Elisabeth of Austria (1554–1592)
| Elisabeth of Austria | |
|---|---|
Elisabeth of Austria, Queen of France (by François Clouet, c. 1571)
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| Queen consort of France | |
| Tenure | 26 November 1570 – 30 May 1574 |
| Coronation | 25 March 1571 |
| Born |
5 July 1554 Vienna, Austria |
| Died | 22 January 1592 (aged 37) Vienna, Austria |
| Burial | St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna |
| Spouse | Charles IX of France |
| Issue | Marie Elisabeth of Valois |
| House | Habsburg |
| Father | Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor |
| Mother | Maria of Spain |
Elisabeth of Austria (5 July 1554 – 22 January 1592) was Queen of France from 1570 to 1574 as the wife of King Charles IX. A member of the House of Habsburg, she was the daughter of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor, and Maria of Spain.
Elisabeth was the fifth child and second daughter of her parents' sixteen children, of whom eight survived infancy. During her childhood, she lived with her older sister Anna and younger brother Matthias in a pavilion in the gardens of the newly built Stallburg, part of the Hofburg Palace complex in Vienna. They enjoyed a privileged and secluded childhood, and were raised in the Roman Catholic religion. Her father Maximilian visited her often and Elisabeth seems to have been his favorite child. She resembled him, not only in appearance but also in character: Elisabeth was just as intelligent and charming as her father.
With her flawless white skin, long blond hair and perfect physique, she was considered one of the great beauties of the era. She was also regarded as demure, pious, and warmhearted but naive and intensely innocent because of her sheltered upbringing. Still, she was intellectually talented. Elisabeth's brothers were educated by the Flemish writer and diplomat Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq. The curious princess soon joined and even overshadowed them in their studies. Her mother Maria personally supervised the religious education of her daughters, and from her early childhood Elisabeth was impressed by her namesake Saint Elisabeth of Hungary and reportedly took her as a model.
Very early, around 1559, a match between Elisabeth and the Duke of Orléans, the future King Charles IX of France was suggested. In 1562, the Maréchal de Vieilleville, a member of the French delegation sent to Vienna, after seeing the eight-year-old princess, exclaimed: "Your Majesty, this is the Queen of France!". Although Vieilleville was not entitled to make an offer, Elisabeth's grandfather, the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I, appeared interested: gifts were exchanged and contacts initiated between the two courts — but no one bothered to teach French to the young princess.
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