Margarete von Österreich

Margaret of Austria was born on December 25, 1584, in Graz. She was the daughter of Archduke Charles II of Austria and his wife, Maria Anna of Bavaria. One of fourteen siblings, she belonged to a large Habsburg family. Her brothers and sisters included Anna of Austria, who became queen of Sweden and Poland, and Ferdinand II, who later became Holy Roman Emperor. Like her sisters, Margaret did not conform to the prevailing ideal of beauty. Her appearance was marked by the prominent chin and distinctive lips typical of the Habsburgs. Nevertheless, she captivated people with her charisma, friendly nature, and cheerfulness. These qualities later helped her gain considerable influence at the Spanish court. As Margaret grew older, the Austrian and Spanish Habsburgs sought to strengthen their dynastic alliance. A planned marriage to the future Spanish king Philip III was central to these efforts. In 1596, the admiral of Aragon traveled to the court in Graz to choose a suitable bride from among the daughters of Charles II. Margaret, Eleanor, and Gregoria were presented as candidates. Their portraits were taken to Spain, where Philip III chose Margaret. His father, King Philip II, selected Gregoria as his own future wife. Philip III was originally expected to marry Gregoria, but she died unexpectedly at the age of only sixteen. Margaret consequently became his intended bride. Since Philip and Margaret were closely related, the marriage required the pope’s approval. It took two years to obtain the necessary permission. Before the actual wedding in Spain, a proxy marriage took place in Ferrara, where Pope Clement VIII performed the ceremony. Margaret was accompanied by her mother. She then traveled with her uncle Albert VII, governor of the Spanish Netherlands, via Genoa. From there, she continued by ship to Valencia. Her dowry amounted to 100,000 ducats. On April 18, 1599, Margaret married Philip III in Valencia. He had ascended the Spanish throne only a year earlier. Through the marriage, she became queen of Spain and Portugal. Philip soon grew deeply fond of his wife, and Margaret became an influential figure at court. The couple had eight children, and their relationship became especially close after Margaret gave birth to a son in 1605. Maria of Spain, the widow of Emperor Maximilian II and Philip’s aunt, also lived at the royal court in Madrid, along with her youngest daughter Margaret, who had become a nun. Together with the queen, these women formed an influential circle that sought to shape the king’s policies. They emphasized Spain’s position as Europe’s greatest Catholic power and its role as the foremost defender of Catholicism. At the same time, they worked to preserve the unity of the Habsburg dynasty. This was reflected, among other things, when Philip provided financial assistance to his brother-in-law, the future Emperor Ferdinand II. The pro-Austrian women’s circle opposed the political views of the Duke of Lerma, Philip’s powerful prime minister and closest adviser. Lerma maintained that, despite its dynastic ties to Austria, Spain had to remain a completely independent state and had no need for closer relations with the Austrian Habsburgs. Margaret disapproved of his influence over her husband and became increasingly melancholy. She even considered Lerma corrupt. Further tensions arose because Lerma introduced a mistress to the king. Mariana de San José gained great influence over Philip and apparently controlled him until his death. Both her influence and that of the Duke of Lerma remained in place during Margaret’s final years. Lerma’s political power did not decline until 1618, three years before Philip’s death. Margaret died on October 3, 1611, at the age of twenty-six, in the Escorial. Her death came a few days after the birth of her eighth child, and the stated cause was an infection. There was also a rumor that she had been poisoned by incense smoke deliberately burned in her room on the orders of Don Rodrigo de Calderón. Calderón was not accused until 1619 and was tortured in an attempt to obtain a confession, but he was ultimately declared innocent. Margaret was buried at the Escorial in the crypt of the Spanish kings and queens. Philip III did not marry again after her death.