Ferdinand, Prince of Asturias
| Ferdinand | |
|---|---|
| Prince of Asturias; Archduke of Austria; Infante of Spain | |
c. 1575 portrait of Ferdinand and his pet bird by Sánchez Coello.
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| Born |
4 December 1571 Madrid, Spain |
| Died | 18 October 1578 (aged 6) Madrid, Spain |
| Burial | El Escorial |
| House | Habsburg |
| Father | Philip II of Spain |
| Mother | Anna of Austria |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Ferdinand of Austria, Infante of Spain, Prince of Asturias (December 4, 1571 in Madrid – October 18, 1578 in Madrid), son of Philip II of Spain and his fourth wife Anna of Austria.
Ferdinand was the second son born to Philip. He was preceded by Don Carlos, who was born to Phillip's first wife Maria Emanuela of Portugal. But by the time Ferdinand was born in 1571, his older brother, mentally unstable and unfit for government, had been dead for three years.
For Philip the illness and death of his firstborn were a source of great concern in regard to the succession. After Don Carlos, he had not had other sons by either of his following two marriages, but only two daughters from the third wife, Elisabeth of Valois, who had then died in childbirth just like Maria Emanuela (his second wife Mary I of England died childless): Isabella Clara Eugenia and Catherine Michelle.
To thank God for the birth of the long-awaited son, prisoners were released - as commemorated in Titian's painting, Philip II Offering Don Fernando to Victory.
After Ferdinand, four more children were born: Carlos Lorenzo in 1573, Diego in 1575, Philip in 1578 and Maria in 1580. Due to their parents' government commitments, but also the habits of the era, the children lived and grew upaway from their parents. Furthermore, Philip and Anna's awareness of the very high infant mortality rate of the time, may have created a sort of indifference to their children.
In spite of the Black Legend in which Philip was portrayed as a monster, he was a very caring and affectionate father. He bought dolls, miniatures and toys for his children, and during his stay in Portugal between 1581-82, he wrote to the older girls regularly in letters still preserved, to enquire after their health and education. When he returned from Portugal, he brought many candies and jams with him.
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