From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Philip IV of Spain

Spanish and Portuguese Royalty House of Habsburg Charles I (Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor) Children    Philip II of Spain    Maria, Holy Roman Empress    Juana, Crown Princess of Portugal    Infante Juan (natural son)    Margarita, Duchess of Parma (natural daughter) Philip II (Philip I of Portugal) Children include    Carlos, Prince of Asturias    Isabella, Archduchess of Austria    Catalina, Duchess of Savoy    Philip III of Spain Philip III (Philip II of Portugal) Children include    Anne, Queen of France    Philip IV of Spain    Maria Ana, Holy Roman Empress    Infante Carlos    Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand Philip IV (Philip III of Portugal) Children include    Balthasar Charles, Prince of Asturias    Maria Theresa, Queen of France    Margarita, Holy Roman Empress    Charles II of Spain Charles II

Philip IV (Felipe IV), (8 April 1605 – 17 September 1665) was King of Spain from 1621 to 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands and also King of Portugal (as Philip III) until 1640. The eldest son of Philip III and his wife Margarita of Austria, Philip IV was born at Valladolid. He was known as the Planet King, after the Sun, the fourth planet in the astronomy of the time.

His reign, after a few years of inconclusive successes, was characterized by political and military decay and adversity. He has been held responsible for the decline of Spain, which was mostly due, however, to organic causes largely beyond the control of any one ruler. Philip certainly possessed more energy, both mental and physical, than his diffident father. His handwritten translation of Francesco Guicciardini's texts on political history still exists, and he was a fine horseman and keen hunter.

His artistic taste is shown by his patronage of his court painter Diego Velázquez; his love of letters by his favoring Lope de Vega, Pedro Calderón de la Barca, and other immortal dramatists. He is credited, on fairly probable testimony, with a share in the composition of several comedies. He also commenced the building of the Buen Retiro palace in Madrid, parts of which still remain near the Prado.

His good intentions were no avail to governance, however. Feeling himself not yet qualified to rule when he ascended to the throne at age 16, he allowed himself to be guided by the most capable men he could find. His favourite, Olivares, was a far more honest and capable man than his predecessor the Duke of Lerma, and better fitted for the office of chief minister than any Spaniard of the time, perhaps. Philip, however, lacked the confidence to free himself from Olivares's influence once he did come of age. With Olivares's encouragement, he rather busied himself with frivolous amusements. By 1643, when disasters falling on all sides led to the dismissal of the all-powerful minister, Philip had largely lost the power to devote himself to hard work. After a brief struggle with the task of directing the administration of the most extensive and worst-organized multi-national state in Europe, he sank back into indolence and let other favourites govern.

His political opinions were those he had inherited from his father and grandfather. He thought it his duty to support the House of Habsburg and the cause of the Roman Catholic Church against the Protestants, to assert his sovereignty over the Dutch, and to extend the dominions of his family. The utter exhaustion of his people in the course of perpetual war, against the Netherlands, France, Portugal, Protestant forces in the Holy Roman Empire and Great Britain, was seen by him with sympathy but he considered it an unavoidable misfortune, since he could not have been expected to renounce his legitimate rights, or to desert what he viewed as the cause of God, the Church and the House of Habsburg.

He was idealised by his contemporaries as the model of Baroque kingship. Outwardly he maintained a bearing of rigid solemnity, and was seen to laugh only three times in the course of his entire public life. But, in private, his court was grossly corrupt. Victorian historians prudishly attributed the early death of his eldest son, Baltasar Carlos, to debauchery, encouraged by the gentlemen entrusted by the king with his education. This shocked the king, but its effect soon wore off. Philip IV died broken-hearted in 1665, expressing the pious hope that his surviving son, Carlos, would be more fortunate than himself. On his death, a catafalque was built in Rome to commemorate his life.

Contents 1 Ancestors 2 Family 2.1 Siblings 2.2 Children 3 In fiction 4 References

Philip's ancestors in three generations

Philip IV of Spain, III of Portugal	Father: Philip III of Spain, II of Portugal	Father's father: Philip II of Spain, I of Portugal	Father's father's father: Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
			Father's father's mother: Isabella of Portugal
		Father's mother: Anna of Austria	Father's mother's father: Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor
			Father's mother's mother: Maria of Spain
	Mother: Margaret of Austria	Mother's father: Charles II, Archduke of Austria	Mother's father's father: Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
			Mother's father's mother: Anna of Bohemia and Hungary
		Mother's mother: Maria Anna of Bavaria	Mother's mother's father: Albert V, Duke of Bavaria
			Mother's mother's mother: Anna of Austria

• Anne of Austria (1601–1666), who became Queen of France;
• Maria Anna of Spain (1606–1646), who became Holy Roman Empress;
• Ferdinand, who became Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands

With Elisabeth of Bourbon (1603–1644, daughter of Henry IV of France) — married 1615 at Burgos

• Infanta Maria Margaret (Maria Margarita) (1621)
• Infanta Margaret Maria Catherine (Margarita Maria Catalina) (1623)
• Infanta Maria Eugenia (1625–1627)
• Infanta Isabella Maria Theresa (Isabel Maria Teresa) (1627)
• Baltasar Carlos, Prince of the Asturias (1629–1646)
• Infanta Maria Anna Antonia (Mariana or Maria Ana Antonia) (1636)
• Maria Theresa of Spain (1638–1683), queen consort of France as first wife of Louis XIV of France

With Mariana of Austria (1634–1696) — in 1649

• Margaret of Spain (July 12, 1651 – 12 March 1673), first wife of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
• Infanta Maria Ambrosia de la Concepción (1655)
• Philip Prospero of Spain (1657–1661).
• Infante Thomas Charles (Tomas Carlos) (1658–1659)
• Charles II of Spain (1661–1700)

With Maria Calderon{a}

• John of Austria the Younger {1629 – 1679}

• The novel The king Amaz'd by the Spanish novelist Gonzalo Torrente Ballester is an ironic portrait of the early years of Philip IV's reign. The movie El rey pasmado, based on the novel, was directed by Imanol Uribe and features Gabino Diego as Philip in his early reign.
  
• Spanish author Arturo Pérez-Reverte gives an exquisite description of the difficult social, political and military conditions during the reign of Philip IV in his series of bestselling novels starring the swashbuckler Captain Alatriste.

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

• La Política Internacional de Felipe IV

Philip IV of Spain House of Habsburg Born: 8 April 1605 Died: 17 September 1665
Regnal titles
Preceded by Philip III of Spain II of Portugal	King of Spain 1621 – 1665	Succeeded by Charles II
	King of Naples 1621 – 1665
	King of Sicily 1621 – 1665
	King of Portugal and the Algarves 1621 – 1640	Succeeded by John IV
German nobility
Preceded by Philip III of Spain	Duke of Brabant, Guelders, Limburg, and Lothier 1621 – 1665	Succeeded by Charles II
	Duke of Luxembourg 1621 – 1665
	Count of Burgundy, Flanders, Hainaut and Namur 1621 – 1665
French nobility
Preceded by Philip III	Count of Artois 1621 – 1640	Absorbed into France
Italian nobility
Preceded by Isabella Appiani	Prince of Piombino 1628 – 1634	Succeeded by Niccolò I Ludovisi
Spanish royalty
Preceded by Philip III	Prince of Asturias 1605 – 1621	Succeeded by Balthasar Charles
Portuguese royalty
Preceded by Anne	Prince of Portugal 1605 – 1621	Succeeded by Balthasar Charles

v • d • e Monarchs of Spain
House of Habsburg (Philippine Dynasty excluding Charles I)	Charles I of Spain • Philip II of Spain • Philip III of Spain • Philip IV of Spain • Charles II of Spain
House of Bourbon	Philip V of Spain • Louis I of Spain • Philip V of Spain • Ferdinand VI of Spain • Charles III of Spain • Charles IV of Spain • Ferdinand VII of Spain
House of Bonaparte	Joseph Bonaparte
House of Bourbon, First Restoration	Ferdinand VII of Spain • Isabella II of Spain
House of Savoy	Amadeo I of Spain
House of Bourbon, Second Restoration	Alfonso XII of Spain • Alfonso XIII of Spain
House of Bourbon, Third Restoration	Juan Carlos I of Spain

v • d • e Monarchs of Portugal
House of Burgundy	Afonso I • Sancho I • Afonso II • Sancho II • Afonso III • Denis • Afonso IV • Peter I • Ferdinand I • Beatrice (disputed)
House of Aviz	John I • Edward • Afonso V • John II • Manuel I • John III • Sebastian • Henry • Anthony (disputed)
House of Habsburg	Philip I • Philip II • Philip III
House of Braganza	John IV • Afonso VI • Peter II • John V • Joseph I • Maria I with Peter III • John VI • Pedro IV • Miguel I • Maria II with Ferdinand II • Pedro V • Luís I • Carlos I • Manuel II