature of the disease and winter conditions, Margaret and Archduke
Charles opted to stay in
Brussels rather than returning to Mechelen as initially intended. The household of the imperial children was headed by First
Chamberlain,
Charles de Croy-Chimay and Grand Mistress (stewardess)
Anna de Beaumont, a Spanish-Navarrese
noblewoman of French origin, who had been
Juana’s former
lady-in-waiting, arriving in the
Low Countries with the duchess in 1498.
Matrimonial negotiations Margaret heavily participated in the marriage negotiations of her nieces, including Isabella's. In 1509, Isabella's grandfather Emperor
Maximilian proposed
Henry of Navarre, son of
John III, as a possible spouse, but the proposition was presumably dismissed by Margaret. By 1510, there were discussions about Isabel’s possible marriage to
Charles II, Duke of Guelders, son of
Adolf, Duke of Guelders. However, both Margaret and Maximilian harbored reservations about sending the young princess to
Guelders, questioning the match's prestige. The Lord of Guelders held a lower rank as a duke, and their family's objective was to wed their daughters into royal houses. Isabella's fortune, her succession rights, and her connections made her a valuable pawn in the royal marriage market. In 1513,
Copenhagen hosted negotiations for the topic of the new King
Christian II's marriage, leading to an agreement to pursue one of
Philip the Beautiful's daughters. This alliance promised strategic advantages, creating kinship with the emperor and making King Christian the brother-in-law of Archduke
Charles, a powerful figure in key Dutch cities. Furthermore,
Habsburg-Austrian princesses were known for substantial
dowries. King Christian enlisted the help of his uncle,
Frederick III, Elector of Saxony, who, well-connected with the Emperor, inquired about suitable matches at the
Imperial Court. In late October and early November, a national assembly in
Viborg revisited the matrimonial issue, resolving to send an
embassy to Emperor Maximilian for the formal proposal of Archduchess Isabella's hand.
Bishop Gottschalk von Ahlefeldt, alongside Councilors
Mogens Gjø and
Albert Jepsen Ravensberg, was chosen to lead this envoy. of Isabella; made of
gold and adorned with an uncut
sapphire. It bears the inscription: "
Ave Maria gratia plena", i.e. the beginning of
Hail Mary, the traditional
Catholic prayer. The king of Denmark had first intended to marry Isabella's eldest sister
Eleanor of Austria, but the Habsburgs considered Eleanor too valuable for the throne of Denmark, because as the eldest sister, there was a likelihood that her descendants may succeed. Therefore, Isabella was selected for the Danish king. The Emperor expressed approval for the potential alliance with Denmark, a sentiment that found favor in the
Low Countries. This alliance was viewed as a strategic opportunity to enhance trade access to the
Baltic for merchants from
Bruges and
Amsterdam. The envoyship reached the imperial court in
Linz in early April, engaging in month-long negotiations culminating in the signing of a marriage contract on 29 April 1514. The substantial dowry amounted to 250,000
Rhenish gulden, approximately equal to 800 million
DKK today (about 118 million
USD), with contributions from Spain and the
Burgundian territories. Princess Isabella was also assured an annual income of 25,000 Rhenish
gulden. On 11 July 1514, one week short of her 13th birthday, Isabella was
married by proxy to King Christian II of Denmark with Emperor Maximilian I, her grandfather, standing in for the king. The
Bishop of Cambrai, , presided over the wedding which was conducted at the
Brussels Palace. She remained in the Netherlands, but is said to have fallen in love with her spouse at the sight of his painting, and asked to be taken to Denmark. A year after the wedding, the
Archbishop of Nidaros, , was sent to escort her to
Copenhagen. The Danish fleet arrived in
Veere,
Zeeland on 1 July 1515, and later than month, a tearful Isabella departed on 16 July 1515. The fleet encountered a violent tempest, that dispersed the Danish convoy along the shores of
Jutland. The vessel carrying the Queen narrowly averted shipwreck, and upon safely reaching
Helsingør in the start of August, she penned a poignant letter to the Margaret: "
Madame, if I could choose for myself, I should be with you now; for to be parted from you is the most grievous thing in the world to me". Isabella and Christian had their initial encounter at
Hvidøre, Christian II's summer residence, where he greeted her with an elaborate entourage of over 1000 individuals. The marriage was ratified on 12 August 1515, when she was 14 years old. ==Queen==