The Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, the Duchess of Burgundy, and the Queen of Germany, Italy, Spain, Naples, and Sicily, Isabella of Portugal was a symbol of power and wisdom. The beautiful queen with a massive empire married Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in 1526. Although they were first cousins, the love of Emperor Charles and Isabella blossomed as beautifully as a red rose. Isabella also served as a regent in her husband’s absence, from 1529 to 1532, from 1535 to 1536, and from 1538 to 1539. She had six children with Charles. Of them, only three survived to reach adulthood. In 1539, she gave birth to a stillborn child, after which her health deteriorated. Two weeks later, on May 1, 1539, Isabella died of chronic tertian fevers and a hemorrhage. Her death affected Emperor Charles deeply. He never remarried. He introduced the red carnation to Spain as a token of his love for his queen. Isabella came to be known as the ‘Empress of the Carnation’ because of this gesture of the emperor.