Maria of Spain

Maria of Austria, Holy Roman Empress

She was the spouse of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia and Hungary. She was the daughter of Emperor Charles V and Isabella of Portugal, and twice served as regent of Spain.

Maria and Maximiliam had sixteen children during the course of a twenty-eight-year marriage. Among them the Holly Roman Emperors Rudolf II and Matthias III, and the queens Anna and Elisabeth of Austria, the first queen of Spain and the last queen of France.

While her father was occupied with German affairs, Maria and Maximilian acted as regents of Spain from 1548 to 1551 during the absence of Prince Philip. Maria stayed at the Spanish court until August 1551, and in 1552 the couple moved to live at the court of Maximilian's father in Vienna. During another absence of her brother, now King Philip II, from 1558 to 1561, Maria was again regent of Spain and returned to Madrid during that time.

After her return to Germany, her husband gradually succeeded his father Ferdinand I as ruler of Germany, Bohemia and Hungary, which he ruled from 1564 to his death in 1576. Maria was a devout Catholic and frequently disagreed with her religiously ambiguous husband. She had great influence over her sons, the future emperors Rudolf and Matthias.

c. 1557

painting of her: 38.media.tumblr.com/d16d49ef9b…
more about her: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_of…