9. Joanna of Castile was mean, moody and unpredictable, and she even became known as ‘Joanna the Mad’ in her native Spain
In many ways, Joanna of Castile appeared the ideal princess. Born in the city of Toledo in 1479, she was the daughter of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. Not only was Joanna a pretty young girl, she was also well-read and fluent in several languages. However, from an early age, she preferred the company of books to the company of people. By all accounts she was moody and withdrawn. What’s more, she also rebelled against her mother’s strict Catholicism. This may have meant that Johanna was tortured by men of the Inquisition, adding to her foul mood and distrust of others.
Things didn’t really improve when she got married, even if her husband was Phillip the Handsome, Duke of Burgundy. The Prince was routinely unfaithful, and his infidelities drove Johanna into a deep depression. From her mid-20s onward, the Princess became known as ‘Johanna the Mad’, a name which could never escape, even in death. As a result, when she was named Queen of Castile – quite unexpectedly and only because of a series of royal deaths – she was kept under house arrest so that she couldn’t wield any real power. Even when Prince Phillip died, her own father took over as regent, never trusting his ‘mad’ daughter with control of the newly-united kingdom.