Philip III of Spain
Philip III (Spanish: Felipe III; 14 April 1578 – 31 March 1621) was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II of Portugal (Portuguese: Filipe II), from 1598 until his death. His chief minister was the Duke of Lerma. Philip III married Margaret of Austria, sister of Emperor Ferdinand II, and like her husband, a member of the House of Habsburg.
Born in Madrid, the son of Philip II of Spain and his fourth wife (and niece) Anna, daughter of the Emperor Maximilian II and Maria of Spain. He shared the viewpoints and beliefs of his father, including his piety, but did not inherit his industry. The diligent old king had sorrowfully confessed that God had not given him a son capable of governing his vast dominions, and that he had foreseen that Philip III would be led by his servants. This assessment ultimately proved correct. In the view of historian J. H. Elliott, his "only virtue appeared to reside in a total absence of vice".[1]
The new king put the direction of his government entirely into the hands of his favourite, the Duke of Lerma, Francisco Goméz de Sandoval y Rojas, and when he fell under the influence of Lerma's son, Cristóbal de Sandoval, the Duke of Uceda in 1618, he trusted himself and his states to the new favourite. Unlike his father, Philip was not interested in the day-to-day business of government. He spent many months each year travelling to different palaces with his court, away from the government centre. His household costs rose enormously at a time of falling income.[2]
He died at Madrid on 31 March, 1621. The story told in the memoirs of the French ambassador Bassompierre, that he was killed by the heat of a brasero (a pan of hot charcoal), because the proper official to take it away was not at hand, is a humorous exaggeration of the formal etiquette of the court.
 | |
| Reign | 14 April 1598–31 March 1621 |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Philip II |
| Successor | Philip IV |
| Spouse | Margaret of Austria |
| Issue | |
| Anne, Queen of France Philip IV Maria Anna, Holy Roman Empress Infante Carlos of Spain Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand | |
| Father | Philip II of Spain |
| Mother | Anna of Austria |
| Born | 14 April 1578 Madrid, Spain |
| Died | 31 March 1621 (aged 42) Madrid, Spain |
Expulsion of the Moriscos (1609–1614)
In 1609, Philip issued a decree for the expulsion of the Moriscos (descendants of Muslims who converted to Christianity) from Spain. The idea was proposed by Juan de Ribera, Archbishop and Viceroy of Valencia. Reasons included:
- Accused collaboration with the Barbary Pirates to attack the coast
- Their unpopularity among the people, especially in Valencia
- The gain to the royal treasury from seizing the assets of 4% of the population
Between 1609 and 1614 they began to leave the peninsula. To accomplish this, the Navy and 30,000 soldiers were mobilized with the mission of transporting the Moriscos to Tunis or Morroco. Approximately 300,000 Moriscos were expelled.
This measure significantly damaged the economies of the Kingdom of Valencia, Aragon, and Murcia. Both the supply of cheap labour and the number of rent paying property owners in these areas decreased considerably. The cultivation of sugar and rice had to be substituted for white mulberry, vineyards, and wheat.
Foreign policy
England
With the ascension to the throne of James I of England, succeeding his cousin Elizabeth, it became possible to end the Anglo–Spanish War which had been dragging on since 1585 and was far too costly for both countries. In August of 1604 the Treaty of London was signed.
Netherlands
Philip II of Spain had bequeathed his remaining territories in the Low Countries to his daughter Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain and her husband, Archduke Albert, under the condition that if she died without any heirs, the land would return to the Spanish Crown. What later would be known as the Eighty Year's War of independence had been going on since 1568; a new war strategy resulted in a reestablishment of Spanish power on the north side of the great rivers Meuse and Rhine, stepping up the military pressure on the rebel provinces. However, the Southern Netherlands - still under Spanish control - and the Dutch Republic in the north - dominated by Calvinist Protestants - were both exhausted. The Twelve Years' Truce that was signed, taking effect in 1609, did enable the Southern Netherlands to recover, but it was a de facto recognition of the independence of the Dutch Republic and many European powers established diplomatic relations with it. The truce did not stop its commercial and colonial expansion into the Caribbean and the East-Indies, although Spain had tried to impose the liquidation of the Dutch East India Company as a treaty condition. Minor concessions of the Dutch Republic were the scrapping of the plan to create a Dutch West India Company and to stop the harassment of the Portuguese in Asia. Both concessions were temporary as the Dutch soon recommenced their preying upon Portuguese interests, which had already lead to the Dutch-Portuguese War in 1602 and would continue till 1654. At least with the peace in Europe, the Twelve Year's truce gave Phlip's regime an opportunity to improve its financial position.
France and Italy
With the death of Henry IV of France - a supporter of the war against Spain - a period of instability commenced in the Kingdom of France. The Duke of Osuna, viceroy of Naples, the Marquess of Villafranca, and the Governor of Milan directed the Spanish policy in Italy that encountered resistance from the Kingdom of Savoy and the Republic of Venice. To secure the connection between Milan and the Netherlands a new route was opened through Valtelina, Switzerland and in 1618 the plot of Venice occurred in which the authorities engaged in the persecution of pro-Spanish agents.
Intervention of Philip III of Spain (1618–1621)
Emperor Ferdinand II Habsburg asked the Spanish branch of his family for help to put down the rebellion of the Protestant Czechs.
Spain, allied with Austria and Bavaria confronted the Bohemian Protestants supported by the Electoral Palatinate. The Spanish troops headed by Ambrosio Spinola in the Palatinate and by Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly in Bohemia, achieved victory against the Czechs in the Battle of White Mountain.
Ancestry
Like many Habsburgs, Philip III was the product of a great deal of inbreeding by his forebears. His father, Philip II, a product of marriage between first cousins, married his niece, Anna of Austria, herself the product of a cousin couple. Philip III in turn married his first cousin once removed, Margaret of Austria. This pattern would continue in the next generation, ultimately culminating in the end of the Spanish Habsburg line in the person of Philip's feeble grandson, Charles II.
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