Philip I of Castile
King of Castille
Died when: 28 years 65 days (338 months)Star Sign: Leo
Philip the Handsome (22 July 1478 – 25 September 1506), also called the Fair, was ruler of the Burgundian Netherlands and titular Duke of Burgundy from 1482 to 1506, as well as the first Habsburg King of Castile (as Philip I) for a brief time in 1506.
The son of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor and Mary of Burgundy, Philip was less than four years old when his mother died, and upon her death, he inherited the Burgundian Netherlands.
Despite his young age, Philip quickly proved himself an effective ruler beloved by his people in the Low Countries, pursuing policies that favoured peace and economic development, while maintaining a steady course of government building.
In 1496, Philip's father arranged for him to marry Joanna, the second daughter of Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon.
Around the same time, Philip's sister, Margaret, was given in marriage to Joanna's brother John, Prince of Asturias. After the deaths of her elder siblings John and Isabella, along with that of her infant nephew Miguel, Joanna became heiress presumptive to the thrones of Castile and Aragon.
Most of Philip's time in Spain was spent consolidating his power, often leading to conflicts with his wife and her father.
Joanna became queen of Castile when her mother died in 1504. Philip was proclaimed king in 1506, but died a few months later, leaving his wife distraught with grief.
Joanna's father, Ferdinand II of Aragon, and son, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, were quick to seize power, confining the queen for the rest of her life on account of her alleged insanity.
Philip was the first Habsburg monarch in Spain, and every Spanish monarch since his son Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor has been one of his descendants.
Philip died before his father, and therefore never inherited his father's territories or became Holy Roman Emperor. However, his son Charles eventually united the Habsburg, Burgundian, Castilian, and Aragonese inheritances.
By inheriting the Burgundian Netherlands and acquiring much of Spain and its possessions in the New World by marriage to Joanna, Philip was instrumental in vastly enhancing the territories of the Habsburgs, and his progeny would rule over European territories for the next five centuries.