Philip Prospero, Prince of Asturias facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Philip Prospero |
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| Prince of Asturias | |||||
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| Born | 28 November 1657 Royal Alcázar, Madrid, Spain |
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| Died | 1 November 1661 (aged 3) Royal Alcázar, Madrid, Spain |
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| Burial | El Escorial | ||||
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| House | Habsburgs of Spain | ||||
| Father | Philip IV of Spain | ||||
| Mother | Mariana of Austria | ||||
| Religion | Roman Catholicism | ||||
Philip Prospero was a Spanish prince born on November 28, 1657. He was the first son of Philip IV of Spain and Mariana of Austria to live past infancy. His full name was Felipe Próspero José Francisco Domingo Ignacio Antonio Buenaventura Diego Miguel Luis Alfonso Isidro Ramón Víctor.
Before Philip Prospero was born, his father King Philip IV had no living sons. His previous son, Balthasar Charles, had died eleven years earlier. This made the question of who would become the next king very important. People across Spain were praying for a male heir to be born.
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A Royal Birth
After his first son's death, King Philip IV only had a daughter, Maria Theresa, as the next in line for the throne. In early 1657, people who studied the stars, called astrologers, told the King that he would have another son who would live.
King Philip was a very religious Catholic. He ate only eggs on a special day of prayer, hoping for a son. On November 28, 1657, his wish came true. Queen Mariana of Austria gave birth to a baby boy. The Queen became sick after the birth, but everyone was too busy celebrating. They were overjoyed to have a male heir.
A writer from that time, Barrionuevo, described the celebrations. He wrote that people were so happy, they broke benches and tables in the palace. They also celebrated in bakeries and taverns. The King planned to ride his horse to a church to thank God. The prince was described as a "pretty little chap." The King wanted him baptized quickly before the cold weather arrived. Big parties were planned, with masquerades, bull-fights, and plays. Everyone, from city leaders to ordinary people, went to congratulate the King.
The Prince's Baptism
Following tradition, the baby was simply called "the prince" until his baptism. Astrologers predicted a great future for him. King Philip still worried he hadn't thanked God enough for this joy. He wrote to a friend, Sor María de Ágreda, saying the baby was "doing well." But he also remembered the sad death of his first son.
On December 6, 1657, King Philip rode through the decorated streets of Madrid. The city was ready for the prince's baptism, with music, dances, and masks. The baptism happened a week later, on December 13. The Archbishop of Toledo performed the ceremony. Holy water for the baptism came all the way from the Jordan River.
Barrionuevo also wrote that the prince "screamed lustily" during the baptism. The King, watching from a window, heard the loud cry and said, "Ah! that does sound well; the house smells of a man now." The christening was very expensive, costing King Philip 600,000 ducats. A ducat was a type of gold coin.
Heir to the Throne
Philip Prospero's birth brought great happiness. It was important not just because he was a boy, but also because it helped prevent arguments about who would rule next. If King Philip IV had no living sons, his daughters' husbands might have fought over the throne.
So, in 1658, Philip Prospero was officially named his father's heir. He became the Prince of Asturias, which is the title for the person next in line to the Spanish throne. However, the young prince was not very healthy. He often had to wear a special charm or amulet for protection. You can even see this amulet in his famous portrait by Velázquez.
By 1659, France and Spain had been fighting for many years. Their leaders were trying to make peace. With a male heir now born in Spain, the countries agreed to a peace treaty. This treaty involved marrying King Philip's eldest daughter, Maria Theresa, to the French king, Louis XIV. This agreement, called the Treaty of the Pyrenees, made France the strongest country in Europe.
A Famous Portrait
The first painting of Philip Prospero was made by the famous artist Diego Velázquez in 1659. This was the year King Philip felt confident enough to agree to the peace treaty with France. Velázquez painted this portrait and another one of Philip Prospero's sister, Margarita Teresa. These paintings were for their uncle, Emperor Leopold I, who would later marry Margarita.
In the painting, the prince looks about three years old. He stands in front of a dark background. His eyes are also dark. His hand rests gently on a small chair, where a calm spaniel dog lies. This pose and prop were common in royal portraits. However, Velázquez showed the prince's delicate health honestly. Around his eyes, there is a faint gray-blue-brown shadow. His bright face and hands, and his white shirt, stand out against his warm red gown and the dark background.
The painting clearly shows the boy's poor health. Strings crisscross his chest and waist, holding metal bells and at least two good luck charms. One is a cornicello, a horn-shaped amulet. The other is a black object, likely a fig-hand carved from jet. In contrast, Velázquez had painted a strong and healthy Balthasar Charles almost 30 years earlier. That painting showed a boy with a staff, sword, and a fancy hat. This portrait of Philip Prospero is not about politics. It shows that the hopes of a whole country rested on a small, fragile boy whose life depended on luck and fate.
The Prince's Death
Philip Prospero had been sick for a long time before he died in November 1661. He had epilepsy and often became ill. This was likely because his family had married relatives for many generations, which can weaken the immune system. The King even brought holy objects from Saint Diego of Alcalá to the palace, hoping to cure his son.
On November 1, 1661, Philip Prospero died after a severe epileptic seizure. Just five days later, King Philip's youngest son, Infante Charles, was born. Charles would become king in 1665 after his father's death.
King Philip felt partly responsible for his son's death. This is clear in a letter he wrote to Sor María about Philip Prospero's passing:
The long illness of my son and my constant attendance at his bedside have prevented me from answering your letter, nor has my grief allowed me to do so, until today. I confess to you, Sor María, that my grief is great, as is natural after losing such a jewel as this. But in the midst of my sorrow, I have tried to offer it to God, and to submit to His divine will; believing most earnestly that He will order all things for the best, which is the most important thing. I can assure you that what grieves me even more than my loss is that I see clearly that I have angered God, and that these punishments are sent in retribution for my sins.
See also
In Spanish: Felipe Próspero de Austria para niños
