Ferdinand von Österreich

Ferdinand of Austria, Prince of Asturias, was born in Madrid on 4 December 1571 and died there on 18 October 1578 at the age of six. He was the second surviving son of King Philip II of Spain and the first son of his marriage to Anne of Austria, his fourth wife. His birth was of particular importance to the Spanish monarchy, as the question of succession had previously been marked by serious misfortunes. Philip’s eldest son, Don Carlos, born of his first marriage to Maria of Portugal, was mentally unstable and considered unfit to rule. He had already been dead for three years when Ferdinand was born. Philip had also had no other surviving son from his next two marriages. His third wife, Elisabeth of Valois, had given him two daughters, Isabella Clara Eugenia and Catherine Michaela, but, like Maria of Portugal, she had died in childbirth. His second wife, Mary I of England, had remained childless. Ferdinand’s birth was therefore regarded as a great relief and a sign of divine grace. In gratitude, Philip ordered the release of prisoners, an event also recorded in a painting by Titian. Ferdinand grew up in a large royal family shaped by high infant mortality. After his birth, Philip II and Anne of Austria had four more children: Charles Laurence, born in 1573; Diego, born in 1575; Philip, born in 1578; and Maria, born in 1580. Maria died at birth, which caused Anne to suffer heart failure. In accordance with the obligations of court life and the customs of the period, the children did not live constantly with their parents but were raised separately from them. This distance could give the impression that Philip and Anne were indifferent toward their children. It may also have been a way for them to protect themselves from becoming too closely attached, since the early death of children was common at the time and could be an almost unbearable experience for parents. Nevertheless, despite the later image of him as a cruel tyrant, Philip II is described as a loving and attentive father. He bought his children dolls, miniatures, and other toys. During his stay in Portugal in 1581 and 1582, he regularly wrote to his older daughters, asking about their health and progress in their studies. When he returned, he brought them numerous sweets and preserves. These accounts offer insight into his personal relationship with his children and challenge the one-sided image of him created by the so-called Black Legend. In the summer of 1578, Ferdinand was staying in the town of Galapagar when he fell seriously ill with dysentery. The doctors could not agree on the most appropriate treatment. Philip, who was in Madrid and closely following his son’s condition, advised him to eat tortillas. At first, Ferdinand appeared to be gradually recovering. After three days, however, his condition worsened again, and he died shortly afterward. After Ferdinand’s death, the title of Prince of Asturias passed to his younger brother Diego. Diego, too, died only four years later, from smallpox. Of Anne of Austria’s children, only her youngest son, also named Philip, survived early childhood. In 1598, he succeeded his father to the Spanish throne. Ferdinand’s short life thus unfolded within an era shaped by illness, dynastic anxieties, and high child mortality, when the birth of every male heir was of great importance to the stability of the monarchy.