Philip Prospero, Prince of Asturias

Philip Prosper of Spain ( Spanish: Felipe Próspero de Austria ) (* December 28, 1657 in Madrid, † November 1, 1661 in Madrid) was Infante of Spain and Portugal. As a Spanish Crown Prince he bore the title of Prince of Asturias.

Life

Philip Prosper was the eldest son of the Spanish King Philip IV (1605-1665) from his second marriage to Maria Anna (1634-1696), daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III. At the ceremony marking the birth of the Prince in Huesca, a representation of the newborn has also been shown kneeling in front of Custodia with included wafer, which should point out that " the illustrious House Austria is innate by divine approval, the veneration of the Blessed Sacrament. " On the occasion of the Nativity El Laurel de Apolo the piece of Pedro Calderón de la Barca was premiered.

Up to Philipp Prosper's birth, his older half-brother Baltasar Carlos had already died in 1646, was his half-sister Maria Theresa as heiress of the kingdom, as in Spain had the Salic Law not valid. Before Philip Prosper's birth his mother had several miscarriages, which is likely to be due to syphilis illness of his father.

The birth of viable appearing Spanish Heir Apparent accelerated the conclusion of the peace Pyrenees between Spain and France, who had also the marriage of Maria Theresa with Louis XIV of France a result, although this was already Emperor Leopold I promised. Because of the precarious state of health Philipp Prosper Maria Theresa was at her marriage in 1660 to continue as the heir to the Spanish crown.

But also for the Austrian Habsburgs was Philipp Prosper birth of importance. Leopold I was until then as a candidate for the Spanish throne, a fact that the German electors at the imperial election of 1658 could have affected, as these feared the hegemony of the Habsburg Emperor.

Philip Prosper was of a very feeble constitution, was considered degenerate and suffered from epilepsy and scrofula. He died shortly before his fourth birthday and five days before the birth of his brother, the future King Charles II, and was buried in the Pantheon of Infantes at the Escorial.