Albert VII, Archduke of Austria

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For other people named Albert of Austria, see Albert of Austria (disambiguation).
Albert (VII)
St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral
Spouse
Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain
​
​
(m. 1599)​
Roman Catholicism
SignatureAlbert (VII)'s signature

Albert VII (

Governor General of the Habsburg Netherlands. He succeeded his brother Matthias as reigning archduke of Lower and Upper Austria, but abdicated in favor of Ferdinand II
the same year, making it the shortest (and often ignored) reign in Austrian history.

Early life

Archduke Albert was the fifth son of

Gaspar de Quiroga y Sandoval, lived much longer than expected; he died on 12 November 1594. In the meantime Albert only took lower orders. He was never ordained priest or bishop, and thus he resigned the See of Toledo in 1598.[3] He resigned the cardinalate in 1598.[4] His clerical upbringing did however have a lasting influence on his lifestyle.[5][further explanation needed
]

After the

Queen Elizabeth I.[9]

Governor General of the Habsburg Netherlands

Frans Pourbus the younger
.

After the death of

Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange captured the last Spanish strongholds that remained north of the great rivers, as well as the strategic town of Rheinberg in the Electorate of Cologne. Between 13 May and 25 September 1597, the Spanish, who had sent a large army in March, had captured the city of Amiens easily in a ruse. Finally the Spanish Army of Flanders lost Amiens in September the same year to Henry IV of France despite desperate efforts to relieve the place by Albert and Ernst von Mansfeld
. With no more money to pay the troops, Albert was also facing a series of mutinies.

Jeton with portraits of Albert and Isabella Clara Eugenia struck in Antwerp 1612.

While pursuing the war as well as he could, Albert made overtures for peace with Spain's enemies, but only the French king was disposed to enter official negotiations. Under the mediation of the papal legate Cardinal Alessandro de'Medici — the future Pope Leo XI — Spain and France concluded the Peace of Vervins on 2 May 1598. Spain gave up its conquests, thereby restoring the situation of Cateau Cambrésis. France tacitly accepted the Spanish occupation of the prince-archbishopric of Cambray and pulled out of the war, but maintained the financial support for the Dutch Republic. Only a few days after the treaty, on 6 May 1598, Philip II announced his decision to marry his eldest daughter, Isabella Clara Eugenia, to Albert and to cede them the sovereignty over the Habsburg Netherlands. The Act of Cession did however stipulate that if the couple would not have children, the Netherlands would return to Spain. It also contained a number of secret clauses that assured a permanent presence of the Spanish Army of Flanders. After obtaining the pope's permission, Albert formally resigned from the College of Cardinals on 13 July 1598 and left for Spain on 14 September, unaware that Philip II had died the night before. Pope Clement VIII celebrated the union by procuration on 15 November at Ferrara, while the actual marriage took place in Valencia on 18 April 1599.

Portrait of Albert VII (c. 1599–1600), by Frans Pourbus the Younger. Convent of Las Descalzas Reales collection in Madrid.

He was 39 and his bride 33; they had three children who all died in infancy.

War years

The first half of the reign of Albert and Isabella was dominated by war. After overtures to the

Elizabeth I of England proved unsuccessful, the Habsburg policy in the Low Countries aimed at regaining the military initiative and isolating the Dutch Republic. The strategy was to force its opponents to the conference table and negotiate from a position of strength. Even if Madrid and Brussels tended to agree on these options, Albert took a far more flexible stance than his brother-in-law, King Philip III of Spain
. Albert had first-hand knowledge of the devastation wrought by the Dutch Revolt, and he had come to the conclusion that it would be virtually impossible to reconquer the northern provinces. Quite logically, Philip III and his councillors felt more concern for Spain's reputation and for the impact that a compromise with the Dutch Republic might have on Habsburg positions as a whole. Spain provided the means to continue the war. Albert took the decisions on the ground and tended to ignore Madrid's instructions. Under the circumstances, the division of responsibilities repeatedly led to tensions.

Arms of Albert VII as Sovereign of the Habsburg Netherlands.

Albert's reputation as a military commander suffered badly when he was defeated by the Dutch stadtholder

Ambrogio Spínola. Even though he could not prevent the almost simultaneous capture of Sluis, Spínola forced Ostend
to surrender on 22 September 1604. He seized the initiative during the next campaigns, bringing the war north of the great rivers for the first time since 1594.

Meanwhile, the accession of

James VI of Scotland as James I in England had paved the way for a separate peace with England. On 24 July 1604 England, Spain and the Archducal Netherlands signed the Treaty of London. The return to peace was severely hampered by differences over religion. Events such as the Gunpowder Plot
caused a lot of diplomatic tension between London and Brussels. Yet on the whole relations between the two courts tended to be cordial.

Spínola's campaigns and the threat of diplomatic isolation induced the Dutch Republic to accept a ceasefire in April 1607. The subsequent negotiations between the warring parties failed to produce a peace treaty. They did lead however to conclusion of the Twelve Years' Truce in Antwerp on 9 April 1609. Under the terms of the Truce, the United Provinces were to be regarded as a sovereign power for its duration. Albert had conceded this point against the will of Madrid and it took him a lot of effort to persuade Philip III to ratify the agreement. When Philip's ratification finally arrived, Albert's quest for the restoration of peace in the Low Countries had finally paid off.

Albert and Isabella Clara Eugenia, by Otto van Veen, 1615

Years of peace

The years of the Truce gave the Habsburg Netherlands a much needed breathing-space. The fields could again be worked in safety. The archducal regime encouraged the reclaiming of land that had been inundated in the course of the hostilities and sponsored the

Monti di Pietà
based on the Italian model.

Portrait of Archduke Albert by Rubens, c. 1615

Meanwhile, the archducal regime ensured the triumph of the

confessionalisation of the population. The same period saw important waves of witch-hunts
.

Portrait of Albert VII, Archduke of Austria, engraving, 1614

In the process of

recatholicisation, new and reformed religious orders enjoyed the particular support of Albert and Isabella. Even though the archduke had certain reservations about the order, the Jesuits received the largest cash grants, allowing them to complete their ambitious building programmes in Brussels and Antwerp. Other champions of the Catholic Reformation, such as the Capuchins, were also given considerable sums. The foundation of the first convents of Discalced Carmelites
in the Southern Netherlands depended wholly on the personal initiative of the archducal couple and bore witness to the Spanish orientation of their spirituality.

The reign of Albert and Isabella Clara Eugenia saw a strengthening of princely power in the Habsburg Netherlands. The States General of the loyal provinces were only summoned once in 1600. Thereafter the government preferred to deal directly with the provinces. The years of the Truce allowed the archducal regime to promulgate legislation on a whole range of matters. The so-called Perpetual Edict (1611), for instance, reformed the judicial system and ushered in the transition from customary to written law. Other measures dealt with monetary matters, the nobility, duels, gambling, etc.

Driven by strategic as well as religious motives, Albert intervened in 1614 in the squabbles over the inheritance of the

Battle of the White Mountain
on 8 November 1620.

Death and succession

Funeral procession of the Archduke

Albert and Isabella Clara Eugenia had three children who died at a very young age, in 1605, 1607 and 1609. As the years passed, it became clear that they would have no more offspring. When Albert's health suffered a serious breakdown in the winter of 1613–1614, steps were taken to ensure the accession of Philip III of Spain in accordance to the Act of Cession. As a result, the States of the loyal provinces swore to accept the king as heir of the archduke and archduchess in a number of ceremonies between May 1616 and January 1617. Philip III however predeceased his uncle on 31 March 1621. The right to succeed the couple thereupon passed to his heir, King Philip IV.

Albert's health again deteriorated markedly in the closing months of 1620. As the Twelve Years' Truce would expire the next April, he devoted his last energies to securing its renewal. In order to reach this goal he was prepared to make far reaching concessions. Much to his frustration, neither the Spanish Monarchy, nor the Dutch Republic took his pleas for peace seriously. His death on 13 July 1621 therefore more or less coincided with the resumption of hostilities.

Artistic patronage

Albert and Isabella visiting an art gallery by Jan Brueghel the Elder and Hieronymus Francken II.[10]

Virtually nothing remains of Albert and Isabella Clara Eugenia'

Hendrik de Clerck, Theodoor van Loon and Denis van Alsloot were also called upon. Mention should furthermore be made of architects such as Wenzel Cobergher and Jacob Franquart, as well as of the sculptors de Nole. By far the best preserved ensemble of art from the archducal period is to be found at Scherpenheuvel
where Albert and Isabella directed Cobergher, the painter Theodoor van Loon and the de Noles to create a pilgrimage church in a planned city.

Titles

As co-sovereign of the Habsburg Netherlands, the title was: "Albert and Isabella Clara Eugenia, Infanta of Spain, by the grace of God Archdukes of Austria, Dukes of Burgundy, Lothier, Brabant, Limburg, Luxembourg and Guelders, Counts of Habsburg, Flanders, Artois, Burgundy, Tyrol, Palatines in Hainaut, Holland, Zeeland, Namur and Zutphen, Margraves of the Holy Roman Empire, Lord and Lady of Frisia, Salins, Mechlin, the City, Towns and Lands of Utrecht, Overijssel and Groningen".

For use in correspondence with German princes: "The Most Serene, Highborn Prince and Lord, Lord Albert, Archduke of Austria, Duke of Burgundy, Lothier, Brabant, Styria, Carinthia, Carniola, Limburg, Luxembourg, Guelders and Württemberg, Count of Habsburg, Flanders, Tyrol, Artois, Burgundy, Palatine in Hainaut, Holland, Zeeland, Namur and Zutphen, Margrave of the Holy Roman Empire, Lord of Frisia, Salins, Mechlin, the City, Towns and Lands of Utrecht, Overijssel and Groningen".

Ancestors

Male-line family tree

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Monarchs from the House of Habsburg ruled the Low Countries with the title of Duke/Duchess of Burgundy.

References

  1. ^ Marek, Miroslav. "Complete Genealogy of the House of Habsburg". Genealogy.EU.[self-published source]
  2. ^ Guilelmus van Gulik and Conradus Eubel, Hierarchia catholica medii et recentioris aevi Volumen tertium, editio altera (ed. L. Schmitz-Kallenberg) (Monasterii 1923), p. 45.
  3. ^ Gulik-Eubel, p. 315.
  4. Ferdinando de' Medici
    resigned on the death of his brother in order to become grand duke of Tuscany: Gulik-Eubel, p. 40 and n. 5. Ferdinand too had not taken Holy Orders.
  5. ^ Caeiro (1961) p. 5-31.
  6. ^ Gulik-Eubel, p. 45 note 12.
  7. ^ Caeiro (1961) passim.
  8. ^ Feros (2000) p. 28-30
  9. ^ Morgan (1993) p. 208-210.
  10. The Walters Art Museum
    .
  11. ^ a b Press, Volker (1990), "Maximilian II.", Neue Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 16, Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 471–475; (full text online)
  12. ^
    Wurzbach, Constantin von, ed. (1861). "Habsburg, Maria von Spanien" . Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich [Biographical Encyclopedia of the Austrian Empire] (in German). Vol. 7. p. 19 – via Wikisource
    .
  13. Wurzbach, Constantin von, ed. (1861). "Habsburg, Philipp I. der Schöne von Oesterreich" . Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich [Biographical Encyclopedia of the Austrian Empire] (in German). Vol. 7. p. 112 – via Wikisource
    .
  14. ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Joanna" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 15 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
  15. ^ a b Priebatsch, Felix (1908), "Wladislaw II.", Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 54, Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 688–696
  16. ^ a b Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor at the Encyclopædia Britannica
  17. ^
    ISBN 9780722224731
    . Retrieved 11 July 2018.

Bibliography

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Archduke Albert of Austria
Born: 13 November 1559 Died: 13 July 1621
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Grand Inquisitor of Portugal
1586 – 1593 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Archbishop of Toledo

1595 – 1598 		Succeeded by
Government offices
Preceded by
Governor of the Spanish Netherlands

1596–1598 		Vacant
Title next held by
Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain
Preceded by Viceroy of Portugal
1583–1593 		Vacant
Government Junta
Title next held by
Cristóvão de Moura
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Isabella Clara Eugenia
(1598 – 1621) 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Archduke of Lower and Upper Austria
1619 		Succeeded by
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