HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Ferdinand, Prince of Asturias (4 December 1571 – 18 October 1578) was a member of the
House of Habsburg The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
who was
heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...
to the Spanish throne.


Biography

Ferdinand was born in the
Royal Alcázar of Madrid The Royal Alcázar of Madrid ( Spanish: ''Real Alcázar de Madrid'') was a fortress located at the site of today's Royal Palace of Madrid, Madrid, Spain. The structure was originally built in the second half of the ninth century by the Muslims ...
. He was the second son of
Philip II of Spain Philip II) in Spain, while in Portugal and his Italian kingdoms he ruled as Philip I ( pt, Filipe I). (21 May 152713 September 1598), also known as Philip the Prudent ( es, Felipe el Prudente), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from ...
. His mother was Philip II's niece and fourth wife, Anna of Austria. His elder half-brother,
Don Carlos ''Don Carlos'' is a five-act grand opera composed by Giuseppe Verdi to a French-language libretto by Joseph Méry and Camille du Locle, based on the dramatic play '' Don Carlos, Infant von Spanien'' (''Don Carlos, Infante of Spain'') by Friedric ...
, had died in 1568, which meant that he was the new heir-apparent at birth and therefore Prince of Asturias. Most of his time was spent with his mother, his nurses and his two elder half sisters
Catherine Katherine, also spelled Catherine, and other variations are feminine names. They are popular in Christian countries because of their derivation from the name of one of the first Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria. In the early Chris ...
and Isabella. To thank God for the birth of the long-awaited son, prisoners were released – as commemorated in
Titian Tiziano Vecelli or Vecellio (; 27 August 1576), known in English as Titian ( ), was an Italian ( Venetian) painter of the Renaissance, considered the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, ne ...
's painting, ''Philip II Offering Don Fernando to Victory''. On 31 May 1573, Ferdinand was officially made
Prince of Asturias Prince or Princess of Asturias ( es, link=no, Príncipe/Princesa de Asturias; ast, Príncipe d'Asturies) is the main substantive title used by the heir apparent or heir presumptive to the throne of Spain. According to the Spanish Constitution ...
at
San Jerónimo el Real Saint Jerome the Royal (in Spanish ''San Jerónimo el Real'') is a Roman Catholic church from the early 16th-century in central Madrid (Spain). The church, which has undergone numerous remodelings and restorations over the centuries is the remain ...
. Ferdinand died of
dysentery Dysentery (UK pronunciation: , US: ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications ...
. His father was eventually succeeded by his youngest brother,
Philip III of Spain Philip III ( es, Felipe III; 14 April 1578 – 31 March 1621) was King of Spain. As Philip II, he was also King of Portugal, Naples, Sicily and Sardinia and Duke of Milan from 1598 until his death in 1621. A member of the House of Habsburg, Phi ...
.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferdinand, Prince of Asturias 1571 births 1578 deaths 16th-century House of Habsburg Princes of Asturias Dukes of Montblanc Heirs apparent who never acceded Children of Philip II of Spain Burials in the Pantheon of Infantes at El Escorial Royalty and nobility who died as children Sons of kings