16-17th Cent. Maria of Spain, Holy Roman Empress.

Maria was born 21 June 1528, in Madrid, Spain. She was the daughter of Isabella of Portugal (24 October 1503 - 1 May 1539) and Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. Her maternal grandparents were Maria of Aragon and Manuel I of Portugal. Maria's parents were married on 11 March 1526, in Seville. Her siblings were Philip II of Spain (1527-1598), Ferdinand (1530), Isabella (1536-1538), Joan of Spain (1535-1573) and John (1539). Her mother, Isabella died in 1539, after the birth of her sixth child. Maria married Maximilian (31 July 1527 - 12 October 1576) in September 1548. He was the son of Anna of Bohemia and Hungary (1503–1547) and Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor. From 1548 to 1550, Maria and Maximilian were Regents of Spain. In December 1550, they went to Germany to take part in the discussion over the Imperial succession. The couple had sixteen children.

The Children of Maria and Maximilian:

Anne of Austria (1 November 1549 - 26 October 1580) Married Philip II of Spain.
Ferdinand of Austria (28 March 1551 - 25 June 1552)
Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor (18 July 1552 - 20 January 1612)
Archduke Ernest of Austria (15 July 1553 - 12 February 1595)

Elisabeth of Austria (5 June 1554 - 22 January 1592) Married Charles IX of France.
Marie of Austria (27 July 1555 - 25 June 1556)
Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor (24 February 1557 - 20 March 1619)
Stillborn son (20 October 1557 - 20 October 1557)
Maximilian III, Archduke of Austria (12 October 1558 - 2 November 1618)

Albert VII, Archduke of Austria (15 November 1559 - 13 July 1621) Married Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain.

Wenzel of Austria (9 March 1561 - 22 September 1578)
Friedrich of Austria (21 June 1562 - 16 January 1563)
Marie of Austria (19 February 1564 - 26 March 1564)
Karl of Austria (26 September 1565 - 23 May 1566)
Margaret of Austria (25 January 1567 - 5 July 1633)
Eleonore of Austria (4 November 1568 - 12 March 1580)

In November 1562, Maximilian was chosen King of the Romans in Frankfurt. In September 1563, Maximilian was crowned King of Hungary by the Archbishop of Esztergom, Nicolaus Olahus. Her father-in-law, Ferdinand I died in July 1564. He was succeeded by her husband to the Empire and to the Kingdoms of Hungary and Bohemia. In 1575, Maximilian was elected to be the King of Poland in opposition to Stephan IV Bathory, but he was soon forced to leave Poland. Maximilian died on 12 October 1576, in Regensburg. He was buried in St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague. He was succeeded by their son, Rudolf. In 1582, Maria returned to Spain. Her son, Albert married Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain (12 August 1566 - 1 December 1633) on 18 April 1599, in Valencia. Maria died 26 February 1603, in Villa Monte. She was the patron of the Spanish composer Tomás Luis de Victoria. In 1603, he wrote The Requiem Mass for her funeral.