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Philip IV of Spain
Photo: Diego Velázquez, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons17

Philip IV of Spain

King of Spain (1621–1665) and Portugal (1621–1640)

Philip IV (Spanish: Felipe Domingo Victor de la Cruz de Austria y Austria, Portuguese: Filipe III; 8 April 1605 – 17 September 1665), also called the Planet King (Spanish: Rey Planeta), was King of Spain from 1621 to his death and (as Philip III) King of Portugal from 1621 to 1640. Philip is remembered for his patronage of the arts, including such artists as Diego Velázquez, and his rule over Spain during the Thirty Years' War.2

From Wikipedia’s article on Philip IV of Spain (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Born Apr 8, 1605, died Sep 17, 1665.1

About

By the time of his death, the Spanish Empire had reached approximately 12.2 million square kilometres (4.7 million square miles) in area, the largest empire in the world, but in other aspects was in decline, a process to which Philip contributed with his inability to achieve successful domestic and military reform. He was succeeded on his death by his young son Charles II as King of Spain and in 1640 (with the collapse of the Iberian Union) by John IV as King of Portugal.

From Wikipedia’s article on Philip IV of Spain, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2

Companies

Career

Occupation: monarch, art collector, politician, ruler.9

  • 1621 to 1640Monarch of Portugal8
  • 1621 to 1665King of Sardinia8
  • 1621 to 1665Monarch of the Crown of Aragon8
  • 1621 to 1665Monarch of Castile and Leon8
  • Date not recordedFounded Central University of Ecuador3
  • Date not recordedFounded Convento de las Góngoras, Madrid4
  • Date not recordedFounded Count of Fernán Núñez5
  • Date not recordedFounded Count of Peñaflor de Argamasilla6
  • Date not recordedFounded Duchy of Medina de las Torres7
  • Date not recordedMonarch8

Personal life

  • BornApr 8, 1605, Valladolid Royal Palace10
  • DiedSep 17, 1665, Cuarto bajo del Rey11
  • CitizenshipSpain12
  • ResidenceRoyal Alcazar of Madrid13
  • SpousesElisabeth of France married 161514; Mariana of Austria married 164914

Philip IV was born in the Royal Palace of Valladolid, and was the eldest son of Philip III and his wife, Margaret of Austria. In 1615, at the age of 10, Philip was married to 13-year-old Elisabeth of France. Although the relationship does not appear to have been close, some have suggested that Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares, his key minister, later deliberately tried to keep the two apart to maintain his influence, encouraging Philip to take mistresses instead, by whom he is known to have had at least 30 progeny.

Philip had ten children with Elisabeth, with only one being a son, Balthasar Charles, who died at the age of sixteen in 1646. The death of his son deeply shocked the King, who appears to have been a good father by the standards of the day. Elisabeth was able to conspire with other Spanish nobles to remove Olivares from the court in 1643, and for a brief period she held considerable influence over Philip; by the time of her death, however, she was out of favour, following manoeuvering by Olivares' successor and nephew, Luis de Haro.

Aged 44 in 1649, Philip remarried, following the deaths of both Elisabeth and his only son. His choice of his second wife, 14-year-old Maria Anna, also known as Mariana, Philip's niece and the daughter of Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor, was guided by politics and Philip's desire to strengthen the relationship with Habsburg Austria. They were married on 7 October 1649. Maria Anna bore him five children, but only two survived to adulthood, a daughter Margarita Teresa, born in 1651, and the future Charles II of Spain in 1661 – but the latter was sickly and considered in frequent danger of dying, making the line of inheritance potentially uncertain.

Perceptions of Philip's personality have altered considerably over time. Victorian authors were inclined to portray him as a weak individual, delegating excessively to his ministers, and ruling over a debauched Baroque court. Victorian historians even attributed the early death of Balthasar to debauchery, encouraged by the gentlemen entrusted by the King with his education. The doctors who treated the Prince at that time in fact diagnosed smallpox, although modern scholars attribute his death to appendicitis. Historians' estimation of Philip gradually improved in the 20th century, with comparisons between Philip and his father being increasingly positive – some noting that he possessed much more energy, both mental and physical, than his diffident father.

Philip was idealized by his contemporaries as the model of Baroque kingship. Outwardly he maintained a bearing of rigid solemnity; foreign visitors described him as being so impassive in public he resembled a statue, and he was said to have been seen to laugh only three times in the course of his entire public life. Philip certainly had a strong sense of his 'royal dignity', but was also extensively coached by Olivares in how to resemble the Baroque model of a sovereign, which would form a key political tool for Philip throughout his reign. Philip was a fine horseman, a keen hunter and a devotee of bull-fighting, all central parts of royal public life at court during the period.

Privately, Philip appears to have had a lighter persona. When he was younger, he was said to have a keen sense of humor and a 'great sense of fun'. He privately attended 'academies' in Madrid throughout his reign – these were lighthearted literary salons, aiming to analyze contemporary literature and poetry with a humorous touch. A keen theatre-goer, he was sometimes criticized by contemporaries for his love of these 'frivolous' entertainments. Others have captured his private personality as 'naturally kind, gentle and affable'. Those close to him claimed he was academically competent, with a good grasp of Latin and geography, and could speak French, Portuguese and Italian well. Like many of his contemporaries, including Olivares, he had a keen interest in astrology. His handwritten translation of Francesco Guicciardini's texts on political history still exist.

Although interpretations of Philip's role in government have improved in recent years, Diego Velázquez's contemporary description of Philip's key weakness – that 'he mistrusts himself, and defers to others too much' — remains relevant. Although Philip's Catholic beliefs no longer attract criticism from English language writers, Philip is still felt to have been 'unduly pious' in his personal life. Notably, from the 1640s onwards he sought the advice and counsel of a noted cloistered abbess, Sor María de Ágreda, exchanging a number of letters with her. This did not stop Philip for becoming known for his numerous affairs, particularly with actresses, as encouraged by the Count-Duke Olivares. The most famous of these affairs was with the actress María Calderón (La Calderona), with whom he had a son in 1629, Juan José, who was brought up as a royal prince. By the end of the reign, and with the health of Carlos, Prince of Asturias in doubt, there was a real possibility of Juan José's claiming the throne, which added to the instability of the regency years.

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Philip and religion

The Catholic religion and its rituals played an important part in Philip's life, especially towards the end of his reign. Depressed by events across his domains, he became increasingly concerned with religious affairs. In particular, Philip paid special devotion to a painting of the Nuestra Señora del Milagro, the Virgin of Miracles; the painting was said to miraculously raise and lower its eyes in response to prayer. Whilst married to Elisabeth, Philip had placed their children under the protection of this image; married to Mariana, they undertook special religious ceremonies together under the gaze of the painting. Philip also had a large standard made with the image of the painting on one side and the royal coat of arms on the other, brought out in processions each year on 12 July. As well as marking a strong personal religious belief, this increasingly visible link between the crown, the Church and national symbols such as the Virgin of Miracles, represented a key pillar of support for Philip as king.

Monarchs during the period also had a key role in the canonization process and could utilise this for domestic or international political effect. Philip, for example, keen to reach out to his Portuguese subjects, put his considerable influence behind the case for Isabella of Portugal, a 14th-century role model of a 'perfect queen', to great effect, ultimately paying for a lavish celebration in Lisbon after her canonisation in 1625. Internationally, it was important for Spanish prestige for her to receive at least a proportionate and ideally greater, share of new saints than other Catholic kingdoms, and Philip sponsored a flurry of texts and books supporting Spain's candidates, particularly in competition with Catholic France.

During the emergency of 1640–1643, Philip appears to have had a crisis of faith. Philip genuinely believed the success or failure of his policies represented God's favour and judgement on his actions. The combination of the revolts, the French advances and the loss of his trusted favourite Olivares appears to have deeply shaken him. Queen Isabella and the new president of the Council of Castile, Don Juan Chumacero – both involved in the removal of Olivares – encouraged the King to invite mystics and visionaries from across Europe to his court at Zaragoza. The mystics' principal advice centred on the importance of the King rejecting Olivares' replacement, de Haro and the remaining pro-Olivares nobles at court. The various mystics were not acceptable to broader Spanish noble opinion and, with de Haro's encouragement, they were ultimately dismissed.

Instead, Philip turned to a better-established female mystic, Sister María de Ágreda, a prioress known for her religious writings. He asked her to correspond with him and to advise him in spiritual matters. The two became regular correspondents throughout the remainder of their lives. This is documented in over 600 confidential letters between them over a period of twenty-two years. Philip clearly believed that Maria could intercede with God on his behalf and provide advice on what God wished him to do, to improve Spain's failing fortunes. Most believe that Philip was involved in protecting Maria from the Inquisition's investigation of 1650. Philip's son, Charles II, also protected her writings from later censorship.

Family

With Elisabeth of France (1602–1644, daughter of Henry IV of France) — married 18 October 1615 at Bordeaux:

Maria Margaret of Austria, Infanta of Spain (14 August 1621 – 15 August 1621), died at a day old and was buried at El Escorial

Margaret Maria Catherine of Austria, Infanta of Spain (25 November 1623 – 22 December 1623), died at a month old and was buried at El Escorial

Maria Eugenia of Austria, Infanta of Spain (21 November 1625 – 21 August 1627), died at 1 and was buried at El Escorial.

Isabella Maria Theresa of Austria, Infanta of Spain (31 October 1627 – 1 November 1627 also died at a day old and buried at El Escorial as her three older sisters Maria Eugenia, Margaret Maria Catherine and Maria Margaret were.)

Balthasar Charles of Austria, Infante of Spain, Prince of Asturias (17 October 1629 – 9 October 1646), Prince of Asturias.

Maria Anna "Mariana" Antonia of Austria, Infanta of Spain (17 January 1636 – 5 December 1636 died at 12 months old and was buried at El Escorial with her four older sisters, last child of Philip IV of Spain to die in early childhood or infancy by his first wife Isabella of Bourbon.)

Maria Theresa of Austria, Infanta of Spain (1638–1683), married Louis XIV of France and had issue.

With Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria (1634–1696) – his niece – married 1649:

Margaret Theresa of Austria, Infanta of Spain (12 July 1651 – 12 March 1673), married Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor

Maria Ambrosia de la Concepción Enrichetta Theresa of Austria, Infanta of Spain (7 December 1655 – 21 December 1655)

Philip Prospero of Austria, Infante of Spain, Prince of Asturias (28 November 1657 – 1 November 1661)

Ferdinand Thomas Charles of Austria, Infante of Spain (23 December 1658 – 22 October 1659)

Charles II of Spain (6 November 1661 – 1 November 1700) married Marie Louise d'Orléans, no issue. Married secondly Maria Anna of Neuburg, no issue.

King Philip IV had many extramarital affairs, and an unknown but large number of illegitimate children, estimated around thirty. Only two were legitimized.

With María Manrique, daughter of the marqués de Charela

Fernando Francisco Isidro de Austria (15 May 1626 – 12 March 1634), legitimized after his death and buried at El Escorial

With María Calderón:

John Joseph of Austria (7 April 1629 – 17 September 1679), legitimized in 1642.

Never legitimized:

Carlos Fernando de Austria y Manrique (1639-1696), married, one daughter.

Alonso Antonio de San Martín (1636-1705), Bishop of Oviedo and of Cuenca.

Ana Margarita de Austria (1641-1699), Prioress of the Royal Monastery of La Encarnación.

Alfonso Enríquez de Santo Tomás (1631-1692), Bishop of Málaga.

Fernando Valdés (1638-1702), married, Governor of Novara in Italy.

Juan Cossío (1640-1701), Augustinian monk.

From Wikipedia’s article on Philip IV of Spain (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Awards

  • Date not recordedGrand Master of the Order of the Tower and Sword15
  • Date not recordedKnight of the Order of the Golden Fleece15

Sources

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