▁ ▁Pur port ed ▁claim ▁ ▁The ▁most ▁famous ▁of ▁those ▁accounts ▁is ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁Duch ess ▁of ▁Med ina ▁Sid onia , ▁who ▁believed ▁that ▁Columb us ' ▁discovery ▁was ▁the ▁instrument ▁by ▁means ▁of ▁which ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Mon arch s ▁of ▁Spain ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁official ize ▁the ▁discovery ▁( supp osed ly ▁made ▁well ▁before ▁ 1 4 9 2 , ▁and ▁kept ▁secret ▁h ither to ). ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁Duch ess , ▁the ▁international ▁political ▁situation ▁of ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁century ▁was ▁not ▁fav ou rable ▁to ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Mon arch s , ▁who ▁before ▁ 1 4 9 2 ▁would ▁have ▁faced ▁strong ▁opposition ▁to ▁any ▁claim ▁over ▁the ▁newly ▁found ▁lands , ▁especially ▁from ▁Portugal , ▁France ▁and ▁the ▁Holy ▁See , ▁the ▁later ▁two ▁at ▁war ▁with ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Arag on . ▁In ▁order ▁to ▁ensure ▁the ▁ownership ▁of ▁those ▁new ▁lands , ▁and ▁lack ing ▁the ▁resources ▁for ▁facing ▁the ▁consequences ▁of ▁an ▁early ▁claim , ▁they ▁waited ▁until ▁ 1 4 9 2 , ▁when ▁Alexander ▁VI , ▁a ▁Sp ani ard , ▁was ▁elected ▁po pe , ▁thus ▁ens uring ▁the ▁pap acy ▁s iding ▁with ▁them . ▁In ▁ 1 4 9 2 ▁they ▁would ▁have ▁sent ▁Columb us ▁on ▁an ▁official ▁voyage ▁to ▁the ▁West , ▁knowing ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁find ▁new ▁territ ories ▁and ▁lay ▁claim ▁for ▁them ▁in ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Mon arch s . ▁The ▁Duch ess