Catherine of Austria, Queen of Portugal

This article is about the daughter of Philip I of Castile and Joanna of Castile. For the Polish queen consort in the same dynasty, see Catherine of Austria (1533-1572), also not to be confused with Catherine of Aragon

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Catherine of Austria, also called Catherine of Castile or Catherine of Burgundy (14 January, 1507 – 12 February, 1578) was (as wife of King John III of Portugal) Queen consort of Portugal from the House of Habsburg.

An Infanta of Castile, Archduchess of Austria and Princess of Burgundy, she was the posthumous daughter of Philip of Habsburg by Joanna of Castile. She was named in honor of her maternal aunt, Catherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII, King of England. She remained with her disturbed mother until the arrival in Spain of her eldest siblings (Eleanor and Charles), all her elder siblings (bar her brother Ferdinand, who had also been born in Spain, and raised by their grandfather) had been put into the care of Margaret_of_Habsburg_(1480-1530), but Joanna kept hold of her young daughter Catherine; Catherine was kept with her mother in her prison cell during her grandfather's time as regent. Nobody would dare take Catherine off her mad mother so Catherine stayed with Joanna, Catherine had nothing to do all day, her only entertainment was to look out of the window, two ladies in waiting would keep the mother and daughter company. Eleanor brought about the creation of her own household within the castle their mother was virtually imprisoned in. She was a younger sister of Eleanor of Habsburg, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Isabella of Habsburg, Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor and Mary of Habsburg.

After the death of her husband, she was challenged by her daughter-in-law (her niece, Juana) over the role of regent for the infant King Sebastian. Mediation by Charles V resolved the issue in favour of his sister Catherine, over his daughter Juana, who was needed in Spain in the absence of Phillip II.

Marriage and children

On 10 February, 1525, Catherine married her first cousin John III of Portugal. They had nine children, but only two survived early childhood.

Name	Birth	Death	Notes
By Catherine of Spain (married February 10 1525)
Prince Afonso	February 24 1526	March 1526	Crown Prince of Portugal (1526).
Princess Maria	October 15 1527	August 12 1545	Crown Princess of Portugal (1527-1531; 1537). First wife of King Philip II of Spain. She had one child, Don Carlos, and she died a few days after his birth.
Infanta Isabel	April 28 1529	April 28 1529
Infanta Beatriz	February 15 1530	February 15 1530
Prince Manuel	November 1 1531	April 14 1537	Crown Prince of Portugal (1531-1537). Declared heir in 1535.
Prince Philip	March 25 1533	April 29 1539	Crown Prince of Portugal (1537-1539). Declared heir in 1537.
Infante Dinis	April 6 1535	January 1 1537
Prince John	June 3 1537	January 2 1554	Crown Prince of Portugal (1537-1554). Declared heir in 1539. Married Joan of Spain. Their son became King Sebastian I.
Infante António	March 9 1539	January 20 1540