Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain

Margaret of Austria (Margarete in German; 25 December 1584 – 3 October 1611) was Queen of Spain and Portugal by her marriage to King Philip III & II.

Biography Margaret was the daughter of Archduke Charles II of Austria and Maria Anna of Bavaria and thus the paternal granddaughter of the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I. Her elder brother was the Archduke Ferdinand, who was elected emperor in 1619. Two of her sisters, Anna and Constance, through their subsequent marriages to King Sigismund III Vasa, became Queens of Poland.

Queen of Spain

Margaret married Philip III of Spain, her first cousin, once removed, on 18 April 1599.

She became an influential figure at her husband's court. Philip had an "affectionate, close relationship" with Margaret, and paid her additional attention after they had a son in 1605.

Juan Pantoja de la Cruz –Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain, c. 1605

Margaret was also a great patron of the arts. She was considered by contemporaries to be a pious Catholic and "astute and very skillful" in her political dealings.

Alongside the Empress Maria, widow of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II, and the latter's daughter Archduchess Margaret, who lived as a nun in Madrid, Queen Margaret formed a circle of women wielding considerable influence over the king. They emphasised Spain's status as a Catholic power acting in the interest of Catholic Europe and also highlighted the unity of the House of Habsburg. The Duke of Lerma was eventually removed from power in 1618, though only after Margaret's death.

Margaret died while giving birth to her youngest child, Alfonso. Her husband never remarried and died ten years later.

In October 1611, the English diplomat John Digby reported a rumour that the strong scent of amber gloves worn by Philip III had accidentally led to the death of the Margaret of Austria.

Issue Margaret and Philip had eight children: Anna Maria Mauricia (22 September 1601 – 20 January 1666), queen of France Maria (1 February 1603 – 1 March 1603) Philip (8 April 1605 – 17 September 1665), king of Spain Maria Anna (18 August 1606 – 13 May 1646), empress of the Holy Roman Empire Charles (14 September 1607 – 30 July 1632) Ferdinand (16 May 1609 – 9 November 1641), a cardinal Margaret (24 May 1610 – 11 March 1617) Alphonse Maurice (22 September 1611 – 16 September 1612)

Ancestors ahnentafel

boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc; boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9; boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc; boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc; boxstyle_5=background-color: #9fe; 1= 1. Margaret of Austria 2= 2. Charles II of Austria 3= 3. Maria Anna of Bavaria 4= 4. Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor (=14) 5= 5. Anna of Bohemia and Hungary 7= 7. Anna of Austria (= 28) 9= 9. Joanna of Castile (= 30) 11= 11. Anna of Foix-Candale 13= 13. Marie of Baden-Sponheim (= 4) 15= 15. Anna of Bohemia and Hungary 17= 17. Mary of Burgundy 19= 19. Isabella I of Castile 21= 21. Elisabeth of Austria 23= 23. Catherine of Foix 25= 25. Kunigunde of Austria 27= 27. Elisabeth of the Palatinate

Actress Viveca Lindfors portrayed Margaret in the 1948 Hollywood movie Adventures of Don Juan.