AnneAustria

Anne of Austria

Born: 1549
Father: Emperor Maxilian II
Mother: Maria of Spain, daughter of Charles I/V
Husband: Philip II
Married: 1570
Age: 21
Children: Fernando (1571-1578), Carlos Lorenzo (1573-1575),
Diego (1575-1582), Philip III, Maria (1580-1583)
Died: 1580
Age: 31

Anne of Austria by Alonso Sanchez Coello

While her father represented his father-in-law in Spain, she was born in Cigales, but her youth was spent in Vienna. She was intended to marry her first cousin, Don Carlos, heir to the Spanish throne. However, on 24 July 1568, Don Carlos died, followed, on 3 October 1568, by Elisabeth de Valois, wife of her uncle, King Philip II of Spain. As a result, her marriage was arranged with her thrice widowed uncle, Philip II, King of Spain.

In 1570 she arrived in Spain, accompanied by her brothers Albrecht and Wenzel, who remained there to be educated at the Spanish Court. On 12 November 1570, in Segovia, she married the Spanish King and they became the parents of five children.

In 1571 Spain won the sea-battle at Lepanto and their first son, Ferdinand, was born. However, of the five children, only the fourth, Felipe, survived and, in due course, succeeded to the Spanish throne. In 1580 Anna and her husband travelled to the Portuguese border in an attempt to establish the king's right to the Portuguese throne after the death of the aging and childless King Enrique. They travelled as far as Badajoz where Philip became seriously ill with influenza. Taking care of her husband, Anna also became infected with influenza and died, aged only thirty.

Source:
http://worldroots.com/brigitte/royal/bio/annaaustriabio1549.html

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