Diego, Prince of Asturias and Portugal (Diego Felix; 15 August 1575 – 21 November 1582) was the fourth son of

Philip II of Spain Philip II (21 May 152713 September 1598), sometimes known in Spain as Philip the Prudent (), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from 1580, and King of Naples and List of Sicilian monarchs, Sicily from 1554 until his death in 1598. He ...

and his third son by his fourth wife, Anna of Austria.

Early life

At the time of his birth, Diego's elder brother, Prince Ferdinand, was still the heir-apparent. On the death of Ferdinand in 1578, Diego became heir-apparent to the throne. He was formally invested as Prince of Asturias on 1 March 1580 by the Courts in Madrid. The poet Cristóbal de Virués dedicated a sonnet to the new Prince, where he proposed that Diego follow the steps of his father.Freiherr von Münch: ''Book for Latin and English literature'', Ferd. Dümmler, 1860, p.159. In 1580, his father became

king of Portugal This is a list of Portuguese monarchs who ruled from the establishment of the Kingdom of Portugal, in 1139, to the deposition of the Portuguese monarchy and creation of the Portugal, Portuguese Republic with the 5 October 1910 revolution. Thro ...

as well, making Diego heir-apparent of that realm also. His mother, Anna, died during a trip to their new kingdom. Diego and his siblings remained in Madrid under the care of their half-sisters Isabella Clara Eugenia and Catherine Michelle. The letters of Philip II make clear that he was extremely proud of Diego: he wrote that his son had already learned the alphabet and dancing by the age of five. In a letter dated 1582 the king wrote to the Indian Viceroy Francisco de Mascarenhas commanding that he bring an elephant to the Prince of Asturias as a gift. Philip II taught his son the Portuguese language so that one day Diego could speak as king with his Portuguese subjects. In addition, Philip II planned to betroth Diego to one of the daughters of John, Duke of Braganza and Catherine of Portugal, thus strengthening his claim to the Portuguese throne.

Death

In late 1582 he contracted

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...

and died at the age of 7. At his death, Philip II was inconsolable, for the only heir-apparent to the throne remaining was the small and sickly Infante Philip, who assumed the position of Prince of Asturias. The King gave orders that continuous prayers be said at the Church of Our Blessed Lady in

Zaragoza Zaragoza (), traditionally known in English as Saragossa ( ), is the capital city of the province of Zaragoza and of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributaries, the ...

for the health of the royal children remaining. Diego's younger brother became King Philip III upon their father's death in 1598.

Ancestry

{{authority control 1575 births 1582 deaths 16th-century House of Habsburg Princes of Asturias Dukes of Montblanc Princes of Portugal Portuguese heirs apparent who never acceded Spanish heirs apparent who never acceded Children of Philip II of Spain Burials in the Pantheon of Infantes at El Escorial Spanish royalty who died as children Sons of kings