Maria of Austria, Holy Roman Empress

Maria of Austria and Spain
Holy Roman Empress, German Queen Queen consort of Hungary and Bohemia
Tenure	1562-1576
Spouse	Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor
Issue
Anna, Queen of Spain Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor Ernest, Archduke of Austria Elisabeth, Queen of France Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian III, Archduke of Austria Albert VII, Archduke of Austria
House	House of Habsburg
Father	Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Mother	Isabella of Portugal
Born	21 June 1528 Madrid, Spain
Died	26 February 1603 Villa Monte, Spain

Maria of Spain (Madrid, 21 June 1528 - Villa Monte, 26 February 1603) was the first daughter of Charles V and Isabella of Portugal. She was Holy Roman Empress, German Queen, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia^[1] as the wife of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor. She is also known as Archduchess Maria and Maria of Burgundy.

Marriage

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

Ancestry

Notes

1. ^ http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/370517/Maximilian-II