Maria of Spain

Maria of Spain (Madrid, June 21, 1528 - Villa Monte, February 26, 1603) was the first daughter of Charles V and Isabella of Portugal. She was also the wife of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor.

At the request of her father, she and her husband were regents of Spain, in his absence. In 1552, they moved to live in Vienna. They had sixteen children:

*Anne of Austria (November 1, 1549 - October 26, 1580). Married Philip II of Spain. She was the mother of Philip III of Spain.
*Ferdinand of Austria (March 28, 1551 - June 25, 1552).
*Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor (July 18, 1552 - January 20, 1612).
*Archduke Ernest of Austria, (July 15, 1553 - February 12, 1595). He served as Governor of the Low Countries.
*Elisabeth of Austria (June 5, 1554 - January 22, 1592). Married Charles IX of France.
*Marie of Austria (July 27, 1555 - June 25, 1556).
*Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor (February 24, 1557 - March 20, 1619).
*A stillborn son (born and deceased on October 20, 1557).
*Maximilian III, Archduke of Austria (October 12, 1558 - November 2, 1618). He served as grandmaster of the Teutonic Order and Administrator of Prussia.
*Albert VII, Archduke of Austria (November 15, 1559 - July 13, 1621). He served as Governor of the Low Countries.
*Wenzel of Austria (March 9, 1561 - September 22, 1578).
*Friedrich of Austria (June 21, 1562 - January 16, 1563).
*Marie of Austria (February 19 1564 - March 26, 1564). Named after deceased older sister.
*Karl of Austria (September 26, 1565 - May 23, 1566).
*Margaret of Austria (January 25, 1567 - July 5, 1633). A nun.
*Eleonore of Austria (November 4, 1568 - March 12, 1580).

Maria of Spain had great influence over her sons, the future emperors Rudolf and Matthias. Maria was a radical Roman Catholic and frequently disagreed with her more tolerant husband.

After her husband's death in 1576, she returned to Spain in 1582. Arriving back in Spain, she commented to be very happy to live in "a country without heretics". She led an unassuming life until her death in 1603.

She was the patron of the noted Spanish composer Tomás Luis de Victoria, and the great Requiem Mass he wrote in 1603 for her funeral is considered among the finest and most refined of his works.

Ancestors

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