Mariana of Austria
1649 - 1665
The second of six children born to Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor (1608-1657) and the Infanta Maria Anna of Spain (1606-1646), the younger sister of Philip IV, Mariana of Austria was initially betrothed to Prince Balthasar Charles (1627-1646), the heir to the Hispanic Monarchy. The Prince’s sudden death on 9th October 1646 left Philip IV without male heirs and he sought the Archduchess’s hand in marriage. The royal marriage, arranged to ensure the succession to the Crown and to strengthen the ties between the Madrid and Viennese branches of the House of Habsburgs, was celebrated in Navalcarnero on 7th October 1649. The King and Queen had five children: the Infanta Margaret Theresa (1651-1673), Holy Roman Empress by marriage to Leopold I (1640-1705); the Infanta Maria Ambrosi...
