Expositie-Exhibition talent Protestation of His Highness against the Treaties concluded in the

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Protestation of His Highness against the Treaties concluded in the year 1506, at Villafafila.
It is notorious to all that we, the most Serene Queen, Doña Juana, my very dear and much beloved daughter, and I, Don Fernando, by the grace of God, King of Aragon, of the Two Sicilies, Jerusalem, etc., are much injured by the conclusion of the treaty which is so prejudicial to the said most Serene Queen, my daughter, and to me and my prerogatives, and which contains the most enormous injustice towards us. The said covenant and treaty between me and the most Serene King Don Philip, my son-in-law, was obtained by force, and I am obliged to sign and swear to it, because, confiding in him and his promises and oaths, I went to see him with that good faith which ought to subsist between a father and a son, and then found myself placed in such a position through his having by my favour taken possession of these kingdoms of Castile and Leon, and assembled the grandees thereof, and united a powerful and strong army, that my royal person is in notorious and manifest danger, and consequently, considering what is going on in these times, as well as the position in which my person is placed, my kingdoms are exposed to no less danger. Thus, from fear and apprehension of what has been stated, and because the dangers cannot be avoided in any other manner, since the said King, my son-in-law, is determined entirely to usurp, as in fact he does, the administration of these kingdoms, despoiling me of the administration which on many accounts belongs to me by right, and even depriving the most Serene Queen, Doña Juana, his wife and my daughter, of her liberty and all that belongs to her as heiress and proprietress of these kingdoms : forced, as I have stated, by these dangers, and my apprehensions and fear, I am obliged today, on the 27th of June 1506, in the town of Villafafila, to conclude, sign, and swear to an instrument, alliance and treaty, by which I commit to the said King Philip the government of these kingdoms. Moreover, I am forced to conclude, sign, and swear to a clause, according to which, in case the said most Serene Queen, his wife and my daughter, should determine to take part in the government, and to disturb the treaty, whether by her own decision or induced by any other persons, I am not to consent to it, but in agreement with him oppose her. The said treaty, clause, and oath [are forced from me], and I shall not conclude, sign, and swear to them of my own free will, but only to avoid the above mentioned dangers, and from fear and apprehension. For it is evident that if I had not confided in him and his word, if I had not been placed under such circumstances as I am, if my royal person were at full liberty, and if the said danger and fear were to cease, I should not sign such a treaty and clause, nor swear such an oath, nor consent to such enormous injustice to the said most Serene Queen, my daughter and me. Therefore, in order to preserve my right and to be able afterwards to prove in an authentic manner the reasons which induce me to sign, swear, and consent to the said treaty and clause ; and further, in order to be able, when necessary, and notwithstanding them, they being null and without effect, to recover my right and government, and to do that which according to the right of nature is my duty and obligation towards the most Serene Queen, my daughter, viz., to enable her to recover her liberty and the prerogatives which belong to her as Queen, heiress and proprietress of these kingdoms ; and considering that in consequence of the said dangers fear and apprehensions, I cannot protest publicly and openly, but only secretly, as a public protestation would be attended by the same dangers, and cause the same apprehensions : for all these reasons, and in presence of you, Micer Thomas Malferite, President of my Chancery, and Mosen Juan Cabrero, my Gentleman of the Bedchamber, both of my Council, and you Miguel Perez de Almazan, my Secretary, by Apostolic and Royal Authority Public Notary, I protest, denounce, and declare that I shall conclude, sign, and swear to the treaty, covenant, and clause, which is to be concluded today, under the unmistakeable influence of force, apprehension and fear, that is to say, because I wish to avoid the above stated dangers, as well as to recover the liberty of my person, and to prevent the perdition and ruin of my kingdoms. Of my own free will and determination I would never consent to abandon the government of these kingdoms, and the rights which on various accounts belong to me, nor would I consent and approve that the most Serene Queen, my daughter, should be deprived of her liberty, and despoiled of what belongs to her as heiress and proprietress of these kingdoms, but on the contrary, I do not consent, nor shall I consent to any of the deeds, treaties, and clauses which are to be sworn to, they being not binding and of no effect. Moreover, I intend as soon as I can, according to what I have stated, to help the most Serene Queen, my daughter, to recover her liberty and what belongs to her as heiress and proprietress of these kingdoms, and to have the government again which for many reasons belongs to me. I, therefore, request you who are above named to be witnesses of this my protestation and revocation, and order you, my Secretary and Notary, to draw up the deed and public instrument, in order that it may hereafter be produced as authentic proof. This was declared, signed, and sworn to in the town of Villafafila, on the 27th day of the month of June of the year 1506 after the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and in presence of the aforesaid witnesses, Micer Thomas Malferite and Mosen Juan Cabrero.
I the King.
I, Miguel Perez de Almazan, Secretary of His Highness and by Apostolic and Royal Authority Public Notary, was, together with the witnesses, present at the act of this declaration, protestation, and revocation which His Highness made in the aforesaid manner. His Highness signed it in our presence with his name, and at his command I wrote it out and signed it with my customary sign manual in testimony of the truth. Miguel Perez de Almazan. [Sign manual.]

From: 'Queen Juana: 1506', Calendar of State Papers, Spain: Supplement to Volumes 1 and 2: Queen Katherine; Intended Marriage of King Henry VII to Queen Juana (1868), pp. 73-85. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=93737&strquery=queen juana Date accessed: 30 June 2010.