The Black Von Scrolls

Germany, France and Spain fought decade after decade. Germany and Spain aligned via the Habsburgs and battled France on and off for centuries. Further east, there was the Turkish Ottoman Empire. It was the Catholics against the Protestants against the Muslims. In the name of religion and land, they fought endlessly. Peace came when countries were broke, and war started again when armies were plentiful. The Habsburgs were particularly serious about spreading Catholicism.

Habsburg women had a single responsibility; to breed more Habsburgs. Marriages were arranged tactically across borders and offspring were depended to reach more territory and spread the alliance.

Royal marriages were arranged with girls starting at 10 years of age (and in some cases, younger). There were two main considerations; alliances with specific countries, and continuing a lineage of pure Habsburg blood. When the Habsburgs could not match cousin to cousin, they matched uncle to niece. If this was done too many times, the line died out. Women were unable to bear children who lived long enough to rule. In the case of Habsburg rule over Spain, pure blood would be their undoing. Their overwhelming success and failure was marriage.

Elisabeth of Valois, Queen of Spain, Alonso Sanchez Coello, 1560

At age 14 Elizabeth became the third wife of King Philip II of Spain, presented by her father, King Henry II of France, as part of a peace treaty with Spain in 1559. This broke off her engagement to Philip’s younger son, Don Carlos, whom she was betrothed. She bore Philip two daughters, and died at age 23 during her second miscarriage.

Anna of Austria, Queen of Spain, Alonso Sanchez Coello, 1571

Enter Anna of Austria, Philip II’s fourth wife. After Elizabeth’s death, Philip declined the offer to marry her younger sister. He instead chose Anna of Austria, his sister’s daughter, also promised to his son, Don Carlos. Although Philip had the reputation of being kind, polite and charming ruler, Don Carlos went mad, got locked away and died of a hunger strike. Philip, without a son, heir or wife, then married Anna, his niece. She bore him five children, but only one lived to adulthood; Philip III, King of Spain.

Portrait of Mariana of Austria, Diego Velázquez, 1652

It’s hard for me not to think of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale when looking at Habsburg women. Although some situations were better than others, like Anna of Austria, Mariana of Austria had particularly bad luck. She was promised to her first cousin, Balthazar Carlos, but he died at age 16 of smallpox. His mother, Isabel of Bourbon, died 2 years before leaving his father without a wife or an heir. So Philip IV, age 43, chose Mariana, age 14, to be his second wife. It’s been said her cheery disposition went stone cold after her marriage. Velázquez didn’t hold back with her expression, painted when she was 18.

Infanta Margarita Teresa in a Blue Dress, Diego Velázquez, 1659

Promised to her uncle, Emperor Leopold I, Margarita Teresa followed in the footsteps of her mother and great grandmother by marrying an uncle. Leopold was the brother of her mother, Mariana of Austria. She died at 21, after several miscarriages. Only one daughter survived, Maria Antonia of Austria. This court portrait was produced for Leopold while he waited for his bride, Margarita Teresa at 8 years of age.

Archduchess Claudia Felicitas, Carlo Dolci, 1672

Here, Claudia at age 19, would become the second wife to Emperor Leopold I in 1673. Her enthusiasm is undetected, her outlook grim. She bore him two girls who died young, and she died shortly after, age of 23.

Marie Louis of Orléans, José García Hidalgo, 1679

After being promised to her first cousin, Louis, Dauphine of France, her uncle, King Louis XIV, redirected her to Spain. She was to marry a sickly Charles II, son of Philip IV and Mariana of Austria (uncle and niece). Marie Louis was not able to conceive any children with Charles. This sunk her into depression. She died at age 27. Before her marriage, in a conversation with her uncle, King Louis XIV: I could not have done more for my own daughter to which Marie Louise replied: Yes sire, but you could have done more for your niece.

Although arranged marriages were the standard, marrying uncle to niece took it’s grave toll on the Habsburg family. Charles II did marry again, but was his second wife was unable to conceive. He died at age 39 from health complications, and left Spain with no heir. This Habsburg line had been wiped out from years of inbreeding. The House of Bourbon (France) took the throne and has held position in Spain to this very day.