Queen Isabella I

King Henry was mad at his sister, but his new brother-in-law was after all the future King of Aragon.  Henry ruled for only 5 more years before he died in 1474 in Madrid.  Isabella was then declared Queen of Castile.   However, before he had died, Henry had arranged his daughter Joan to be married to King Alfonso V of Portugal.  He also made his daughter the heir to the throne.   Because there was now there was uncertainty of who was the rightful Queen , Castile and Aragon went to war with Portugal.  The war last for five years and ending in peace in 1479 with an alliance between the Kingdoms.  As part of the peace treaty, Joan abandoned her claim to the throne, making Isabella Queen of Spain.   During this period, Ferdinand became King Ferdinand II of Aragon.  Isabella once again showed her great abilities when she decided that Ferdinand and herself would equally rule the two Kingdoms.  She created the motto "Tanto monta, monta tanto - Isabel como Fernando" (As much as the one is worth so much is the other - Isabella as Ferdinand).