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John II
Tomb of King John II
King of Castile and León
Reign	25 December 1406 – 20 July 1454
Predecessor	Henry III
Successor	Henry IV
Consort	Maria of Aragon Isabella of Portugal
among others... Issue
Catherine, Princess of Asturias Eleanor, Princess of Asturias Henry IV of Castile Isabella I of Castile Alfonso, Prince of Asturias
House	House of Trastámara
Father	Henry III of Castile
Mother	Catherine of Lancaster
Born	(1405-03-06)6 March 1405 Toro, Zamora
Died	20 July 1454(1454-07-20) (aged 49) Valladolid
Burial	Miraflores Monastery
Religion	Roman Catholicism

John II (6 March 1405 – 20 July 1454) was King of Castile from 1406 to 1454.

He was the son of Henry III of Castile and his wife Catherine of Lancaster, daughter of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster by Constance of Castile, daughter of King Peter of Castile.

Reign [link]

Regency [link]

He succeeded his father on 25 December 1406, at the age of a year and ten months, and united in his person the claims of Peter the Cruel and of Henry II. His mother Catherine and his uncle, Ferdinand, were co-regents during his minority. When Ferdinand died in 1416, his mother was sole regent until she died as well, in 1418.

Personal rule [link]

It was one of the many misfortunes of Castile that the long reign of John II—forty-nine years—should have been granted to one of the least capable of its kings. John was amiable, weak, and dependent on those about him. He had no taste except for ornament and no serious interest except in amusements such as verse-making, hunting, and tournaments.

He was entirely under the influence of his favourite, Álvaro de Luna, until his second wife, Isabella of Portugal, obtained control of his feeble will. At her instigation, he dismissed his faithful and able favorite, an act which is said to have caused him much remorse. He died on 20 July 1454, at Valladolid.

John II of Castile declared the Valladolid laws, which restricted the social activity of Jews. Among the most notable of the provisions were; outlining that Jews must wear distinctive clothes and banned them from holding administrative positions.

In 1431 John placed Yusuf IV on the throne of the Moorish kingdom of Granada, in exchange for tribute and vassal status to Castile. This exchange is depicted in the short ballad the Romance of Abenamar.

Appearance [link]

Crown of Castile
Royal dynasties
House of Trastámara

Henry II Children include    John I    Eleanor, Queen of Navarre John I Children include    Henry III    Ferdinand I of Aragon Henry III Children include    John II    Maria, Queen of Aragon John II Children include    Henry IV    Isabella I    Alfonso, Prince of Asturias Henry IV Children    Joan, Queen of Portugal Isabella I with Ferdinand V Children    Isabella, Queen of Portugal    John, Prince of Asturias    Joanna I, Queen of Castile    Maria, Queen of Portugal    Catherine, Queen of England Joanna I This box: view talk edit

John was of a very fair complexion, had blue eyes, and had a hair color that was between reddish-blond and auburn; these were typical in members of the Trastámara family who were descendants of Peter I of Castile.^{[citation needed]}

Family and children [link]

In 1418, John married his cousin Maria of Aragon, the oldest daughter of the king Ferdinand I of Aragon and his wife Eleanor of Alburquerque. The marriage produced four children:

• Catherine, Princess of Asturias (1422–1424), his heiress presumptive until her death
• Eleanor, Princess of Asturias (1423–1425), his heiress presumptive until the birth of Henry
• King Henry IV of Castile (1425–1474)
• Infanta Maria (1428–1429)

Of all their children, only the future Henry IV of Castile survived infancy. John was widowed in 1445 and remarried to Isabella of Portugal, daughter of Infante John of Portugal, with whom he had two children:

• Queen Isabella I of Castile (1451–1504)
• Alfonso, Prince of Asturias (1453–1468)

Ancestry [link]

References [link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: John II of Castile

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "John II". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://www.1911encyclopedia.org/John_II_Of_Castile. 

v t e Princes of Asturias Infante Felipe (1977–present) Infante Henry (1388–1390) Infanta Maria (1402–1405) Infante John (1405–1406) Infanta Catherine (1423–1424) Infanta Eleanor (1424–1425) Infante Henry (1425–1454) Infanta Joanna (1462–1464) Infante Alfonso (1464–1468) Infanta Isabella (1468–1470) Infanta Isabella (1470–1478) Infante John (1478–1497) Infanta Isabella (1497–1498) Infante Michael of Portugal (1498–1500) Infanta Joanna (1502–1504) Infante Charles (1504–1516) Philip II (1527–1556) Infante Charles (1556–1568) Infante Ferdinand (1571–1578) Infante Diego (1578–1582) Infante Philip (1582–1598) Philip IV (1605–1621) Infante Balthasar Charles (1629–1646) Infante Philip Prospero (1657–1661) Infante Charles (1661–1665) Prince Joseph Ferdinand of Bavaria (1698–1699) Infante Louis (1709–1724) Infante Ferdinand (1724–1746) Infante Charles (1759–1788) Infante Ferdinand (1788–1808) Infanta Isabella (1830–1833) Infanta Isabella (1851–1857) Infante Alfonso (1857–1868) Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy (1871–1873) Infanta Isabella (1875–1880) Infanta Mercedes (1880–1904) Infante Alfonso (1907–1931)

v t e Monarchs of Castile House of Jiménez Ferdinand I  · Sancho II  · Alfonso VI  · Urraca House of Burgundy Alfonso VII  · Sancho III  · Alfonso VIII  · Henry I  · Berengaria  · Ferdinand III  · Alfonso X  · Sancho IV  · Ferdinand IV  · Alfonso XI  · Peter House of Trastámara Henry II  · John I  · Henry III  · John II  · Henry IV  · Isabella I & Ferdinand V  · Joanna & Philip I

v t e Monarchs of León Beni Alfons Alfonso III  · García I  · Ordoño II  · Fruela II  · Alfonso IV  · Ramiro II  · Ordoño III  · Sancho I  · Ordoño IV  · Sancho I  · Ramiro III  · Bermudo II  · Alfonso V  · Bermudo III House of Jiménez Ferdinand I  · Sancho II  · Alfonso VI  · Urraca House of Burgundy Alfonso VII  · Ferdinand II  · Alfonso IX  · Ferdinand III  · Alfonso X  · Sancho IV  · Ferdinand IV  · Alfonso XI  · Peter House of Trastámara Henry II  · John I  · Henry III  · John II  · Henry IV  · Isabella I & Ferdinand V  · Joanna & Philip I House of Habsburg Charles I