| Johannes Ockeghem, a singer and composer who served at the court of the king of France, took part in a mission that almost changed the course of world events. In January 1470 he was paid 275 livres tournoises from the royal treasury to cover the expenses of a journey from Tours to Spain. This was one of two visits that he seems to have made in the company of the Cardinal Bishop of Albi, Jean Jouffroy, and the provost of Paris.
The first visit, in May 1469, was a mission to arrange a marriage between Louis XI’s brother, Charles, duke of Guyenne, and Isabella, the half-sister of Enrique IV of Castile. The mission, fortunately, failed. The second visit, in June 1470, was a mission to arrange a marriage of Charles to the young daughter born to Enrique’s queen, a mission that was successful but ineffectual, since Charles died in 1472.
Charles was heir presumptive to the throne of France until Louis XI’s son was born in 1470. He was one of Isabella’s many suitors, for she became heiress to the throne of Castile on the death of her brother Alfonso in 1468. In the end, Isabella married Fernando of Aragon in October 1469. |
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