Margarita of Austria
Encyclopedia
Margaret of Austria was Queen consort of Spain
and Portugal
by her marriage to King Philip III
.
Ferdinand I
and Maria Anna of Bavaria. Her elder brother was the Archduke Ferdinand
, who succeeded as Emperor in 1619. Two of her sisters, Anna and Constance
, through their subsequent marriages to King Sigismund III Vasa
, became Queens of Poland.
, her first cousin, once-removed, on 18 April 1599 and became a very influential figure at her husband's court. Philip had an "affectionate, close relationship" with Margaret, and paid her additional attention after she bore him a son in 1605.
Margaret was also a great patroness of the arts. She was considered by contemporaries to be a very pious Catholic and "astute and very skillful" in her political dealings.
Alongside the Empress Maria, widow of Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian II
, and the latter's daughter Archduchess Margaret, who lived as a nun in Madrid, Queen Margaret formed a circle of women wielding considerable influence over the king. They emphasised Spain's status as a Catholic
power acting in the interest of Catholic Europe and also highlighted the unity of the House of Habsburg. They were successful, for example, in convincing Philip to provide financial support to Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II
.
The pro-Austrian camp at the Spanish court was opposed by the Duke of Lerma
, the King's chief minister, who argued that Spain should pursue her own course of action independently of religious or dynastic ties. Queen Margaret was "melancholic" and unhappy about the influence of Duke, whom she considered corrupt, over her husband, and continually fought him for influence over the king. In this conflict, she was supported by her favourite Mariana de San José, prioress of the Monasteria la Encarnación, her husband's confessor
Father Luis de Aliaga, and her daughter Maria Anna's confessor, the Franciscan friar Juan de Santa María - who was felt by contemporaries to have an excessive influence over the King at the end of his life. The Duke of Lerma was eventually removed from power in 1618, though only after Margaret's death.
Margaret died while giving birth to her youngest child, Alfonso. Her husband never remarried and died ten years later.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
by her marriage to King Philip III
Philip III of Spain
Philip III , also known as Philip the Pious, was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death...
.
Family
Margaret was the daughter of Archduke Charles II of Austria, the son of Holy Roman EmperorHoly Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
Ferdinand I
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
and Maria Anna of Bavaria. Her elder brother was the Archduke Ferdinand
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II , a member of the House of Habsburg, was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Bohemia , and King of Hungary . His rule coincided with the Thirty Years' War.- Life :...
, who succeeded as Emperor in 1619. Two of her sisters, Anna and Constance
Constance of Austria
Archduchess Constance of Austria was a Queen consort of Poland.-Biography:...
, through their subsequent marriages to King Sigismund III Vasa
Sigismund III Vasa
Sigismund III Vasa was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, a monarch of the united Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1587 to 1632, and King of Sweden from 1592 until he was deposed in 1599...
, became Queens of Poland.
Life as Queen of Spain
Margaret married Philip III of SpainPhilip III of Spain
Philip III , also known as Philip the Pious, was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death...
, her first cousin, once-removed, on 18 April 1599 and became a very influential figure at her husband's court. Philip had an "affectionate, close relationship" with Margaret, and paid her additional attention after she bore him a son in 1605.
Margaret was also a great patroness of the arts. She was considered by contemporaries to be a very pious Catholic and "astute and very skillful" in her political dealings.
Alongside the Empress Maria, widow of Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
Maximilian II
Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian II was king of Bohemia and king of the Romans from 1562, king of Hungary and Croatia from 1563, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation from 1564 until his death...
, and the latter's daughter Archduchess Margaret, who lived as a nun in Madrid, Queen Margaret formed a circle of women wielding considerable influence over the king. They emphasised Spain's status as a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
power acting in the interest of Catholic Europe and also highlighted the unity of the House of Habsburg. They were successful, for example, in convincing Philip to provide financial support to Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II , a member of the House of Habsburg, was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Bohemia , and King of Hungary . His rule coincided with the Thirty Years' War.- Life :...
.
The pro-Austrian camp at the Spanish court was opposed by the Duke of Lerma
Francisco Goméz de Sandoval y Rojas, Duke of Lerma
Don Francisco Gómez de Sandoval, 1st Duke of Lerma , a favourite of Philip III of Spain, was the first of the validos through whom the later Habsburg monarchs ruled. He was succeeded by Don Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares.-Biography:The family of Sandoval was ancient and powerful...
, the King's chief minister, who argued that Spain should pursue her own course of action independently of religious or dynastic ties. Queen Margaret was "melancholic" and unhappy about the influence of Duke, whom she considered corrupt, over her husband, and continually fought him for influence over the king. In this conflict, she was supported by her favourite Mariana de San José, prioress of the Monasteria la Encarnación, her husband's confessor
Confessor
-Confessor of the Faith:Its oldest use is to indicate a saint who has suffered persecution and torture for the faith, but not to the point of death. The term is still used in this way in the East. In Latin Christianity it has come to signify any saint, as well as those who have been declared...
Father Luis de Aliaga, and her daughter Maria Anna's confessor, the Franciscan friar Juan de Santa María - who was felt by contemporaries to have an excessive influence over the King at the end of his life. The Duke of Lerma was eventually removed from power in 1618, though only after Margaret's death.
Margaret died while giving birth to her youngest child, Alfonso. Her husband never remarried and died ten years later.
Issue
Margaret and Philip were the parents of eight children, of whom five survived into adulthood:| Name | Picture | Birth | Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anne Anne of Austria Anne of Austria was Queen consort of France and Navarre, regent for her son, Louis XIV of France, and a Spanish Infanta by birth... |
22 September 1601 | 20 January 1666 | Married Louis XIII, King of France Louis XIII of France Louis XIII was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1610 to 1643.Louis was only eight years old when he succeeded his father. His mother, Marie de Medici, acted as regent during Louis' minority... (1601–1643) in 1615. Had issue. |
|
| Maria | 1 February 1603 | 2 February 1603 | Died in childhood. | |
| Philip Philip IV of Spain Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640... |
8 April 1605 | 17 September 1665 | Married (1) Elisabeth of Bourbon (1603–1644) in 1615. Had issue. Married (2) Mariana of Austria Mariana of Austria Mariana of Austria was Queen consort of Spain as the second wife of King Philip IV, who was also her maternal uncle... (1634–1696) in 1649. Had issue. |
|
| Maria Anna | 18 August 1606 | 13 May 1646 | Married Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III was Holy Roman Emperor from 15 February 1637 until his death, as well as King of Hungary and Croatia, King of Bohemia and Archduke of Austria.-Life:... (1608–1657) in 1631. Had issue. |
|
| Charles Charles of Austria (1607-1632) Charles of Austria was infante of Spain, the second son of Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria.-Life:... |
14 September 1607 | 30 July 1632 | Died unmarried. | |
| Ferdinand | 16 May 1609 | 9 November 1641 | The Cardinal-Infante. He had an illegitimate daughter (nun). | |
| Margarita Francisca | 24 May 1610 | 11 March 1617 | Died in childhood. | |
| Alfonso Mauricio | 22 September 1611 | 16 September 1612 | Died in childhood. |