She was never intended to become a Queen. She wasn't the first born and the rules at the time didn't support her as a woman.

Yet through cunning and guile she managed to take power.

As a Queen, she was at the center the creation of the country

and she was largely responsible for the creation of the country which became Spain.

Learn more about Isabella the First of Castile

and how she influenced the history of Europe on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. This episode is sponsored by the tourist office of Spain.

Queen Isabella traveled extensively in Spain, so there are many places in the country that have a connection to her life.

There is the castle of Arevalho, where she grew up as a child.

The Al-Kazar of Segovia is the place where she was proclaimed the Queen of Castile and Leon.

The Royal Monastery of Santa Maria of Guadalupe was a place where she was a frequent visitor.

One of her favorite homes was the Al-Gazar of Cordoba.

And Queen Isabella's grave is at the Royal Chapel of Granada.

You can start researching your dream trip to Spain today by visiting Spain.infow,

where you can get everything you need to know to plan your Spanish

adventure. Once again that's Spain dot info.

Isabella was born to King John II of Castile and Isabella of Portugal in 1451.

At the time of her birth, the country we know as Spain today didn't really exist. It was simply a collection of

kingdoms and a Muslim emirate out of the city of Granada. At her birth she was a

highly unlikely candidate to assume the throne of Castile. starters, she was female at a time when European kingdoms were passed along male bloodlines.

Secondly, she was born in the wrong order.

At the time she was born, she had an elder half-brother Henry, who was already 26 years old and was the heir to the throne.

Then, a year after she was born, a younger brother, Alfonso was born, putting her third in line to the throne.

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