Diego, Prince of Asturias

Spanish and Portuguese prince

Diego
Prince of Asturias and Portugal
Portrait of Prince Diego aged 2 by Sánchez Coello, c. 1577
Born15 August 1575
Madrid, Spain
Died21 November 1582(1582-11-21) (aged 7)
Madrid, Spain
Burial
El Escorial
Names
Diego Felix
HouseHabsburg
FatherPhilip II of Spain
MotherAnna of Austria

Diego, Prince of Asturias and Portugal (Diego Felix; 15 August 1575 – 21 November 1582) was the fourth son of Philip II of Spain 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 Ferdinand in 1578, Diego became heir-apparent to the throne. Diego also had another elder brother, Carlos Lorenzo, who died in infancy. His mother had just learned of the death of Carlos Lorenzo, and she was said to have suffered such a shock from word of his death that it caused her to go into premature labour, giving birth to Diego.

The birth of Ferdinand Prince of Asturias Diego's elder brother

He was formally invested as Prince of Asturias on 1 March 1580 by the Courts in Madrid.[1] The poet Cristóbal de Virués dedicated a sonnet to the new Prince, where he proposed that Diego follow the steps of his father.[2]

In 1580, his father became King of Portugal 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.

Death

Diego never became king. In late 1582 he contracted smallpox 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, assuming the position of Prince of Asturias. The king gave orders that continuous prayers be said at the Church of Our Blessed Lady in Zaragoza for the health of the royal children remaining.

Diego's younger brother became King Philip III upon their father's death in 1598.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Diego, Prince of Asturias
16. Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
8. Philip I of Castile
17. Mary, Duchess of Burgundy
4. Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
18. Ferdinand II of Aragon
9. Joanna I of Castile
19. Isabella I of Castile
2. Philip II of Spain
20. Infante Fernando, Duke of Viseu
10. Manuel I of Portugal
21. Beatriz of Portugal
5. Isabella of Portugal
22. Ferdinand II of Aragon (= 18)
11. Maria of Aragon
23. Isabella I of Castile (= 19)
1. Diego, Prince of Asturias
24. Philip I of Castile (= 8)
12. Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
25. Joanna I of Castile (= 9)
6. Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor
26. Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary
13. Anna of Bohemia and Hungary
27. Anna of Foix-Candale
3. Anna of Austria
28. Philip I of Castile (= 8)
14. Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (= 4)
29. Joanna I of Castile (= 9)
7. Maria of Spain
30. Manuel I of Portugal (= 10)
15. Isabella of Portugal (= 5)
31. Maria of Aragon (= 11)
  1. ^ Friedrich Christoph Schlosser, Georg Ludwig Kriegk: World History for the German people, Vol. 13, Varrentrapp, 1852, p. 202.
  2. ^ Freiherr von Münch: Book for Latin and English literature, Ferd. Dümmler, 1860, p.159.
Diego, Prince of Asturias
Born: 15 August 1575 Died: 21 November 1582
Spanish royalty
Preceded by Prince of Asturias
1578–1582
Succeeded by
Preceded by Prince of Portugal
1581–1582
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The generations indicate descent from Carlos I, under whom the crowns of Castile and Aragon were united, forming the Kingdom of Spain. Previously, the title Infante had been largely used in the different realms.
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  • 1 title granted by Royal Decree
  • 2 consort to an Infanta naturalized as a Spanish Infante
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Generations are numbered by male-line descent from the first archdukes. Later generations are included although Austrian titles of nobility were abolished in 1919.
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Habsburg
Tuscany
Palatines
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Descent of
Charles I
Tuscany
Palatines
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Charles
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Charles
  • S: also an infante of Spain
  • P: also an infante of Portugal
  • T: also a prince of Tuscany
  • M: also a prince of Modena
  • B: also a prince of Belgium
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The generations indicate descent from Afonso I, and continues through the House of Aviz, the House of Habsburg through Infanta Isabel, Holy Roman Empress and Queen of Spain, and the House of Braganza through Infanta Catarina, Duchess of Braganza.
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* also an infante of Castile and León, Aragon, Sicily and Naples,  § also an infante of Spain and an archduke of Austria,  # also an infante of Spain,  also an imperial prince of Brazil,  also a prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duke in Saxony,  also a prince of Braganza,  ¤ title removed in 1920 as their parents' marriage was deemed undynastic,  ƒ claimant infante
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